New Cheap Trick album available on 8-track tape

Remember that crazy little thing called 8-track? We didn't know you could still order albums in the format, but apparently you still can--at least when it comes to Cheap Trick's latest, which also happens to be called The Latest.

Going retro will cost you, however. The 8-track tape version costs $30 (it's available for pre-order) while the CD is going for $12.99 on Amazon. The record is $20 and the digital download is $8.99.

According to the site 8-Track Heaven, the 8-track tape is mostly dead--but not totally. The site says major labels quit producing 8-track tapes in about 1988, but "a number of entrepreneurial souls have kept the 8-track tradition alive in the form of small production runs of independently released carts." (Link: new releases on 8-track)

Anybody still own an 8-track tape player or have fond memories of using one?

(Via kottke.org)

[joshua.goldman]

I do, me. A little Panasonic single-speaker portable one. And I have a collection of tapes. They sound miserable. Even the ones I bought new/unused. Can't imagine the quality of a $30 one made in 2009 would be any better.

[genmgr]

My first car was a 1978 Chevy Malibu Classic (I got it around 1991). It had a bench seat and a kickin' 8-track in the dash. It was fun to cruise all the used-record stores to find 8-tracks, they were dirt cheap. My favorite was Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I miss that car, although I didn't treat it very well at the time...

[blomster]

Will the new release change tracks in the middle of a song? I think "Live at Budokan" did that.

[bneal1950]

I have many "fond" memories of 8 track. I had one in a 68 VW bug and the switching in the middle of a song was always "welcome". But looking back there wasn't much other choice at the time. Cassette decks were still a few years away and the only other choices were radio and your own voice...

[Mezman]

I have an old 8 track Player / Recorder. The recorder allowed you to move your records to 8 tracks and the unrecorded tapes had a higher quality sound and better transport mechanism. It still works and my Dad uses it to listen to old Jerry Reed tapes. My worst memory of 8 tracks were that over time the heads would get out of alignment. My car 8 track had that happen and we used to shove matchbooks under the tapes or we would get multi-channel crosstalk. That was the worst.

[jon_a_thon]

I know one person that has an 8-track player... I work at Invisible Records in Chicago with Martin Atkins. His band Pigface decided to release their latest album, "6", on 8-track about 7 months ago... You can check out the video announcement here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoKkdji75-k) . Maybe it's a coincidence but I think something must be in the water in Northern Illinois that's making all these bands put out their albums on 8-tracks.

[beefmalone]

My '76 Electra 225 has an 8-track player in it. HUZZAH

[Myrrlin1]

I still have an eight recorder and some 8 tracks as well. I wonder if people would be interested in having their favorite CD recorded on 8 track? I thought the format was completely dead.