Mixology: -30-: It's the end of the world as I know it

Mixology is a recurring feature in which I take a look at one of the many mix tapes I made over the years. Some are better than others, but all of them are fun to revisit.

-30- It's the end of the world as I know it (9/28/97)

Turning 30 can be a traumatic experience for some people, but not for me. I embraced it. Granted, 10 years earlier I had thought by the time I hit 30 I'd be working for a big newspaper and maybe writing a book and have a wife and kids, but honestly I had no clue. When you're 20, you don't know anything about the world. Which is okay. If I had any disappointments, they weren't about the wife and kids deal; all in due time. I was a little bummed that my career hadn't gone exactly as planned by that point, but I was also pretty happy with my job at the time.

To celebrate my 30th, I decided to throw a big bash at the house I was sharing with my two roommates (coincidentally, we're going to a 40th birthday party for them tonight; they're twin brothers). I had been dating Deb for about a month and a half at that point; it was going well but I was also taking things extremely slow. I had come off a couple of weird relationships. But she came to the party and wasn't scared off by my friends, so that was a good sign. It was a great bash. I invited folks from various stages of my life: UNH, my newspaper friends (who are always up for a good party), my current co-workers and friends from Beverly. Truly an epic occasion. As befits such an event, I felt so lousy the next day that I vomited for the first time in eight years while watching the Patriots game. Good streak. Unfortunately, I didn't have to wait too long until it happened again.

This tape was put together a week after my birthday but I wanted it to have the same epic scope as the party, encompassing all the music I was into at the time. You got yer Can-rock, some classic hard rock, some alt-rock. It kicks a lot of arse. Still holds up, too.

Almost 13 years have passed. Much has changed for me since this tape was made, all of it for the better. But the fall of '97 was a great time in my life.

Side A: Too old to mosh...
Itchy & Scratchy theme
I'm an Adult Now - The Pursuit of Happiness
G Turns to D - Sloan
Rumor Has It - Kim Mitchell
Sinner's Swing! - Van Halen
Raw Power - The Stooges
Kick Out the Jams - MC5
Looking for a Kiss - The New York Dolls
He's a Whore - Cheap Trick
Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin
Young Man Blues (live) - The Who
The Rocker - Thin Lizzy
Peace Dog - The Cult
Elvis is Dead - Living Colour

Side B: Too Young to Polka
Take Off - Bob and Doug McKenzie with Geddy Lee
Nautical Disaster (live) - The Tragically Hip
Novacane - Beck
Flavor - Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (with Beck)
Scratch - The Delta 72
Middle/Born in '69 - Rocket from the Crypt
Stereo - Pavement
Hoover Dam - Sugar
It was a very good beer - Homer Simpson
Happy Birthday to Me - Cracker
Hangover (live) - Max Webster




I'm an adult now:


Stereo: