Part Four of “The Memory Mixes:” Broad Horizons

Fall 1997 – Spring 1998

11th grade wasn’t quite the musical info dump that 10th grade was.

But I found myself digging into and expanding upon the discoveries that I’d made the year before.

I was expanding my perspective in other ways as well, in ways I could not seem to do in 10th grade:

Which is perhaps why I started to open up to different styles and eras beyond 70s-90s-punk around this time. I had boasted a reflexive dislike of the Beatles for years as a teenager, partially because I heard them around the house all the time ever since the Anthology 1 compilation had been released.

But you know, once I heard certain songs from Sgt Pepper, I felt like I could finally turn on and tune into what those merry pranksters were sending out. Maturity, I guess..

This mix was a lot of fun to make. I wanted it to be like experiencing my musical memories as if walking through a fun house, full of surprises and odd turns.

And here’s a supplemental mix of bands that didn’t make the original cut.

This one is more a simple collection of songs than the main mix, but it’s simply irresistible:

Party Like It’s Class of 99

Fall 1998 – Spring 1999

When I first entered high school, I was a shy, nerdy kid, still reeling from the trauma of 8th grade bullies.

By my senior year, I was much more comfortable in my own skin.

I was also fairly popular, at least considering my status as one of the “freaky-looking” kids.

My senior year of high school was also marked by a newfound obsession with raves and electronic music. Yes, I was sneaking out at night and going to clubs or outlaw parties at old warehouses, where tetanus shots are probably a necessity.

But I was still also listening to punk and goth in my off time, and was even opening up to more pop songs and classic psychedelia.

I did my best to strike that balance on my Phono Album for this year, while still sounding decent as a mix. I’m not sure if it’s a resounding success, but it’s enjoyable! At the very least, it’s a bit more representative of the sounds of the mid to late 90s.

And, here’s the bonus mix. A lot more rock in this one:

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