While I've been gearing up for a new Big Ass iPod, I've been going through my CD and tape collection and tagging stuff that I want to convert into digital formats. In the process, I found a tape cabinet full of all of my "All Time Nifty Tunes" collections. These were 90-minute compilation tapes with two sides of what I considered to be my favorite tunes at any given period of time. Basically, a mix tape. Commonly called "ATNT", they were usually contemporary "hits".... sort'a my version of those awful "NOW That's What I Call Music" CD's (or the K-TEL compilations of the early 80's). Most evolved organically, as I'd tape stuff off of radio or borrowed from a friend. Each tape took about a month to build. Even though I billed them as "All-Time"... after about a year, I really hated some of these tunes.

Anyways, here's All-Time Nifty Tunes Vol 1.
I originally made this as something I could listen to on my paper route. From about April 1988, and I taped over my dual-album copy of "Night Ranger- Seven Wishes" and "Night Ranger- Midnight Madness". I actually recorded on Side Two first, so this is the only compilation with semi-reverse order. I had just turned 14 when I started doing these...and you can kinda' see how my tastes evolved.

Side Two:
1. Dio- "Time to Burn"
I was really starting to sour on Dio, and simply wanted to copy this track from the "Intermission" EP. Couldn't stand that EP and this saved me from ever having to listen to it again. After two months, I would FF this song.

2. David Lee Roth- "Just Like Paradise"
First "contemporary" hit I recorded. I remember buying this album on vinyl during a blizzard in January 1988. I found myself turning the record off after this song, so I wanted to pull it out of there. I really liked DLR's "Eat 'em and Smile", but this follow-up single from "Skyscraper" was one guitar track above a Journey song.

Anthrax- "I'm the Man"
I stayed up late to listen to "Metal Shop" one night and on a whim decided to tape this song. The DJ just said "here's a new song from Anthrax" and I hit REC. Completely changed my tastes and outlook on music. It was suddenly okay to laugh and have fun with heavy metal.

Dokken- "Burning Like a Flame"
Another "contemporary" single from "Back for the Attack". Wow, these guys were so damn poppy. The gutar solo used to thrill me, though.

Iron Maiden- "Wasted Years"
This is still one of my favorite Maiden tunes, today. I taped this off of vinvyl, so I could have a handy version to carry around.

Billy & the Boingers- "I'm a Boinger"
A single that was packaged with the BLOOM COUNTY collection, "Bootleg". A studio recording of Steve Dallas, Hodge Podge, Opus and Bill the Cat doing their new theme song. Mandated by the FCC and Tipper Gore when they determined "Deathtongue" was too offensive. Best and most realistic line: "Sure we look disgusting. But whose chops are we busting? In a year, maybe two, we'll seem tame!"

Megdaeth- "Peace Sells"
Another "Metal Shop" radio recording. You had to stay up late to hear the COOL BANDS of the time. This got me hooked on Megadeth for about two years. Has one of the greatest opening lyrics with "Whatta' ya' mean I don't believe in God? Talk to him everyday".

Great White- "Lady Red Light"
Another radio recording. Liked the opening guitar riff, but the rest was your typical west coast pop metal. Like all of Great White's songs, the phrase "rock me" is a substitute for ... gasp... "fuck me".

Ozzy Osbourne- "Shot in th Dark"
"Ultimate Sin" was one of my favorite albums, so I pulled the lead single from it.

Kick Axe- "Red Light"
Another late night "Metal Shop" recording. West Coast pop metal with a gravelly singer. Never heard of this band when I taped it, and I still haven't!

Judas Priest- "You've got Another Thing Coming"
Radio single from the then recently released "Priest: Live". It was simply cool to hear NEW Judas Priest on the radio back then. Editted version, without the allbum's drawn-out crowd sing-a-long, but my tape cuts out, anyways...

Side One
Night Ranger- "You Can Still Rock in America"
This was the only Night Ranger song I didn't tape over. Was my favorite of theirs, but soon became an FF while listening to this tape. In my younger days, I used to hum this song as my "victory theme" when I was playing with my GI Joe crap.

Iron Maiden- "Wrathchild"
At the time, I wasn't thrilled with the "Killers" album, so I pulled what I felt was the only good song from that album. I didn't listen to the rest of "Killers" until about 1992, and realized I had missed some good crap.

Whitesnake- "Here I Go Again"
I had just seen Whitesnake in concert and still enjoyed them... but after a few listens, I realized I liked their video with a pantsless leggy redhead more than the song itself.

Dokken- "Lightning Strikes Again"
Yeah..but Dokken was one of my favorites at the time. Plus, in the mid-80's, you were required to have a song about Lightning (see also: Metallica, Ozzy, Loudness, etc..). Not a radio friendly single, but Don Dokken sings at a higher pitch for the entire song.

Guns n' Roses- "Welcome the the Jungle"
Taped from the radio, when it was red hot. After awhile, I would FF through the first four songs, so I could crank this. For me, GnR was all downhill after this. (snif)

Anthrax- "I am the Law"
After "I'm the Man" cracked me up, I went out and tracked down some more Anthrax. I was completely enthralled with this song about a COMIC BOOK CHARACTER. If I had any musical talent, I would've been tempted to write my own song about the All-Star Squadron.

Great White- "Rock Me" (live)
A radio exclusive, taped when the band performed at a local club. Probably the band's best song. Insipid lyrics (again, what does "Rock me" translate to?), but some cool psuedo-bluesy elements to the song.

Judas Priest- "Johnny B. Goode"
Taped from the radio and a loose translation of the Chuck Berry staple. I think it was the single for a new teeny bopper movie with Anthony Michael Hall. Over-produced and a jumbled song, but it was simply cool to hear Priest on the radio, then.

Iron Maiden- "Black Bart Blues"
From the B-side of "Can I Play With Madness" (and much better than that song). Yes, I actually bought the 45 LP! To me, it was a trip hearing Maiden goof around and sing about strippers and getting blitzed. Fun song, but I made sure to not record the final 4 minutes with Nicko McBrain fucking around in the studio.

Capt. Lou's History of Music (/w George "The Animal" Steele)
I had just purchased the "Wrestling Album" and this song cracked me up. I thought it'd be fun to close out my first comp tape with a comedy track.

Any of This Shit Make the Cut?
The Maiden tunes are automatically in and so is "I Am the Law". "Shot in the Dark" might make it, simply because I always felt that album and Jake E. Lee were somewhat undeappreciated. "Peace Sells" is Megadeth's best song and a classic, so that's in. I think I have all of these as Mp3's somewhere. "Capt. Lou" might make it, but I'll probably hit "SKIP" when it comes on.

Most importantly, "I'm a Boinger" needs to get on there for preservation's sake. But I don't have an easy way to convert audio tape (or vinyl) to digital. I'm sure there's a USB device out there somewhere.

The rest? Probably headed to the audio tape graveyard.