So many Jandek threads to choose from!

I have been spending some quality time with a bunch of his records lately, after someone (after listening to some stuff from my solo album in a month album) quipped that I was "veering into Corwood territory" with a few songs.

I enjoy most Jandek, and I enjoy the myth.

I don't think my songs compare at all. His are better at what they do than mine are. I don't think I have the balls to write, much less sing some of the things he does.

I left those songs off my album. They need to steep a while.

Jandek gets written off as transcendent outsider music with no clear-cut influences or, failing that, just a one-trick pony. In reality, anyone who has taken time to really listen to him can tell you these statements are crap. Some of his stuff is definitely crap, but most of it ranges from good to great, and his insistance on putting out whatever he's feeling at the time requires a take-no-shit attitude that most musicians at his level of fame simply do not have.

For his attitude toward music, his beautiful and harrowing songs, and how he's influenced my guitar playing since the first time I heard him, not crap.

Yeah, there's definitely a logic there. I read an on-line article that was pretty in-depth: the writer even went so far as to scan the lyrics for this one woman's name and track her relationship with Jandek through his recorded output.

I generally appreciate what he does, even though I own none of his albums. I even like the 'phases' he goes through. There was a period of 3 or 4 records where he just spoke into an ancient wire recorder. No guitar. No singing. It's great to release that kind of stuff out into the world just because you can.

In case you didn't know, that's not his real name. He made up 'Jandek' from looking at a calendar (Jan-Dec).

Dylan wrote:Yeah, there's definitely a logic there. I read an on-line article that was pretty in-depth: the writer even went so far as to scan the lyrics for this one woman's name and track her relationship with Jandek through his recorded output.

got a link?

I've only heard a little. It made me feel horrible and empty. I just couldn't get into it. I'll give it another try. There seem to be a lot of people here (with good taste) who like his music.

John W. wrote:I've only heard a little. It made me feel horrible and empty. I just couldn't get into it. I'll give it another try. There seem to be a lot of people here (with good taste) who like his music.

I am very careful to recommend Jandek to people, because I find that to appreciate him you have to be in a certain mood. I know lots of people who listen to the most abrasive, nonmusical music you can think of who hate Jandek. And I mean HATE. He has the power to annoy like no other.

Jandek fascinates me on a lot of levels. Like you say, sometimes listening to his music makes me feel horrible. Some of his records make you think you're going to hear a gunshot at the end. Some of his records have goofy stuff on them. Some of them have some heartbreakers. I can't listen to him all the time, and I certainly wouldn't put his records on when I was working in the darkroom with other people.

I guess people who like Jandek regard him as their little secret; everyone responds to different songs. He seems like a very private appreciation if that makes any sense. It's fitting, since his is very private music.

AAAAAAAARGH wrote:Jandek gets written off as transcendent outsider music with no clear-cut influences or, failing that, just a one-trick pony. In reality, anyone who has taken time to really listen to him can tell you these statements are crap.

The same statements get made about Merzbow, the one-trick pony one. Which is why I played excerpts from the Merzbox on WFMU one day, just to prove he wasn't all static and hiss.

I am really curious about why Jandek has decided, after all these years of never playing out (at least, nobody knew about it - it's entirely possible he played in a place where nobody had the slightest clue about who he was, like at an open mic or something) to play some gigs. Something must have happened in his life to convince him to "go public." Maybe his girlfriend convinced him. Maybe he quit his job. Maybe he's got some illness.

I really want to rent "Jandek on Corwood" now.

burun wrote:I really want to rent "Jandek on Corwood" now.

May I recommend against that?

chopjob wrote:

burun wrote:I really want to rent "Jandek on Corwood" now.

May I recommend against that?

Why? Does it suck?

burun wrote:

chopjob wrote:

burun wrote:I really want to rent "Jandek on Corwood" now.

May I recommend against that?

Why? Does it suck?

here's th c/nc on the film.

burun wrote:

chopjob wrote:

burun wrote:I really want to rent "Jandek on Corwood" now.

May I recommend against that?

Why? Does it suck?

You seem to already have a well-considered appreciation of him via his work and what that work means to you.

The movie is talking heads and shots of the moon. I was kinda resentful about the telephone part at the end.

Mayfair's appraisal in the other thread is mostly spot-on, but for its being worth seeing.