RECORD STORE TALES #1117: I Admit It: I Miss My Cassettes
Hey, it’s me, the guy who has talked about how much he hates cassettes, again and again ad nauseum. I don’t know why, but I’m feeling a lot of nostalgia for tapes these days. While CD remains my go-to format, with vinyl in second, I am now on the lookout for old 80s metal cassettes that still play well. What the hell happened to me?
It’s true that I have a lot of bad memories about cassettes, to go with the good. I have my own system and language when it comes to my collection, but I abandoned cassette back in 1995 because the sound quality wasn’t there and got noticeably worse the more you played the tape. I considered cassette to be a “soft copy”, with the longer-lasting CD and vinyl being “hard copies”. You simply have more control in keeping those two formats in good shape. Cassettes are another story. It’s just magnetic particles stuck to a ribbon, and every time you play it, those particles wear off bit by bit. In effect, you wreck your favourite tapes fastest because you simply love listening to them! There were other complications. Different decks played at different speeds, with my “ghetto blaster” playing the slowest and most warbly. I had two Sanyos and then a Sony, and the Sanyos were by far the worst. Only my Sony Walkman was able to play almost every tape in my collection at something close to the right speed. Once I learned to drive, I found that the car deck could play pretty much anything, but it did eat a few tapes too. It was like every time you wanted to listen to music, you had to pick the right equipment and cross your fingers. I remember wrecking a copy of Black Sabbath Tyr by accidentally pushing two buttons at once on my Sanyo. This created a loud squeal right during the start of “Anno Mundi” that was impossible to ignore. Playing tapes was like walking a minefield sometimes! I always prayed that nothing would go wrong.
CD solved most of the problems I had with cassettes. Heck, even the artwork was back to being a square! Cassette cover art was either cropped or “pan-and-scanned” (to coin a phrase) to make a square fit into a rectangle. Everything about CD was better. Bonus tracks, better sound, longer life, larger (and square!) artwork…even the ability to skip through songs in an instant. What wasn’t there to prefer? And why the hell do I miss cassettes right now?
It’s all nostalgia. There was something about buying a new album on cassette, and being basically forced to listen to the whole thing. There was a certain appreciation for the album, with an actual side break, that connected us to the vinyl age in a way that CD did not. Or, maybe it was just the glory time of our youths that made it feel that way. The act of closing the door, pressing “play” on a new tape, and laying on your bed to listen with intent. How often is music just background noise in our modern lives now? How frequently do we sit and spend time just listening to the music while staring at the packaging today? Are we listening, or are we multitasking? I’m multitasking right now, listening to Trilogy by Yngwie J. Malmsteen on my speakers.
I picked that recording for a reason. I got on cassette from my grandma in 1987. It was on Capitol Records and it played for shit out of the box. Many Capitol tapes did around 1986-87. my W.A.S.P. and Iron Maiden all had similar problems, which them priorities to upgrade on CD when the time came. I know not everybody likes Yngwie. Some find him grating. He does take some adjustment, but imagine listening to your first Yngwie on a slow, warbly cassette.
I do miss some things though.
I miss opening up a new tape and seeing what colour or design the shell was. Usually they were black, but as the 90s progressed they were frequently clear. Some were white, and my Helix was glow-in-the dark! With CD there was the occasional thrill when we got a picture disc, but soon that became the standard. The clunky cassette, with its little wheels and windows, was physically just cooler than a CD and you didn’t have to be as careful.
The lyric sheets were easier to read. All you had to do was unfold the J-card and lay it out. CDs often had pages stapled into a little booklet that you had to hold open. Cassettes may have had smaller print, but the paradox was that the format made it physically easier to read!
Cassettes were perfect for the pocket. You could easily slide a couple (maybe even three) into a jacket pocket. CDs never fit right and if you got one in your pocket, it was a tight fit. And jewel cases were easy to crack and break.
That’s another thing! Cassette cases had their weaknesses too. They could crack like a CD case, and the little arms could snap off. However this is far more common on the CD case, which also have those annoyingly fragile teeth that hold the disc in place. Cassette cases were just slightly more sturdy than their CD counterparts.
Finally, cassette spines were wider and easier to read. Period!
I do miss cassettes. I have better equipment today, and though not an audiophile setup, I get by. There are some releases I’d like to have on cassette again, or for the first time. I guess I’m a changed man. I’m not the format snob I used to be. However, if they start jacking up the prices of cassettes the way vinyl is today, we’ll have to talk again.
mikeladano.com 
“Cassette cover art was either cropped or “letterboxed” (to coin a phrase) to make a square fit into a rectangle.”
You could also say the cover art was pan and scanned. Remember that term from the VHS days? I kinda have a fondness for cassettes too. WAY better than 8 track fading out in the middle of songs. Funny you played Yngwie’s Trilogy, I listened to that album (on CD) for the first time in YEARS the other day. We might have even been listening at the same time. Jung was right, man. Synchronicity!
Only cassette I have out right now is Frehley’s Trouble Walkin’. The rest are packed away somewhere. I don’t know why the Frehley is out. It played perfectly last time I tried though (almost ten years ago now.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I changed it to “pan & scan”…it works better. Thank you!
Trouble Walkin’ was one I owned on cassette too, for many years. Now it is in the Thunder Bay landfill!
It is VERY possible we played Trilogy at the same time! The Queen is in loooooooove…
LikeLiked by 1 person
My cassette collection is growing. I’m grabbing any glam/hair metal tapes I see plus the standards to complete my collections for Lep, Kiss and so forth. I have a boom box I found at an antique mall that I pull out on occasion and blast a cassette. A lot of fond memories for them as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know if I will be seeking “complete” cassette collections, but definitely I want some. Especially for albums I missed completely and do not own. Tape is a cheap way to buy it, and I can afford that. And thanks to Max I can make them sound good again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Only a few bands will get that treatment.
LikeLike
U guys have lost it…I’m saying this in a fond way. No offense.
Excellent choice going with Yngwie. I just recently read his book. Wish he would get a great singer in the band once again. ..not happening.
I haven’t fallen into cassettes again. Maybe ‘cos I never had too many proper cassettes, only tons of taped ones. I only ever had a handful of official cassettes and then I inherited my uncles vinyl collection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh man we have lost it for sure! The evidence is here! Look how many times I trashed the cassette format! And now look! People will never trust me again.
I am only going to stick to cheap cassettes. If I can get it cheaper than vinyl or CD, I’m going to go for it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still buy cassettes. Even brand new. When I have a choice between brand new cd, and brand new cassette. I go cassette.
First choice vinyl. 2nd cassette. 3rd bluray audio or sacd 4th cd.
I’ll show myself out.
P.S. I am now on the hunt for that glow in the dark Helix. It seems it’s only some of the Canadian versions. I have a Canadian one with a black shell. Discogs does not even have a listing. I know I can get one of Ebay, but might check the record stores first.
Glad you’re getting back into them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw man Bop, that cassette is in a Thunder Bay landfill right now. Why did I give it to her? Why why why?
I have only bought one new cassette, which is Ghost. I have not played it though.
I would consider buying more new cassettes at the right prices. And of course oldies that I never got back in the day, definitely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rule 1. Never give your music to anyone. Make them a mix tape and keep the original
Someone who dumps a bunch of cassettes is obviously a nut job.
Nope you bought that silver moon one and that convinced me to buy it. The image of you holding it with an oven mitt still makes me chuckle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! I was an utter nutter!
Wait did you buy the Grace Scheele tape?
That’s actually a Star Trek mitten that Jen knit for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I bought it.
I love supporting artists on Bandcamp (I think that’s where I bought it. Right?). It’s where I buy around half my new music, and almost all my new cassettes.
The thing about cassettes and cd’s as well for starving artists is the cost isn’t as much of an issue as vinyl. It costs a minimum of 10 grand to press the minimum requirement in vinyl and the wait time is often 1-2 years. Thanks Taylor Swift and RSD.
That is awesome. She needs to give you a Vulcan Death Grip wearing it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, I don’t think I realized you bought it. That’s cool man. The entire B-side is all bonus tracks!
I think I bought it on Kickstarter initially. I know it was a fundraiser kind of deal where I supported the making of the cassette.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I began buying cassettes out of necessity. When I was in the service, I had very limited living space so vinyl was out of the question where with cassettes, I could store an entire case without problem. Like you, I had lots of problems with them as well, so I don’t miss them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not to mention you could tape two albums on one cassette if necessary!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a very excellent point! I did that quite a lot.
LikeLike
Very interesting topic, Mike. I get the nostalgia of cassettes as objects/design – all cool things you mention (the cases, the inserts/booklets, the tapes themselves), but can’t forget all the technical drawbacks of relying on them as one’s sole source of recorded music (some of which you also mentioned). As for me, I gave up cassettes for the most part during 1991-1992, and bought only CD’s after that. I sold a lot of my old collection and replaced many of them with CD’s, except a few tapes I kept to play in the car on long road trips (some of which I still have). I seem to recall also copying some of my CD’s as I bought them on blank tapes – either for the car or for a Walkman which I kept until I got a Discman. Henry.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds a lot like my story, except earlier. I made the transition to CD during 94-96, gradually replacing my cassettes. I preferred CDs all that time. And now here I am hunting for old cassettes again! The ability to rip them to PC is a big help.
LikeLike
I have tons of em and nothing to play them on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Meanwhile my old tape deck is here waiting for someone with talent to put new belts in.
LikeLike
Hi Mike, I have no interest in going back to cassettes, though back in 1984 my Walkman with automatic wraparound was pretty darned cool. No, the reason I’m commenting is to ask whether you saw that the Tony Martin IRS albums set is now officially coming out on May 31! So you can get a remaster of Tyr, on LP, CD, or both if you don’t mind spending that much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mark! I will be getting the Martin box set in order to get the new Forbidden remix. I have all the other tracks. Very much looking forward to what is coming, as Tony M has said there is still more to come.
I should really clarify too…I’m not really going back to cassettes. Not really. But if I find a copy of King Kobra III (or something like that, which I never had) sitting on a shelf for $2 on tape, I’m gonna grab it and consider it collected!
LikeLike
Ahh Mike great post. Cassettes are a minefield.
You just pray that that they tape doesn’t get chewed up.
I would have wished they kept a larger spine like the cassettes when CDs came out
LikeLiked by 1 person
You really had to make sure you were careful with those old tapes. A minefield is right. Absolutely, well said.
I re-bought a few ruined tapes over the years, but I can’t remember many times I had to do that with a CD!
LikeLike