Best Compilations

What's the best mix tape/compilation CD you ever made, theme-wise? For example: I once made a tape that had song titles that were all names (side one, girls, side two boys) I've seen a lot of threads asking for help compiling lists of related songs. I need some closure!

I had a similar one...a CD of all names, though it wasn't gender-separated. :) My requirement was that the title could ONLY contain the name. Like "Lee" counted, but not "Lazlo's Career".

I also have a two tape set I made of cover songs...I had the original version on one side and the cover version on the other. Same track list on each side. So one side would have "Climbing Up the Walls" by Radiohead and the other side would have Sarah Slean's version.

I have dozens of half-planned theme mixes though. I enjoy pulling together songs under a theme.

I made a couple of CDs that don't have a theme, but a way to flow the songs one into the next. I did this my taking out space between the tracks, attempting to link songs together that are in the same key or off by a fourth/fifth, or other ways to have great segueways.

My favorite is going from Art Of The Gun by the Nields to Song For The Dumped by Ben Folds Five. At the end of Art Of The Gun, Dave Hower counts aloud, "1, 2, 3, 4!" going into the extended coda section of song. Song For The Dumped starts with a count off as well, so I just mixed the two together, so it sounds like Dave Hower is counting off for Ben Folds Five. :)

I need to make more mix CDs, but I need a better computer to do it. I want to make more of these kind of CDs, as well as a Live FRFF 2003 compilation of some of the best moments.

I enjoy pulling together songs under a theme.

Me too. That cover songs idea is pretty nifty, I may have to rip that off.

I recently made a 2-disc collection of Radiohead songs that was pretty sweet. It goes like this:

Disc One:
1. Creep
2. High and Dry
3. Fake Plastic Trees
4. Bulletproof...I Wish I Was
5. (Nice Dream)
6. Nobody Does it Better
7. Thinking About You
8. No Surprises
9. Airbag
10. Paranoid Android
11. Karma Police
12. Fitter Happier
13. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Disc Two:
1. Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box
2. Kid A
3. Pyramid Song
4. How to Disappear Completely
5. Idioteque
6. I Might Be Wrong
7. Like Spinning Plates*
8. I Will*
9. 2 + 2 = 5
10. Sit Down. Stand Up.
11. Go to Sleep
12. Where I End and You Begin
13. There There
14. Like Spinning Plates (live)
15. Motion Picture Soundtrack
16. John Mayer - Kid A

* - I was especially proud of this part, since the melody of Like Spinning Plates is the result of playing the guitar part of I Will backwards.

Bob Dylan - As I went out one morning
Mannheim Steamroller - I saw three ships
CSNY - Wooden Ships
Chris DeBurg - Sailing away
Roxette - So far away
The Beautiful South - Have You Ever Been Away?
Seal - If I could
Neil Young - Sail away
Jerry Lee Lewis - I'll Sail My Ship Alone
Richard Thompson - A Sailor's Life
Steve Howe -Distant Seas
Lifescapes - Distant shores

I could go on...

SO many.
I used to try and do a "theme" for each of my radio shows....

All covers... all track 5's ... songs that make me happy..... songs that remind me of things...... etc.

it's so much more fun that way! and you discover so much cool stuff!
If only I'd had the ability to get those shows on cd... *sigh*. Alas, all I have are quickly-deteriorating audio cassettes.

I shall have to transfer them over one of these days.

I've done a three-CD set of a cappella and vocal music that's the best compilation I've ever made. Volume four and five and so on will be forthcoming, after I've made copies of these.

Ok, I admit I really don't like industrial music that much. But this odd mix of of music, however it's great CD to listen too!
It starts off with David Bowie then goes into some Eerie music which leads into Nine Inch Nail's "Perfect Drug" then into jazz music. The CD continues the flawless transition from Smashing Pumpkins, Jazz, Marilyn Manson, Elevatermusic, Rammstein and Lou Reed's folk version of "This Magic Moment".

Ok, this CD is on crack, but so am I!