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Interstellar Discussion
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Jandek Album Review:
I had to write the words. at 2006-01-02
This was the ninth album released by the reclusive Jandek. It sounds a lot like his previous eight albums. Most of the first half of the album features Jandek accompanied by a drummer, while the second half features Jandek solo. It is typical Jandek, featuring out-of-tune guitar playing and off-key singing, with songs featuring indecipherable lyrics and no melody. Most people will hate it, but Jandeks handful of fans will like it.
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Glad to Get Away
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Jandek Album Review:
I dont know why but I must keep listening. at 2006-07-18
This was the second album Jandek released in 1994. It features Jandek performing alone with his acoustic guitar (plus harmonica on one song). Jandeks guitar playing has improved over the years, but its still completely unconventional. And his songs are as weird as ever. Jandek fans should enjoy it, but that is an infinitesimal percentage of the population.
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Six and Six
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Jandek Album Review:
Thanks for all the thoughts. at 2005-07-29
This was the second album by the reclusive Jandek, which he released three years after his first album. In one of his few interviews, he said that he had only intended to release one album, but after he got a few good reviews, he decided that he better keep on going. Since this album has come out, he has released an average of two albums a year. Anyway, Jandeks second album is even less accessable than his first album, if thats possible. It has a similar sound to the first album, with strange lyrics whispered/mumbled while accompanied by seemingly random notes plucked on an out-of-tune guitar. But somehow, it is even harder to listen to than the first album. Jandek is definitlely an acquired taste. Here is the track listing:1. Feathered Drums2. Point Judith3. I Knew You Would Leave4. Can I See Your Clock5. Wild Strawberries6. Forgive Me7. Hilltop Serenade8. Youre the Best One9. Delinquent Words
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Foreign Keys
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Jandek Album Review:
Im so tired of waiting for your voice at 2006-03-12
This was the 11 album released by the prolific recluse Jandek. (Hey, Prolific Recluse would be a good title for a Jandek album.) It sounds a lot like his previous ten albums. The instrumentation this time is electic guitar and drums (both of which are amatuerishly played). The first five songs (and song #11) are sung by Jandek. The sixth track is an instrumental. Songs 7 to 10 are sung by Nancy, a woman who often appears on Jandeks early albums. And the last song is a duet between Jandek and Nancy (its also the same song as the first song on the album). This album will sound unlistenable to most people, but the handful of people who like Jandek will enjoy it.
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Your Turn to Fall
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Jandek Album Review:
You dont have to entertain me. at 2005-09-12
This is a Jandek album from 1983. Almost all of the songs feature just Jandeks voice and his acoustic guitar, or just his guitar, in the case of the instrumentals. The one song that features an outside musician is John Plays Drums, which features somebody (presumably named John) banging away at the drums. This is a pretty typical early Jandek album, although the songs are shorter than usual, with only two songs being over three minutes long. Jandek fans should like it, normal people should hate it.
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Telegraph Melts
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Jandek Album Review:
Sing for love. Sing for magic. Sing for always. at 2006-04-26
This is another album by the prolific Jandek. It was released in 1986. The instrumentation is Jandek on electric guitar (and occasionally harmonica) and someone else on drums. There may be someone on bass guitar, but the album is mixed so poorly, its hard to tell. All the instruments are amateurishly played. The girl singer called Nancy sings on several songs, sometimes solo, sometimes in duet with Jandek. Most people will find this album unlistenable, but I kind of like it.
Jandek Album Review:
Chant! at 2005-09-23
Another of Jandeks recorded outings with help from The Singer Known as Nancy. Of special note is the song Governor Rhodes, with Jandek and Nancy going back and forth with lines like Chant for Love Chant for Music Chant always. I dont know if they intended it to be humorous, but I got a laugh out of it. Mothers Day Card is Jandek singing the cheesy lyrics of a generic Mothers Day card in a goofy voice--also fairly funny.The disk veers into psycho territory for You Painted Your Teeth, and on Fly Jandek screams like hes become completely unhinged.Nancy does her usual fine job with vocals on the tracks she is on. Telegraph Melts is particularly good.There seem to be some other musicians on this--drums and guitars and maybe bass--Jandeks rock group period (although nothing on here could be classified as rock music, and I suppose most people wouldnt even call it music). Still, this is an enjoyable and varied effort from Jandek and gang. If youre new to J, I wouldnt suggest you start with this, but its one of his better ones. (Maybe try Modern Dances first, or Chair Besides a Window).
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Ready for the House
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Jandek Album Review:
The Beginning of the Jandek Genre at 2006-01-28
Everything youve heard about Jandek is true. And everything youve hear about Jandek is wrong. Alot of people who are interested in indie rock or bands like Sonic Youth are mislead into buying a Jandek album. His music sounds nothing like indie rock or Sonic Youth. Sure, they both use guitars with alternate tunings producing atonal rock songs. But thats where the similarity ends. Whereas Sonic Youth are an extremely tight set who undeniably have a terrific sense of melody, Jandek forgoes melody or technical skills and runs straight into the deepest recesses of loneliness and soul. Obviously Jandek is aware of current music and knows how to play his instruments, but the way he must record is so loose. He must just sit in his bedroom with a 2 track and just lie there strumming for hours, picking random notes, mumbling. This record isnt for the Britney Spears fan or the Arcade Fire fan. This record calls for someone who is completely and utterly open to the most lucid and dreamlike form of music making imaginable. Stream of conciousness rambles into the heart of someone who is just lonely and gone. This was his first album and it remains a cornerstone to the Jandek genre, he frequently covers songs from this album, borrows lyrics from it, repeats the same random noting and instruments. Indeed, this album instituted the Jandek tradition of blurry photo album covers. Jandek never strays from Jandek. Which brings me to the reason Jandek is wrongly labeled as an obscuro artist. Obviously Jandek is obscure, obviously Jandek produces works that are uncategorizable and hard to be comfortable with. But Obscuro has a level of freakishness attached to it mainly coming from other Obscuro acts like The Shaggs, or Wesley Willis. Jandek is not freakish like those acts, he doesnt have the naivete of The Shaggs, or the unpoetic grotesque of Wesley Willis. Jandek is a true outsider artist though. I could compare his artistry to Daniel Johnston, a fellow Texan. But comparing the two is wrong as they are completely different. Jandek songs border on dreamy soundscapes, whereas Daniels songs are concise psychological rock songs. Daniel frequently uses the same subject matter for alot of his songs, whereas Jandeks songs dont really seem to have any subject matter except for his own loneliness. This listener had the honor of catching him at one of his first and only live shows in NYC, and he was terrific. Jandek is God. This record is a great work of art, essential for any Jandek fan.
Jandek Album Review:
I guess you like it that way, cause youre a flop. at 2005-07-28
This was the first album released by Jandek, who was originally billed as The Units. Its hard to describe what his music sounds like, because he has no apparent influences. It sort of sounds like someone strumming random notes on an out-of-tune guitar, while a ghost sings the poetry of a suicidal teenager. Its not exactly what most people would call good music, and in fact barely sounds like music at all. Im sure that most people will hate it, but I kind of like it. Its different, to say the least.
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Nine-Thirty
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Jandek Album Review:
I just browse through death books. at 2006-02-07
This was the tenth album by the prolific Jandek. It sounds a lot like his previous nine albums. The songs consist of Jandek singing and playing acoustic guitar, except he doesnt sing on the instrumental Tumblings and he also plays harmonica on You Didnt Lie. Its typical early acoustic Jandek. Most people will find this album to be unlistenable, but I kind of like it.
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Chair Beside a Window
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Jandek Album Review:
Get loud, get it loud, loud . at 2005-09-04
This was the fourth album by the reclusive Jandek. It was his first album to employ outside performers. Most of the tracks just feature Jandek and his guitar, but there a couple of songs that feature bass and drums as well. But the most noteable change on this album is the appearance of a female singer on Nancy Sings. Nancy actually has a nice, ethereal singing voice, which makes Nancy Sings one of Jandeks most accessible songs. Nancy also appears on No Break, which is an apparently ad-libbed jam, and is not very accessible. Like every other Jandek album, this will only appeal to a small percentage of people.
Jandek Album Review:
Nancy Sings! at 2005-08-19
Released in 1982, this is the first Jandek album to feature outside musicians, which helps to vary Jandeks sound. A very good addition is the singer identified only as Nancy, who has quite a nice voice--quite a change from Jandeks usual desolate crooning. If you are exploring the world of Jandek, this disk is a pretty good one to start with. The song European Jewel features bass, drums, and guitar, along with Jandek singing--it sounds almost like early Sonic Youth. And the song Love has a-typical lyrics about self-worth--Jandeks first feel-good tune, I guess. Several of Jandeks other albums released up until 1986 feature Nancy, they are all among his more enjoyable efforts. Its too bad she doesnt appear on more. Maybe now that Jandek is actually playing live shows, he will have an on-state reunion with Nancy!
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You Walk Alone
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Jandek Album Review:
Ive got time to kill. at 2006-07-04
This is one of the most accessible Jandek albums, but of course with Jandek, accessible is a relative term. This is probably his album that sounds the most like a conventional rock album. Most of the songs have two electric guitars playing on them, in a more professional way than on Jandeks earlier albums, suggesting that Jandek himself is not playing the guitars here. The songs are more upbeat than usual for him, melodically I mean, not lyrically. His lyrics are so vague, who can tell what he means? If you are interested in sampling Jandek, this is one of the better albums to start with.
Jandek Album Review:
beautiful, but definetely not for everybody at 2005-12-16
this is the only jandek album ive ever heard, and i understand that it is his most accessible. i cant wait to hear more because i love this album. his vocal delivery is like a more soft-spoken and more blues inflicted version of lou reed on white light/white heat. ive read that jandek sometimes does not even play chords and stays on the same non-chord for entire songs. there are chord progressions here, but they are rather unconventional. (im still not sure if jandek is doing this on purpose or not, but i dont care because it sounds great.) usually there are two intertwining guitar parts and a loping drumbeat backing up jandeks vocals. these songs dont jump from part to part, but rather pour over the listener all at once and evoke a feeling that is equal parts confusion, yearning, reminiscence, and tranquility. i would recommend this to people that like skip spence or captain beefheart. a treat for those that like their folk music to dance right across creative boundaries.
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This Narrow Road
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Jandek Album Review:
No Image Available at 2006-03-05
The second Jandek voice-only recording (Put My Dream On This Planet and Worthless Recluse are the others). A manexpressing his most personal thoughts with no concession to any artistic norms. Recommended to anyone with a taste for the unique.
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Staring at the Cellophane
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Later On
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Jandek Album Review:
So you go round the corner, you just walk along, sing a song. at 2005-08-08
This was the third album released by the reclusive Jandek. It is similar in sound to his first two albums, but there is some artistic growth. This is the first album on which he plays harmonica, although not particularly well. And it is also his first (only?) album to be in stereo. It is primitive two-track stereo, with his vocals and harmonica in the left channel, and his guitar in the right channel. Other than that, its the same old Jandek. The few people that like his music will enjoy this album, everyone else will hate it.
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Blue Corpse
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Jandek Album Review:
You know theres that song. at 2006-06-17
This is probably the most accessible album Jandek ever released. Which is not to say that it isnt a difficult listen, because it is. It still features his trademark mumbled, moaned vocals and enigmatic lyrics. But at least this time we arent subjected to his awkward attempts at guitar playing. The music here is almost certainly played by a different guitar player (who may be named Eddie, because Jandek says Take it, Eddie at one point in the album). The other guitarist is a much more melodic, conventionally skilled player who strums chords instead of just plucking strings, pitch-bends, etc., and generally just owes a lot more to the kind of guitar playing you learn from records and from your guitar teacher. So, that renders the album more listenable than usual. The songs generally have sad lyrics, which seem to be about the ending of a romantic relationship. Some people have speculated that Jandek broke up with Nancy, the girl singer on many of his previous albums, but of course we dont really know if Jandek and Nancy were ever a couple in the first place. This album is also notable for having the only cover song Jandek ever recorded, House of the Rising Sun. If you are interested in giving Jandek a listen, this would probably be the best album to start with.
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The Rocks Crumble
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Jandek Album Review:
Mighty cold rock and roll at 2005-11-16
This was the eight album by the reclusive Jandek. It was released in 1983, and it sounds a lot like the other albums he released in the early 80s. The first three tracks feature Jandek solo with his guitar, on the rest of the album he is accompanied by a drummer. There are two versions of Message to the Clerk and three(!) versions of European Jewel (a song he originally recorded on his first album). Its a typical Jandek album that his fans will like, and everyone else will hate.
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Put My Dream on This Planet
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Jandek Album Review:
This Is The Real Thing at 2006-02-19
The first of three Jandek voice-only releases (the other two are This Narrow Road and Worthless Recluse). Even the most enthusiastic Jandek listeners seem to have trouble with this one. The only recording I can compare this to is Orange Claw Hammer by Captain Beefheart. One of the most radical and demanding recordings Ive ever heard.
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The Place
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Jandek Album Review:
JANDEK....PLACE at 2005-01-16
WHO IS JANDEK?MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION. SO LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS MAN THAT IT EVEN SPURNED A DOCUMENTARY. ALL WE DO KNOW IS THAT THIS GUY HAS PUT OUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF ALBUMS AND NOBODY KNOWS WHO HE IS. THERE IS A SIMILAR SONG WRITER/ARTIST THAT HAILS FROM LANCASTER PA WHO IS KNOWN AS THE MAN. VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM EITHER.
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Lost Cause
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Jandek Album Review:
From 1992, the sounds of an empty room... at 2004-12-23
Eight tracks in 43 minutes. Alone in a room, but almost jazzy and dreamily resigned to gravity. Lost and free forming idea bubbles out if thin air for his 21st album. The tuneful strums and relative optimism of the early tracks gives way to total desolation and despair by the end of things; so dont worry he hasnt found lasting happiness or anything like that, thank God. But early on there Im betting he had a big moony crush on a coworker or something.
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The Living End
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Jandek Album Review:
Pure blues at heart at 2005-04-25
This was one of the many albums to be released within Jandeks blues-folk stage midway through his career. Albums like Living End, Follow your Footsteps, and, of course, Blue Corpse posess a unique instrumental and vocal quality that has never been heard in a Jandek album before. Its a style of deconstructed blues which moans and groans, but has more of a peaceful, stable mood as opposed to the entropetic explosions in albums like Interstellar Discussion. In much of this album we hear Jandek playing acoustic guitar with the backing of Eddy on electric and occasionally Nancy on vocals or John on drums. Nancy sings the song Crazy, which is probably the most powerful song on the album. Although it doesnt really rank with Blue Corpse and Follow your Footsteps, I still highly reccomend this album.
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Modern Dances
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Jandek Album Review:
Its only a song here. at 2006-05-03
This album was released by the prolific Jandek in 1987. The instrumentation for most of the album features Jandek on electric guitar backed by a drummer, but the last three songs features Jandek alone on acoustic guitar. The female vocalist know only as Nancy sings on several of the songs. This would be the last Jandek album she would appear on, marking the end of what some of Jandeks fans consider to be the first period of his recording career (although calling it a career implies that he made money at it, which is doubtful). As for what the album sounds like, it sounds like Jandeks typical brand of Uneasy Listening. Most people will probably find the album to be unlistenable, but its one of the most popular albums among his fans.
Jandek Album Review:
Please dont paint your teeth at 2005-06-03
So, youve reached the dusty corner of the Amazon universe where Jandek lives. This album is a good one to start with if you are new to his music. For most of these songs he is playing with a drummer, a second guitarist (?) and the singer known as Nancy. Sounds spontaneous and fun (and sometimes fun can be on short supply on Jandek albums). Nancy has a pretty good voice, kind of a cross between Grace Slick and Patsy Cline. The last 3 tunes are in the classic Jandek style--a weirdly tuned acoustic guitar openly strummed or picked without chords or notes played on the neck, and his unique vocals. The song Carnival Queen is typical creepy Jandek. So you get a good sampling of what hes like on this album.People often pick Blue Corpse as their favorite Jandek album (it was released right after this one), but this is my choice for best (mind you I havent heard all 38 of them).If you do like this, you also might enjoy the late 60s garbage drug noise band The Godz (not to be confused with a heavy metal band with a similar name). Also check out the Jandek website, its got LOTS of Jandek info, including lyrics to all the songs (which helps in some cases) and lots of reviews of all his albums.Jandek isnt for everyone. See what you think. After 28 years of being a hermit and releasing these odd albums to a very small cult audience, Jandek is now playing live concert dates in Europe... and has a new live album... I rate this 5 stars, but the star rating system is a bit useless for Jandek--his music isnt really something you can rate like that.By the way, you can order Jandek albums directly from his company (Corwood) a bit cheaper than you can get them here... and no shipping fees.
Jandek Album Review:
Jandek makes these sounds... at 2004-12-23
There are drums, and electric guitar chopping out those discordant note clusters, and a mysterious female singer is present as well (Nancy?). It sounds like a rock and roll party at Jandeks house tonight! And theres some practical advice as well Dont paint your teeth. for instance. Its 1987, and Jandek is some kind of shambolic noisy band at this point. Theres a lot of levity and fun here, crazy fun, but fun. Outsider pure creative indulgence in full flower. One of the great gifts from Texas to the rest of the world. Almost a quarter of an hour in the dark halls and sparsely furnished rooms that are the haunted house that Jandek lives in
Jandek Album Review:
before the bummer, there was.... at 2004-11-22
this is clearly to my taste one of the better jandek albums-..tracks are mostly duo vocals between janky/nancy and electric backing (w/drums most often). another version of you painted your teeth is on this one and this also features the mysterious number 512...this is the crazy middle period, fun, loose as usual and pretty happy-the creep factor is low on this one--that would be left for the next installment (Blue Corpse)where he really goes on a downer........for those looking for accessible jandek to get your feet a bit wet, this is close but you may be better served by You Walk Alone....but hey, pop star he aint (well..hes MY pop star)........well above average effort from the J man..not my fave but as i said, top ten...
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