Mixtape time again!
This one, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not – was from my monthly mixtape swaps back in 1997. Here’s what I wrote back then as an introduction:
Love comes in spurts, says Richard Hell. Love comes in cycles, sez me. The wonder of a crush, the rush of recognition that affection is mutual, the delicate jab and parry of getting to know someone, that first kiss, the first mistake, the uneasy first fight, the first break up (and the wonderful first make-up), the second mistake and third, the wandering eye, being taken for granted, being misunderstood, falling apart, getting sad, getting bitter, getting haunted, that smile-on-the-surface but acid-in-your-stomach feeling of seeing them with someone else, the greens and blues, the depression, the worthlessness and then just when you think you’ll jump…that new person who sends a thousand volts through your spine and into your heart. Another chance, and you drag your still smoldering carcass through the whole mess again.
So here’s the yang and yin; the L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E tattoos that Robert Mitchum wore on his knuckles are now on your heart.
(This one’s for you, Eli.)
SHE LOVES ME side |
DANIELLES MOUTH – CrushSweet, saucy, sexy – is there anything better than a crush? Can be innocent, but I know what Danielle wants! |
JONNY POLONSKY – Love Lovely LoveI know Jonny isn’t sixteen, but it’s that bubbly optimism that gets me. Great pop record, except it was only 30 minutes long… |
BIG STAR – ThirteenOne of my favorite songs, ever! Alex Chilton perfectly captures that frustration of being a (sorry, Dion) “teenager in love” |
MARSHALL CRENSHAW – I’ll Do AnythingFrom maybe the best debut record ever….love makes you do funny things! |
DWIGHT TWILLEY – Please Say PleaseThis Beatle-esque rocker a bonus track on the reissue of the great “Sincerely” record. Self-explanatory! |
THE REPLACEMENTS – Kiss Me On The BusMaybe the same couple from “Thirteen”? Forget what’s proper and KISS ME, baby! |
PHIL SEYMOUR – Baby It’s YouThe late, great Phil with what has to be one of the most perfect pop records ever made! Sing it LOUD! |
ADAM SCHMITT – Garden of LoveSo you’re afraid, baby, been hurt before? Trust me! From what might be the best record of the 1990’s |
LOU CHRISTIE – Lightning StrikesI remember this from when I was a young pup, having my heart yo-yo’d for one of the first of many times. A classic! |
BEN VAUGHN – Words Can’t Say What I Want To SayYeah, I’ve felt like this. That ga-ga, mouth-open, please-god-don’t-let-me-say-something-stupid moment |
RICHARD X HEYMAN – When She ArrivesI can’t wait until “Cornerstone” comes out so you can all see what a great record this is. A love cycle in itself! |
THE FACES – Tell EveryoneA Ronnie Lane tune, but Rod sings it…true love settles in for the long haul? |
CROWDED HOUSE – Fall At Your FeetAn adult version of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There”, with music so pretty I’d love it even without the words! Uh-oh, side’s over…. |
SHE LOVES ME NOT side |
JOHAN – EasySwedish pop rules! A 1997 record that almost slipped by sees the chink in the armour… |
THE FLASHCUBES – You’re Not The PoliceThings are starting to fall apart..we can’t go on together, with suspicious minds. GREAT 1997 reissue! |
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS – Bored Of YouUh-oh….nice guys finish last. Why do women want to be treated like queens and then fall for rude assholes? Moe knows… |
THE RUBINOOS – Over YouWhere I start lying to myself, saying that it doesn’t hurt…all the while my heart is bleeding… |
THE MONTGOMERY CLIFFS – TonightMore bravado, and two can play that game, baby…this time when you put the cheese in the trap, I’m not buying. |
JEN TRYNIN – I ResignI think Jen is the best female songwriter around. I love the way her mind works! |
THE RASCALS – You Better RunPat Benetar, eat your heart out. Oh yeah – I ain’t gonna eat out my heart anymore…… |
THE BEAT – I Will Say NoGo on, get out of my life, and let me make a new start. Maybe the longest fade out in pop history |
KENNY HOWES – SomebodyNot sure if she’s still trying to come back or whether I’m fooling myself, but I feel better. Get lost! |
THE KINKS – Set Me FreeIt’s frightening to think just how many great songs Ray Davies wrote in about three years time. Bye Bye Baby! |
DWIGHT TWILLEY – Release MeI never put an artist on a tape twice, but have to here. SINCERELY is a Desert Island Disk! Heartbreak! |
TOMMY KEENE – Nothing Happened YesterdayMore self-denial from one of the great pop unknowns. I am man, hear me roar! |
TONIO K – StayOh shit….two damaged people see that spark and circle each other – should I try to fall in love again? Flip the tape over, honey, ’cause here we go again! |