Mixtapes Vol. III

High Fidelity on relationships and compatibility:

"A while back, when dick and Barry and I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like, Barry proposed the idea of a questionnaire for prospective partners, a two- or three-page multiple-choice document that covered all the music/film/TV/book bases. It was intended a) to dispense with awkward conversation, and b) to prevent a chap from leaping into bed with someone who might, at a later date, turn out to have every Julio Iglesias record ever made. It amused us at the time, although Barry, being Barry, went one stage further: he compiled the questionnaire and presented it to some poor woman he was interested in and she hit him with it. But there was an important and essential truth in the idea, and the truth was that these things matter, and it's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently, or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party."

[excerpted from High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby]

I know this is supposed to be a music blog (and that this novel came out a hella long time ago), but I wanted to throw in quick book review. It’s Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity (yep, the one that was made into the Jack Black/John Cusack movie), which goes all out to expose the immaturity of the male mind and the fragility of our egos. Despite this, it’s a great read for any music fan, especially for the interesting commentary it makes about our relationship to music and the intricacies of how and why people make mixtapes for each other.

High Fidelity traces the relationships of protagonist record-store owner Rob, who is ever the boy terrified of growing up and is going through a quarter-life crisis that some of us may be all too familiar with. Not only that, but like most such men, Rob is utterly incapable of truly expressing his feelings, and is only able to do so through mixtapes, and at times, seems only to capable communicate his emotions and ideas through musical or pop cultural comparisons. Sound familiar? If you’re any bit like this, which probably a lot of males who read (or write) this blog might be, this book is an insightful read if you haven’t checked it out already, despite its searing critique of the male species. That said, here’s a few tracks from a recent mix I made.

p.s. don’t read into these songs.

Track 07 [MP3] Postal Service :: Be Still My Heart
Track 12 [MP3] Sun Kil Moon :: Carry Me Ohio
Track 13 [MP3] Iron & Wine :: Each Coming Night
Track 18 [MP3] Oh No! Oh My! :: The Backseat

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