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A contest worth driving to
Submitted by Steele on March 7, 2008.I have recently challenged a co-worker of mine to a driving mix cd competition. We have yet to lay down some concrete ground rules but have decided the mix must be 15 songs in length, the weather must be suitable so as to have all the windows open, and our driving terrain must have a speed limit of (at least) 55 mph. The judges will be our respective best friends who will be along in the backseat. Our drive is scheduled tentatively for late April on a Saturday.
Now, there is nothing better than a driving mix cd. I have been making these since I was a kid when my mixes contained mostly Oasis, Alanis and some random ska groups no one has ever heard of.
There's something wonderful about when the road syncs up with the tones of music, whatever it may be. I have started a draft of songs I immediately thought of as the best songs to drive to: "Pounding by Doves" might be the most perfect driving song ever created. The tune is paced well, the drum beat in the background is suited for hitting the side of the car with your hand and the ending is just electric. Certain other songs come to mind such as the classics (Booker T and the MG's Green Onions) or the smooth (Brubeck's Take Five, for example, is great for night-time driving...) but I thought I would ask you all for some good driving tracks.
Other songs that I have put down are "Hideaway" by Delays, "I am Citizen Insane" by Radiohead, "The Flying Cup Club" by Beirut and "Lettre A Paris" by The Paris Combo.
I am looking forward to this competition, which should be fierce. My co-worker has extensive music knowledge and has told me he plans to bring his "A-game." Please help me beat the pants off this guy. I do believe the winner gets beer.
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imaginary dana said on March 7, 2008:
I have always been a huge fan of blaring and screaming along with "In the Flat Field" by Bauhaus, preferably at high speeds on dark roads.
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Levi said on March 7, 2008:
Wesafari's whole album Alaska is great night-time driving music. Califone's Roomsound is great driving-through-eerie-landscapes at dusk music.
Obvious but awesome: Petty's "Runnin' down a dream."
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Steele said on March 7, 2008:
Yeah, we had to pick a terrain and a time when the contest would be happening because I would have made a million different CDs...I can see it now: "This is my night mix, this is my country road mix, this is my highway mix, this is my driving in the rain mix, this is my driving near the ocean mix..."
Come to think of it...I really should make all these mixes just for fun.
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Chris Weber said on March 7, 2008:
I will start with the most uncool of suggestions...
The 43 minute long, one song concept album "Thick as a Brick" released in 1972 by Jethro Tull
It may not be appropriate for your contest... However, I find it is good road trip music for several reasons...
1. It is ridiculous (in length, instrumentation and themes) which will keep you engaged (at least as a first time listener)
2. It has a plethora of tempo changes and changing moods and yet it is one song. Which allows you to zone out and drive and soon enough 43 minutes has passed. This is obviously better if you are driving with a destination in mind rather than if you are just having a casual drive.
Ok, I was going to end this post with some more appropriate suggestions, but I spent way too much time trying to explain my fascination with driving to a ridiculous 43 minute prog-flute anthem... so I will end this post now.
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Steele said on March 7, 2008:
Whoa whoa...when I was 18, that was my most favorite driving song (I am completely serious...you have opened a treasure trove of nostalgia for me...and I am going to ignore the comment about you saying it's uncool although you're probably right). The best part is Side 2, minutes 4-7. I would sit in my 1995 Camry and rewind to that one part over and over. Those were the days. That's so going on my mix...(well, part of it that is...)
Thanks!
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Chris Weber said on March 7, 2008:
Wow, it is funny that you listened to this song when you were 18 driving in your 1995 Toyota Camry...
because, I listened to this song when I was 18 years old driving in my 1985 Toyota Camry... (yes, it seems I am quite a bit older than you)
That song made trips from Denton to Austin fly by back in the day...
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Steele said on March 8, 2008:
My ex boyfriend and I used to put on the CD and "just drive around" as you are prone to do in high school because everywhere you go, there are adults. I remember listening to it with the windows open, driving around weird parts of Westchester County NY in the dark until we got completely lost and had to figure out how to get back to CT. I even wrote a short story for my creative writing class based on "Thick as a Brick." Man, I wish I still had that story...and the Camry, I wrapped that sucker around a tree in 2003.
And yes, seems you are quite the elder in this conversation.
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Reviews
Imaginary Shrie said on March 7, 2008:
OMG. This is my kind of contest. Komeda - Swedish dark pop band. Perfect music for driving.