So, to a second tape. Although it was in a different case, this is a solid looking Type II tape from Maxell, with a label on side 2 proclaiming Chris Isaak's 1991 compilation LP, 'WIcked Game'. Turns out that the label is actually correct and the tape does contain that LP from our 80s/90s throwback crooner, released after the title track was featured in David Lynch's 'Wild at Heart' and propelling him to (short-lived) stardom on this side of the pond.
This LP, made up of tracks from his first three LPS (which, I believe were only available on Import at that time) is an excellent primer to his work, with all the obvious standouts (
Heart Shaped World, Blue Hotel, Heart Full of Soul) and I know that it encouraged me to dig deeper once the albums became more widely available. I suspect that my sister had this on CD and I taped it off of her, so at least I can understand why I made this tape.
I'm less sure about the other side though. There's no label on it, and soon after pressing play, I'm reassured by the warm tones of 'The Rainbow', the opening track from Talk Talk's extraordinary 1988 LP, 'Spirit of Eden'.
Don't get me wrong. To me, this album can do no wrong. I'm just not sure why I'd put it on a tape - as I bought it on cassette the week it was released (I still have that tape) and I suspect it may be the only album that I actually still own on Vinyl, Cassette and CD. That being the case, I've got no idea why I would feel the need to make another tape copy of it.
Still. If I'm rediscovering my cassette collection, there are worse things to listen to than one of my favourite albums of all time, and on a purely functional level, this cassette sounds just as great as it ever did.