Walkman chic

W

worrior

Well-known member
My minidisc recently broke. Unable to afford a new one let alone a fancy ipod gizmo, I've dug out my battered but much-loved Walkman. Rediscovered loads of great tapes and two sides of an album.
Seeing a much trendier friend he tells me Walkmans are the new cool. What with every tom dick and harry jogging around with white earpieces, Walkmans are apparently the new retro chic. Is this true?
 
M

martin

----
Yep. Cassettes are going to make a major resurgence. The best Walkmans to be seen with are Panasonic, Sharp and Sony WM-F10s.

As well as being hip, you'll also be saving your brain from whatever vile tumours, yet unreported by scientists, that iPods produce (probably).

Don't forget to write down song titles on your J-card - this will help you remembner what's on each tape. A blue biro is recommended for "I'm chillin'" ultra cool kudos (red biro's more "I'm a perky, upbeat sort - dig my tracks!" ; black biro's "I'm chilled out too, but I do take my music very seriously"). You can also customise this by adding little stickers on the cassette, or putting a large cross through the 'Noise Reduction' box and scribbling NO WAY by the side
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
I reckon there's scope for all the audiophiles to chime in with stuff about how they can hear the "warmth" in the oxide and how you don't get that from mp3s.... definitely scope for those original sony walkman headphones with big bits of sponge on them and a thin bit of steel going over your head.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
DGiAeMFPgy2e.jpg


Vol1withMom.jpg
 
R

Rachel Verinder

Well-known member
My set, originally purchased in 1981, is still in perfect working order, as astonishingly is the Walkman which came with it (oh, that grey industrial 1981 steel look).
 
M

martin

----
Does anyone remember that noise you used to get at the beginning of major label tapes, that sort of swooping beeps sound? It was meant to deter us from home taping, I think, but how exactly I'm not sure.

Let's face it, the only reason vinyl wasn't scrapped altogether in 1987 was cos DJs like to line up their coke on the grooves
 
P

puretokyo

Mercury Blues
John Eden: Damn that thing is hot. I'm feeling all flushed. I just got my Shuffle today and now I feel like a tosser.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
martin said:
Does anyone remember that noise you used to get at the beginning of major label tapes, that sort of swooping beeps sound? It was meant to deter us from home taping, I think, but how exactly I'm not sure.
Click to expand...

I always thought it was some kind of quality control thing?

Stupid gimmicks part one:

One major label issued their cassette albums recorded on one side - with the other side blank for your to record "your own music" (cos you couldn't encourage people to record other people's music, now could you?)

Stupid gimmicks part two:

Some group issuing a 4-track version of their cassingle (nice!) i.e. for playing on 4-track tape decks so that people could mix it themselves. I remember being fascinated by this, but obviously never bought it cos I figured it wouldn't work on my music centre at home...
 
R

Rachel Verinder

Well-known member
I have an ancient tape of Music For Airports (Ambient 1) by Eno, and there is this strange, cyclical bleeping and undulating high-pitched (but vaguely melodic) whine which goes through both sides which I am not entirely convinced was not put there by Eno himself. On the newly remastered CD reissue, the whine is absent.
 
M

martin

----
john eden said:
I always thought it was some kind of quality control thing?

.
Click to expand...

Maybe it was - I don't have a clue, really. I did like the 'Home Taping is Killing Music' symbols though (so did Bow Wow Wow). What I also loved about tapes was the instant ability to produce your own mixes, it's quite a skill and takes a deft hand to manipulate those record/pause/rewind buttons you know (he says vaguely tongue in cheek). Used to be able to knock out 'Punky Reggae Party' comps, to be honest, I don't personally have the equipment or patience to learn how to mix on a computer, tho 'nice one' to those who do.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
martin said:
Maybe it was - I don't have a clue, really. I did like the 'Home Taping is Killing Music' symbols though (so did Bow Wow Wow). What I also loved about tapes was the instant ability to produce your own mixes, it's quite a skill and takes a deft hand to manipulate those record/pause/rewind buttons you know (he says vaguely tongue in cheek). Used to be able to knock out 'Punky Reggae Party' comps, to be honest, I don't personally have the equipment or patience to learn how to mix on a computer, tho 'nice one' to those who do.
Click to expand...

It was called something pseudo scientific wasn't it? The "something something system"

The blurb went alongside all that guff about Dolby.
 
M

martin

----
Also, industrial bands, don't waste your money on effects boxes etc, just tape a load of shortwave interference off the radio - hey presto, you're ready to play a gig - just hook the tape up to a speaker and have 2 band members standing around at the back in semi-darkness, pretending to do things - and shout into a microphone - frees up your time to concentrate on making gruesome photomontages and manifestos, the audience were probably going to boo you anyway.
 
R

ryan17

Well-known member
worrior said:
Seeing a much trendier friend he tells me Walkmans are the new cool. What with every tom dick and harry jogging around with white earpieces, Walkmans are apparently the new retro chic. Is this true?
Click to expand...



This is true. I don't think they will make a comeback exactly but i do think all of the 'true' people will be using them. In reality though its the ones that haven't stopped using them that are at the front of the pack. I had my walkman stolen in high school and haven't gotten one since (i was so upset) so yeah i am stuck with the IPod and feel a bit silly, oh well. I am jealous.
 
M

martin

----
john eden said:
It was called something pseudo scientific wasn't it? The "something something system"

The blurb went alongside all that guff about Dolby.
Click to expand...

Remember Thomas Dolby? Funny how he tried to make his name sound like he was some sci fi man-machine interface born of radical sound technology - but now sounds as redundant and naff as the Gola League (his records were rubbish too).
 
S

stevienixed

i suffer rock
I remember reading a few years ago that having no mobile was the new cool. Whatever. I never much cared for a minidisc. Have one which is gathering dust somewhere in the attic. Everyone I know who has a minidisc has had his/her minidisc break down at least once. Very costly to repair so I switched to a walkman again until I got a mini ipod.

Anyway, read some place that most factories have stopped making tapes?!? Is this true?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top