Sock Free Hideaway

BEATS OF LOVE

25. Cherry Blossom Girl by Air

AFTER A spot of fanzine writing highlighted shockingly poor grammar, due to nearly two study free decades, I decided to spend my Saturday mornings adult learning. My cheery thespian tutor (a guy with a bicycle-handlebar moustache), after realizing I had soon reached an advanced standard, (on account of knowing some really clever people and reading a lot, I guess), told me to consider the OU. 

My enrolment class coincided with my referral to check a lump on my right testicle. January 12th 2004. 'That's nasty' were the specialist's words, or at least the only ones reverberating around my head. I read a feature on Jacques Brel in the free paper travelling to enrol. I learned he lived intensely and died at 36. What seemed like a ripe old age to me at the time. 

After being swiftly filleted and freed from my piss soaked hospital issue sock-bandages and right testicle, the first thing I did when I got home was play music like a lunatic. Largely to drown out the wails on the bowel cancer ward that were giving me constant nightmares. (Testicular cancer is rare and didn't have its own ward.) 

Talkie Walkie left an indelible mark on my senses after one day's play, basically. I think I knew it off by heart instantly and this track is perfect. More organic than the early material, but not in any way wishy-washy. Jean-Benoît Dunckel has never sung a finer song or sung as well. It became a life support after my op and gave me a license to feel truly magnificent despite being doubled over like Ratso Rizzo.  

I recall awaiting the biopsy results and playing the shit out of it, and thinking, 'this might not sound as good next week.'

Thankfully, it sounded even better and still does. Absolute heaven.