"Old Friends 4 Sale"

That was the name of a Prince collection that was, supposedly, unreleased things from his famous vault of music. The title did a nice job of summarizing the disgust he seemed to feel at having to fulfill his contract with a company (he wanted desperately to cut ties to), by selling his "old friends." I, however, am more interested in buying some old friends.

I admit I can be a little weird and fanatical. I had a mix tape an old friend had made in high school. This old friend was the person that really got me to listen to Prince, who I had always avoided, since Prince was a pop-culture figure. All the popular rich kids were listening to Purple Rain, which made me immediately, and for years after, do everything I could to avoid all things Prince. Then this friend made me a mix tape, which included a lot of early stuff, B-sides, and a little bit of Purple Rain era stuff. If Tipper had her panties in a bunch over "Darling Nikki," she probably would have gone into shock if she'd have heard this tape.

For years, this tape was the standard by which I judged all mix tapes (then mix CDs, now playlists). The tape far outlasted the friendship, and, being one of the most expensive Maxell's you could buy, survived years of use and abuse; multiple playings per week for something like 15 years.

And then, it disappeared, leaving only an empty case with my old friend's handwritten notes on a cardboard insert.

Ah, but the cardboard insert! "More serious side," and "Dirtier side" (which are real relative things when it comes to older Prince songs!), with not only song names, but which albums each song was from. Ok, having become a pretty big fan, I know which albums the songs are from, which things are B-sides, etc. I had the list, I had the song order. The problem was, I didn't have all the songs. Well, ok, I had them. On vinyl. To truly do justice to my favorite mix tape of all time, nothing less than a full on digital assault on the problem would do.

Albums were re-released. Then a 3 CD greatest hits package, one whole disc of which was B-sides. Finally, iTunes comes along, and with it, the greatest musical invention since ever, the mighty iPod.

Being me, I am both obsessive and selectively cheap, uh, I mean, frugal. There is no way in hell I am paying $16 for a CD of something that I paid $5 for a record of. Enter, The Used CD Store.

Well, actually, stores. I wandered around on my lunch, and after visiting 2 stores, my usual one at the big T in the road, next to the dress store, and a slightly sketchier one around the corner and up the stairs, I finally have managed to do it: I have collected, on disc, every single song I need to rebuild my missing tape. Every single silly, saucy, satirical word, clearer than ever.

Someone warn Tipper, we're getting funky down here!