Appalachian ADV Mix Tapes – Music for the Ride

I regularly listen to music when on the bike with the help of my Sena Bluetooth system, but the cell phone has now taken place of the cassette and CD. Shuffling through the library takes no effort, pick an artist, a few albums, or shuffle the entire catalog. I argue that it is still worth the effort to take the time to hand pick specific songs for an overarching theme that you want to capture for your ADVenture. Whether it is an easy-going street ride matched with a selection of The Blues, a back country ADV fest with a Rock & Roll sound, or an off-road bonanza with a little Outlaw Country… set the mood and let the rhythm of the music sync with the rhythm of the terrain, the brap of the engine, and the recoil of the suspension.

The premise of the Appalachian ADV Mix Tape series came from a trip this past winter with some of my oldest and dearest friends. The three of us have been friends since the 5th grade and we have been through a lot together. We like to take a guys’ trip at least once a year and this time we ended up in the PA Wilds near some of my favorite ADV pathways. My buddy Tony isn’t a rider but has always had a great ear for music and was the best at putting together mix tapes. Although he doesn’t ride, he understands my sense of adventure, desire for adrenaline-fueled exploits and my musical tastes, which aren’t that far from his own.

Over the trip, I was able to talk him into firing up that mix tape brain of his to provide me with a bunch of different themed playlists (it didn’t take too much persuasion!). For his first assignment, my only direction was that it is meant for adventure travel, should have an Appalachian Mountain theme of some sort mentioning Old Crow Medicine Show as a point of reference, and to try to make each list at least 20 songs. And off he went…

The Riding High Mix Tape

Song 1:
Track: Off The Ground
Artist: The Record Company
Album (release year – label): Give It Back To You (2016 – Concord Records)

Song 2:
It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock N’ Roll)
Dropkick Murphys
Singles Collection Vol. 2 (2005 – Hellcat Records)

Song 3:
Higher Ground
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mother’s Milk (1989 – EMI America)

Song 4:
Drunken Lullabies
Flogging Molly
Drunken Lullabies (2002 – SideOneDummy Records)

Song 5:
Come Hither To Go Yonder
Bill Monroe
My Last Days On Earth (2007 – Bear Family)

Song 6:
Ramble On
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II (1969 – Atlantic Records)

Song 7:
I Hear Them All
Old Crow Medicine Show
Big Iron World (2006 – Nettwerk Records)

Song 8:
Southside Of Heaven
Ryan Bingham
Mescalito (2007 – Lost Highway Records)

Song 9:
Devil’s Dance Floor
Flogging Molly
Swagger (2000 – SideOneDummy Records)

Song 10:
Rocket (Remastered)
Smashing Pumpkins
Siamese Dream (Deluxe Edition 2011 – Virgin)

Song 11:
Tear It Down
Old Crow Medicine Show
Eutaw (2001 – Self-release)

Song 12:
Come On Down To My House
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Nobody’s Children - Playback Disc 6 (1995 – MCA Records)

Song 13:
Every Dog Has Its Day
Flogging Molly
Swagger (2000 – SideOneDummy Records)

Song 14:
Blackeyed Susie
Old Crow Medicine Show
Greetings From Wawa (2000 – Blood Donor Music)

Song 15:
Poor House
The Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3 (1990 – Warner Bros.)

Song 16:
You Get Me High
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Nobody’s Children - Playback Disc 6 (1995 – MCA Records)

Song 17:
Draggin’ Down The Line
Scott H. Biram
Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever (2009 – Bloodshot Records)

Song 18:
Love Struck Baby
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
The Real Deal: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1999 – Epic/Legacy)

Song 19:
Tighten Up
The Black Keys
Brothers (2010 – Cooperative Music)

Song 20:
I’ve Been Everywhere
Johnny Cash
Unchained (1996 – American Recordings)