The wonders of the mixed CD
So I was listening to my iPod today while I was walking to work. I rarely bother with CDs anymore, and that makes me sad. I used to buy an album and listen to it all the way through, over and over. Now I don't do that anymore. I upload the whole thing to my computer, and then I generally only end up listening to the one or two songs that I know.
But I did realize today that some of the best music I've ever heard I discovered through mixed CDs that people made me. Quite a few of my friends on Facebook have been doing that "five albums that changed my life" thing. And I think that, more than albums from one artist, the mixed CDs from my friends have shaped my taste in music more than anything else. The thing that triggered this whole thought process is the fact that the playlist I chose to listen to on my walk today consists of three mixed CDs - two from Lisa and one from Fran - of music from New Zealand bands. I have been listening to these CDs for at least seven years now, and they're still among the most played songs on my iPod.