1978

If any of you have read my profile, you'll notice that the only group under music that I have listed is The Kinks. They are my favorite group, and starting here, I take a few liberties with the rules in order to get their songs on here. "Misfits" is a great track, though, an underrated gem and I think everyone can appreciate it. Certainly easier to argue for its exclusion than, say, "Waterloo Sunset," but nevertheless these are my mixes and I'll do what I want with them.

This is the second mix of the 70s to start with a Clash song, but really, can you blame me? When you get down to it, there weren't many other bands in the late 70s (an era of singles if there ever was one) that were making consistently important music. There were some great young bands here that would have major growth periods: The Cure, The Talking Heads, The Cars, and Devo all matured greatly after this major year for all of them, and Elvis Costello had one of his biggest hits, one which catapulted him into critical favor for the next decade.

One thing that has been really difficult about the 70s is the differences in production styles. The two major movements of the era were obviously Punk and Disco, and not coincidentally they are polar opposites when it comes to the quality of their production. Punk is raw and fuzzy, and many of the records were created on small budgets by producers who were talented at capturing the moment rather than shaping a sound. Conversely, disco thrives in the studio, where its style can come to the forefront. This creates a disappointingly segregated mix, because unlike the 90s and 00s, where sprinkling hip hop throughout the mix was acceptable, these two styles are so different that any mingling would be immediately jarring.

Anyway, just a thought. Enjoy the mix, and comment below.

Unfortunately, sendspace doesn't appear to be working today, so here's a yousendit for now. When it's blocked, let me know in the comments section. Thanks.

Download the mix here.

1. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
2. Is This Love - Bob Marley
3. Down in the Tubestation at Midnight - The Jam
4. Ever Fallen in Love? - The Buzzcocks
5. Human Fly - The Cramps
6. Where Were You - The Mekons
7. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
8. Just What I Needed - The Cars
9. Peace Love And Understanding - Elvis Costello
10. Because The Night - Patti Smith
11. Misfits - The Kinks
12. Killing an Arab - The Cure
13. Take Me To the River - Talking Heads
14. Definitive Gaze - Magazine
15. Heart of Glass - Blondie
16. Le Freak - Chic
17. One Nation Under a Groove - George Clinton
18. Das Model - Kraftwerk
19. Ambition - Subway Sect
20. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Devo
21. Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones