Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard Pay Tribute to Jack Kerouac

By Ian S. Port Mon., Aug. 17 2009 at 11:39 AM

Categories: Music

When I interviewed Ben Gibbard back in 2007, he'd been holed up in the same cabin where Jack Kerouac wrote his famed book Big Sur. Gibbard was in Big Sur writing material for what would become the next Death Cab For Cutie record, but he was also part of the documentary One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur, which brings together writers, poets, actors, and musicians to reflect on the author's legacy.

The film now has a release date of October 20, and it also inspired a partnership--between Gibbard and Jay Farrar. The pair met while working on the documentary, and ended up writing the soundtrack to One Fast Move. The CD also comes out October 20, with lyrics lifted straight from the pages of Big Sur.

Kerouac's book on the quiet bohemian beach town is an excellent account of the years when the Beat legend was growing tired of the doppelgangers and hangers on. In his writing he's uneasy with both escaping the city and living with the demons in his head. It's a great read about coming to terms with a lifetime of fucking up, and an interesting parallel for musicians who struggle with leaving the rock star excess behind, especially as their friends grow up and out of all the debauchery.