Pipeline Mix CD

Here’s an idea for a stupid project that might turn out to be fun.  How’s that for a hard sell?

I’ve been thinking about mix tapes and CDs of late.  We are making CDs for four different kids we know as their Christmas present, so that’s got the wheels turning.  And, I have burning capabilities for the first time in two or three years, so this is effectively the first chance in three years to do something I love.

My first thought was to ask for input from Pipeline People for one of the CDs I’m making.  But then I upgraded that thought and came up with the idea for Pipeline People Mix 1.0.   Pipeline People Mix 1.0 is going to set the world on fire, and my only regret is that I didn’t think of it sooner to maximize it’s impact on the holiday gift-giving season.

Here’s how it works: The Mix is 60 minutes long.  I pick the first song.  Pipeline People can each pick one song to put in the mix.  We will continue until the 60 minutes is up.  Then I’ll make it a mix on iTunes that people, all people, not just Pipeline People, can download.

There are caveats.  First of all, I’m not sure I have enough readers to fill up a 60 minute mix, unless people choose Kashmir, In-A-Gada-Da-Vida, Paradise By the Dashboard Lights (I know at least two people who might), The End, and Revolution No. 9.  I would ask, though, that people please keep their songs under six minutes.  I think I can count on 10 responses pretty easily, and even 20 should be doable if the lurkers make their voices heard.

It’s hard to make the lurkers speak up, but if there’s two things Pipeline People generally have in common it is a general interest in listening to music and a general interest in having a say.  This is a chance to do both, because there will be no condemnation of any choices offered.  What you offer goes in, so long as you offer it, so long as it gets in under the 60 minute limit.  I’ll keep track of the time and generally let people know when we are getting close to the end of the mix.

I won’t put forth any guidelines for submission.  Do whatever you want to do, just remember that everybody will completely judge you if you don’t happen to nominate the best song ever recorded, which of course you won’t be doing because I get to choose the first song, and that song is…

Oh, you’d like to know, wouldn’t you?  But it cannot be revealed at this time, because if I bust out with that one song that’s going to make everybody be like, “Oh, geez.  How am I supposed to compete with that?” then it’s going to totally ruin it for all of you and you’ll shy away.  So I’m just going to nominate a song I like, that I think other people might like, and that’s really all you need to do.

In fact, my job as First Deciderer is actually tougher than your job as Pipeline People, because you can see the ebb and flow of the mix as the songs get added.  You’ll be able to see when it’s gone too far one direction and know just where to pull it back to and how to do it.  Not me.  I get tabula rasa.  That’s latin for jack shit.  But, as Cliff Robertson once said to Toby Keith, with great power comes great responsibility.

The first song on Pipeline People Mix 1.0 is “Thinking of a Dream I Had” by the Walkmen, on their Bows + Arrows release from 2004.

Who’s got track 2?