The Era of the Cassette
Today I am grateful for the music I grew up with and for sharing the contents of "The Valentine Vessel of Gratitude" with my family last night.
C is for cassette. I am going to stick with just one definition for this word today. That definition is a plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape of one reel passing to the other. And in that passing of one reel to another, some of my favorite music played over and over. My earliest memory of music recordings on something other than albums was the 8-track tape. There are many who would have no idea what an 8-track tape was if they saw one, but I have fond memories of bulky 8-tracks and their players taking up space in vehicles my older siblings drove. By the early 1970's, cassettes became common and were around for the better part of three decades before being replaced by CD's.
I had dozens and dozens of cassette tapes, and have kept some for posterity's sake. Were you ever a member of the Columbia House Cassette Club? I was and I loved the bargains I could get. When my new stash of cassettes arrived, I played my favorite songs over and over. Did you ever "lose" a favorite cassette when the magnetic reel got stuck in the player? Sometimes it could be saved, sometimes not. Currently the only place I could play these cassettes would be on my "boombox" that dates back to the early 1990's but still works fine. The Buick Rendezvous I drove for the last six years also had a cassette player in it, but we sold that vehicle this summer.
I will always have fond memories of cassettes. Music was one of my healthy outlets when I was younger, and I appreciate the musical tastes of my older siblings. They shaped my own tastes. I get a little sentimental when I think about how quickly the technology has changed in terms of music production. It's mind-boggling.
My favorite cassette? Impossible to choose one. But I can tell you which one was probably played the most and covered the most miles with me in various vehicles over the years. That would be Derek and the Dominoes "Layla." I have always loved that song, I think because it runs the gamut of emotions throughout the song.
Did you keep any cassettes? Did you have a favorite?
C is for cassette. I am going to stick with just one definition for this word today. That definition is a plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape of one reel passing to the other. And in that passing of one reel to another, some of my favorite music played over and over. My earliest memory of music recordings on something other than albums was the 8-track tape. There are many who would have no idea what an 8-track tape was if they saw one, but I have fond memories of bulky 8-tracks and their players taking up space in vehicles my older siblings drove. By the early 1970's, cassettes became common and were around for the better part of three decades before being replaced by CD's.
I had dozens and dozens of cassette tapes, and have kept some for posterity's sake. Were you ever a member of the Columbia House Cassette Club? I was and I loved the bargains I could get. When my new stash of cassettes arrived, I played my favorite songs over and over. Did you ever "lose" a favorite cassette when the magnetic reel got stuck in the player? Sometimes it could be saved, sometimes not. Currently the only place I could play these cassettes would be on my "boombox" that dates back to the early 1990's but still works fine. The Buick Rendezvous I drove for the last six years also had a cassette player in it, but we sold that vehicle this summer.
I will always have fond memories of cassettes. Music was one of my healthy outlets when I was younger, and I appreciate the musical tastes of my older siblings. They shaped my own tastes. I get a little sentimental when I think about how quickly the technology has changed in terms of music production. It's mind-boggling.
My favorite cassette? Impossible to choose one. But I can tell you which one was probably played the most and covered the most miles with me in various vehicles over the years. That would be Derek and the Dominoes "Layla." I have always loved that song, I think because it runs the gamut of emotions throughout the song.
Did you keep any cassettes? Did you have a favorite?
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