Every Camp Mix has a first song and a last song. Ideally, the first song, the Opener, should stand out as a hype-builder or expectation-setter, prefacing the mood for the rest of disc. Traditionally, Openers are purely instrumental pieces, maintaining a clarity of thought and mood without any lyrics to be misinterpreted.
The final song of each disc, the Closer, almost always contains lyrics of some kind, and must always set a feeling of finality, but usually throw in other themes like wistfulness, wishfulness or grudging acceptance.
While every Opener and Closer on every disc is important, the standouts are always the Opener of Alpha, the Opener of Prime, and the Closer of Delta. Because, simply, if you're following the classic play-through pattern, Alpha gets the honor of being first, Prime is "most important" and Delta ends the set.
The Openers:
Alpha - "Micheal Meets Mozart" by The Piano Guys
While compiling Alpha this year was an overall headache, when choosing the Grand Opener for Camp Mix '12, I had to take the feeling of the entire year into account: Calm and excited. Hopeful and anxious to begin the newest chapter of my life. There have been plenty of qualms and hurdles this year, but come summertime, I was feeling quite triumphant. The Piano Guys' infusion of Mozart and Micheal Jackson was, to me, an incredible embodiment of these feelings. Despite how I may feel about how Alpha '12 in general, "Micheal Meets Mozart" is the most apt, and therefore probably the best Grand Opener that I have ever used.
Beta - "Bare Feast" by Ratatat/"Keep Close" by LeMaitre
Yes, two songs. Because one was not enough. Ratatat because, well, this is Beta. LeMaitre because it's simply an awesome song. "Bare Feast" is one of my favorites from Ratatat, and I've been saving it for a truly great Beta. "Keep Close" was easy to blend and follow-into while being lyrically appropriate. Absolutely no problems here. It simply works. And quite wonderfully, at that.
Prime - "Everwood Theme" by Blake Neely
I loved this show. I was so angry when it was canceled in favor of One Tree Hill when WB became CW. They both had the same ratings, but Everwood was "more expensive to produce" or whatever. Pfft. Anyway... The song itself is flowing with nostalgia. It's warm, hopeful. It's pretty much the perfect Prime Opener. Whenever I hear this, I'm not just reminded of the show (and Emily VanCamp), but I'm reminded of that period of my life (including the minor crush I had on Emily VanCamp) and with that, the earlier years of Camp (haha... Camp, VanCamp).
Most importantly, it sets the mood for the rest of the album. From the restful piano intro to the sweeping string chorus, it's simply a well-composed song. Not to mention, it gets stuck in my head quite easily. While very nostalgic, it's also romantic. There's a journey ahead, and the hopefulness here makes me think I just might be prepared for it.
Delta - "Drive Darling" by BOY
Delta does not have an Opener in the usual sense. It simply starts. Much like 2008. Cool.
The Closers:
Alpha - "Anthology" by Thrice
Overwhelming. I can't get over how much I love this song. It's so... epic. It's nostalgic in the truest sense. While the song on its own would sound well-composed to the casual listener, to any Thrice fan, it is the ultimate farewell. It is the culmination of fifteen years, eight albums, and of so many memories and emotions attached to their songs. The aptly-named "Anthology" from their last album, Major/Minor references at least eight of the most memorable Thrice songs (four of which have been on Camp Mixes) from each of their past seven albums.
Most of the lines may come from older songs, but that doesn't detract from the brilliance here -- it only enhances it -- and the song has a message all its own. Thrice's commonly recurring themes of life-journeys and self-discovery are very prevalent here, with lyrics beautifully tied together by a powerful and emotional delivery by singer Dustin Kensrue. To me, it almost makes all the past albums seem like parts of an over-arching saga, from humble, frustrated beginnings to the refined experimentation of the latter years. I love it. For Camp Mix, this feeling, this idea translates exceptionally well to referencing all of the past years and what they mean to me...
Thank you, Thrice.
Beta - "Sleep Talkin'" by Architecture in Helsinki
Quirky, upbeat, endearing and a slight bit disturbing. How much more perfect can a Beta Closer be? Not much, I say. "99 Luftballons", sure, but that only happened by chance. I suppose last year's was pretty good, though. Still, every year is different. No two years are not on fire.
Prime - "Waltz (Better Than Fine)" by Fiona Apple
This song could not be any more perfect as a Closer. This would have gone on Delta to create a big finale, but I opted to put it on Prime to make it stand out as the very best it could be. It feels like Fiona Apple wrote this just for me, and that's a sentiment I never make about any song. I don't think I need to point out the excellent songwriting here; the tone and style of the melody is something I wish I could write. I once said, "we need more Apples and Spektors in the world. More people that can hit the nail on the head with those oddly specific, slightly awkward yet poetic lyrics."
Thank you, Fiona.
Delta - "Larkin Step" by Ling Kai
A Camp Closer many years in the making. This song has been around almost as long as Youtube, which itself is almost as long as Camp Mix has been around. I've wanted it in from the very beginning, but I don't condone piracy of music (especially of amateur artists), and I wasn't able to pay $15 for her EP when it came out.
During late spring this year, I was looking over my old favorite Youtube videos when I saw this:
You don't have to watch it, just listen, for the video is horribly desynched, apparently a result of Ling's account being hacked a half dozen times and having lost the original upload (here's a clearer, newer version).
I was right away reminded of a song I used to cherish. Nostalgia came
flowing in from everywhere, and suddenly I knew that I had to get it
into Camp Mix. But how? Her official website seemed pretty inactive, and the EP was still $15 (which I would have payed as a last resort). Her other tracks were good, but all I really wanted was "Larkin Step". Short of ripping a low-quality version straight from Youtube, I felt like I had very limited options. So... I emailed her.
To my surprise, she responded within the day. I had explained my predicament in the briefest way possible, and she sent a reply with a happy, "No problem!" with "Larkin Step" attached.
Contacting an artist directly? Craazy. This just might be an awesome and very viable option for gathering Camp Mix tracks in the future, and it's a tactic I plan to use.
Camp Mix, ever onward!!
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