And, truthfully, even now, it makes me a little shaky to calculate how many times a Maxell cassette full of blistering rock ‘n roll made the difference in my life. So, so, so many times.
You will either get this or you won’t. But, if you get it, I’ll bet you really really get it.
Sometimes, somebody plays a guitar, and you suddenly aren’t alone anymore.
First off, great stuff Merlin. I’m currently experiencing the same sort of jealous rage I get when I read Chabon, Mitchell, Pynchon, Reed, Bryson, or Akutagawa — you’re the real deal, man.
My time in college (high school is a different story) was essentially: drink, D&D, repeat. Honestly, I’m glad they kicked me out after a year. I had to find a job (which I was also woefully unprepared for) and all sorts of interesting things happened to me (also a different story).
Now I wasn’t as cool as Merlin, with his punk rock and his cassette tapes and fancy french words, but Death Cab for Cutie was my soundtrack for those years. What better music for a lonely, scared, isolated kid 6,000 miles from a familiar face (aside from Grandma) who completely does not have his shit together and is very, very slowly starting to realize that?
(click through to watch some video illegally uploaded to Youtube or some shit)
