This is the "extra disc" sent to my by Josh Benton with the November trade. Simply titled, in a blank CD case with just an e-mail address to contact the maker. The tracklisting is on a simple CD label.
- White Stripes "Fell in Love With a Girl" - Apparently, everyone is into this band. I'm not, really. They aren't bad, especially the live version of "You're Pretty Good Looking," found on November's Crabwalk mix of the month. This song isn't nearly as good, but it's not bad either. Typical post-punk stuff.
- AC/DC "Back In Black" - A classic. I have this one on record, tape and several CD's. Who doesn't have this one?
- Fuel "Sunburn" - It's okay, but nothing special. Typical pop-rock song you'd expect to find on the radio.
- Ten Years After "Hey Joe" - I much prefer the original. This is a live version with nothing special in it.
- Three Doors Down "Kryptonite" - Eeewww... it's Three Doors Down. Oh, wait. It's a pretty good song. Not bad at all, actually. It's got quite the groove to it. I vaguely remember this being a radio hit at some point.
- Led Zeppelin "The Lemon Song" - Nice to hear this one again. I haven't heard it since I put away my Zeppelin tapes with the rest of my casettes. I only have the two disc sample from the Remasters boxed set now, so the more obscure songs aren't there. Dig deep into some Zeppelin albums and you find some real gems in between the smash hits we all know. This is one of those. Nice dirty little blues feel to it. Great bass line, too.
- Three Doors Down "Down Poison" - Them again.... "Kryptonite" is a much better song. The opening riff sounds like Metallica. The rest of the song is annoyingly "nu-metalish". It actually sounds quite a bit like a Creed song to me.
- Jimmy Hendrix "Purple Haze" - What can I say? Stand back, the master is at work, still. This is still a smokin' song, how many years later?
- Robin Trower "All Along the Watchtower" - Live version, which is cut off at the end which is rather annoying. I'm not sure where this came from, since I can't locate it on any discography I've seen. I like his newer stuff, but this one doesn't even sound like him. Check out "Twentieth Century Blues" to see what I mean.
- Santana "Black Magic Woman" - Another classic. I'm not a big Santana fan, but I think everyone knows this song.
- Pink Floyd "Comfortably Numb" - Ewwww. I'm not a big Floyd fan and this particular song greatly annoys me. This is the even more annoying live version, I believe from The Delicate Sound Of Thunder.
- Guns 'n Roses "Welcome To The Jungle" - Another one everybody in the entire free world has. Not the best GnR song, but not the worst, either. I remember when this was a huge radio hit. I loved this album when it first came out, then the radio was playing them every 30 seconds or so and you couldn't go anywhere without someone sharing GnR with you. I got really, really, really tired of the entire album. Now that it's been several years, I can listen to it again. In hindsight, it wasn't as good as it seemed back then.
- Metallica "Whiskey in the Jar" - Thin Lizzy did it better, but I enjoy this version too. Most of the first disc of Garage Inc was quite the diversion from the covers I had heard from Metallica at that point. It was interesting to hear this one and "Turn The Page." I love the CD though. It was much better than "Load" and "Re-Load," which I thought were crap.
- Aerosmith "Janie's Got A Gun" - Another song I hate. This song was super-annoying when I heard it every five minutes on the radio and it hasn't aged well, either.
- White Stripes "Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground" - A rough, demoish cut. This sounds nothing like any of the other White Stripes stuff I've heard. It kind of sounds like early Lynyrd Skynyrd, actually. That's not a bad thing, though. It's a good song with a nice groove.
- Led Zeppelin "Kashmir" - Another Zeppelin classic. I never cared too much for this particular song. I love Zeppelin, just not this particular song.
Wow, looking back at that review, it's overwhelmingly negative at the individual songs and/or bands. Actually, I found this mix rather enjoyable to listen to. I guess I'm not too big on the individual songs, though, if that makes any sense. This disc had a nice mix of the familiar and the new and it was much heavier than the other discs I've gotten from this trade, so I liked it. It wouldn't make me run out and buy every album the songs came from, but I would definately listen to it again.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Kev Traschler
Mike..are you Mike Hampen from [edited] Pomona?
If so, I'm trying to reach David. Can you help me?
Kev Traschler
[edited]
2 - paula lambiaso hampen lefkowitz
dear Kev I just saw your comment on David I think we are looking for the same one [edited] (mike david eric and faith)??
3 - Kev
Paula, any possible news on David?
4 - Lorrie Hampen
I was married to Eric for several years....to my knowledge David is somewhere in Arizona. Eric lives in Minnesota, has never remarried. We have 3 sons. Faith is in Upland. Kevin, I met you and your parents but I don't know you Paula.
5 - Kev Traschler
Lorrie Hampen,
I remember you. Can you contact me? my email is [Deleted]
Faith has no idea where her brother David is. I'd love to talk with you.
-Kevin
6 - Judi Hampen
Hello Michael, Becky, Lorrie, et al:
We (your Dad Norman and I)are looking for David also-his last known address was in Desplanes, Texas. Don't know how to contact Faith either!
Need to be able to contact all of you regarding your Dad's terminal cancer. He wants to send some things to each of you as is his wish but
don't have everyone's address or email. If you are his son Michael, [Personal contact info deleted] I can send an email (can't do it on the URL) Thank you!!! Judi
7 - Kev Traschler
Judi, Faith is living in Ontario, CA She is in the telephone book. I used aol's white pages to find her number, but alas, I have misplaced it.
Give Norman my love. I truely admired him, though I didn't know how to convey it at the time. He did what best he could with all his children.
I also am in the telephone book, and I'd love very much to be able to see him & you. I can't leave my AOL address here, they won't allow it. I'll try though. [Personal contact info deleted]
-Kev
8 - Kevin Traschler
Still looking for David Hampen. [Personal contact info deleted] Is there anything besides Plainsville, Texas for David's whereabouts? I came up empty handed.
9 - DKGentry
Kevin --
Any info re: your brother Allen would be most welcome. Also, the cause of death (and the circumstances thereof) of your brother Pete.
10 - Kevin Traschler
DKGENTRY-
[Personal contact info deleted] I have any information you need concerning Allen, Pete, my mother, my father. My question..who are you? Do you know anything of Donald Rosen? He and Pete were best friends in high school, and after as well.
11 - Frankie
Interesting mix of songs - though it does seem as if the choices are themed - an ode perhaps? Possibly the Honey's Dead album by The Jesus and Mary Chain would interest the mix contributor?
Very exciting stuff noted above in the comments huh?
12 - DKGentry
Kevin --
It's a long story. Since there appears to be some kind of email screen on this site, let's try something different. [Personal contact info deleted] Hopefully this will pass the website screen, and you'll be able to figure out the rest. This site seemed to be down for a while, hence I didn't check it for several months. If you get this message, email me, and we can compare notes.
[Alas the "email screen" is humanoid and saw your cunning ploy. Personal contact information isn't allowed here. Comments Editor]
13 - Kev Traschler
Wholleee Guacamole! I HAVE found David. 22 years of looking, and finally found him. [Personal contact info deleted]
-Kevin
14 - Deke Gentry
Kevin --
Out of curiosity, why are you so fascinated with the good old, bad old days? As I recollect, there wasn't all that much those days held that was worth remembering.
Growing up in Pomona (and later Upland)? Nancy Hampen's untimely departure? All the CB chatter from the house in Upland? I mean why do you hold those days so dear?
I look back on those years and am glad they're gone. Why all the effort at looking backward?
D K Gentry
15 - Kev Traschler
D K Gentry, I love the old days because that's all I have. The memories. My mother and father haved passed away. My eldest brother has passed away. My parent's home in Upland sold 10 years gone(the CB stuff Hmmm...scary that you know about that). I emailed the only DK Gentry I could find, but he's at Harvard. It wasn't you. [Personal contact info deleted]
-Kevin
16 - DekeGentry
Kevin --
Sorry you have so little to look forward to. FWIW, I'm right there with you. But I refuse to look back on those years with nostalgia.
So what's David up to these days? And what's going on with your brother Allen?
DKG
17 - Kev
Mr. DK Gentry, I have a wonderful wife, own my own home, and my prospects are good. You're right, nostalgia is the past, and long gone, good riddance. My thing was, I missed my childhood friend David. I email him and he me, every week, now. David and I grew up, I was Best Man for his wedding. One day he fell off the grid. Couldn't find him. It was love for my friend that drove my search.
That you know some details about my family, and I know so little of you, well once again personal contact is neccesary. Please refer to the post above for my phone number. I'm not posting here..my life nor my family's history for everyone...and their brother to read.
18 - Kev
You know, all these comments on Mr. Hampen's November Mix, are from me 'Googling' the name Mike Hampen, and my interest in finding old friends. If you look at all the posts, there's only one reveiw post, from Frankie. Mike never responded. The banter between DK Gentry, and myself, well, Mr. DK Gentry remains the enigma. I've posted my personal number and am waiting for contact.
I apologize for using this blog for my own use. To me the end justifies the means, but it was never fair to Mr. Mike Hampen, nor Blogcritics.
-Kevin Traschler
19 - Kev
DK Gentry,
My internet provider is aol. I'd like you to know that It is I Kevin , that wishes to speak with you.
20 - Kev
DK Gentry,
It seems that AOL has a commercial status. As I stated before, IT IS I KEVIN, that needs to speak with you.
21 - DekeGentry
Kevin --
It would have been fortuitous if we could have exchanged emails. That would have been the preferred method of communication. Safe. Anonymous. Nobody gets hurt. But the admins on this site monitor and block the exchange of email addresses.
I can't call and that's not negotiable. And that's the only explanation I'm prepared to offer.
I stumbled on this site searching for info on your brother Pete. I learned he died a few years after his death. The news came as quite a shock. The last time I saw him, he was heavy, but otherwise healthy.
As I explained before, I don't spend an inordinate amount of time brooding about days gone by. Neither do I spend much time monitoring this site. It would have been nice to get some particulars on Pete's untimely demise, and also about your brother Allen, and your niece Stacey. Last I heard, she was living in Las Vegas. But that was a few years ago.
If that's not possible, so be it. My provider is Yahoo Mail if you want to try to connect the dots and try again. If not, so be it.
Deke Gentry
22 - Kev
Deke, I've attempted hotmail and yahoo. I understand your inability to call. Plus the humanoid filters won't let me leave a phone number. Funny they let Judith, but not me. I'm in the 909. I tried to let you email me by telling you twice, that "it is I Kevin", that wants to talk with you. And that AOL is my provider. I had hoped you could put it together. Stupid question, are you named after the lawyer DK Gentry? That's all Google will give me.
-KRT
23 - Kev Traschler
Well, I did find my friend from my childhood. I'm pleased as punch about that. I had the chance to talk with Paula, and that too was absolutely wonderful. I'll check this site again, as long as it's up, so maybe we can all communicate some more.
My brother Pete, passed away in his sleep, May, of 1997. My mother Patricia, passed away, January, of 1999. My father Frank, passed away a year and a week after my mother, January, of 2000.
Kev
24 - Kev Traschler
Today it's Saturday June 27, 2009. It's been two years since a nasty motorcycle accident wiped out my shoulder, ending my work status. I come to this site hoping to read from anybody, since personal contact is forbidden.
25 - SK
Kev,
I wish you had left your childhood friend unfound.