Ridiculous recording of a jammed 8 track player that transforms classic rock in to (almost) art.
At a yard sale in Pennsylvania there were cassettes on a table selling for 10 cents each. Under the table was a box of 8-Track cartridges selling for 50 cents each. Amongst the collection of mostly country & western I found Led Zep IV. The label was so faded and torn it was hard to make out. The cartridge was dirty and cracked. The tape itself looked like it had been drug through the mud or pondfloorsamples. It was in the condition of Big Decay. I picked it up and raised the tape, sludge side up, to the person behind the table and asked what they wanted for it. “Twenty cents” came the answer. I immediately knew there must be something very special, maybe even magical about this tape. Why else would it cost twice as much as a cassette, even though it was questionable whether or not it was even playable? (there was a box of cassettes on top the table priced at 10c each!). Sure enough, when I got home I had one of those “sound experiences” that’s hard to forget. I simply inserted the cartridge into my Meriton 8-Track Player and the sounds emerged. Familiar and yet new, rockin yet abstract. After 5 minutes of exaggerated excitement filled with ooos and aahhs, I connected a cassette recorder and recorded the results. (I regret it doesn’t include the very physical whining and squealing sound of the tape trying to function properly). After nearly an hour of pure joy and listening heaven, human intervention caused me to pull out the cartridge and reinserted it. Big mistake. The magic was gone. Unable to accept the loss I began pulling, tugging, squeezing, pressing and jamming the thing to try and recapture the magic of the first play. Unsuccessful. When Magic happens you just have to let it and stop what you’re doing and enjoy it. (and if you’re lucky, record it!) Hope you enjoy this recording even half as much as I did. EGNEKN 1994