dave9199

Interesting take on it Chaney, but I'm still confused over your like of it & your breakdown. You used 6 blank emoticons & were iffy on a couple others. I'm not trying to argue about it, I'm having a blast doing this. I guess I still don't get how this is different from Moon, in your opinion. I'm gonna need more explanation on this. I'll also have to relisten to it. By the way, what's your ranking of the first 5?

Really? Well I'm interested to hear your take on it, and I'm sincere about that. Looking forward to it. I ask if you can include what is different between Cellophane & Moon.

Next up: Your Turn To Fall. It's better than the last two, but not great. It has it's moments like the song John Plays Drums. Everything else is solo. The 7th song is called New String & it's just that. He's tuned his low E down an octave and uses that for the rest of the album. This seems to get his lyrical juices flowing again as pretty much every song after that has a verse or two, at least. Dance Of Death is good, but the one that stands out (aside from John Plays Drums) is the last song, They Knew My Game. It's really quiet & makes the most of his shakey vocals. So I'm hoping this is an upswing.

Upwards & onwards. Look out Chaney, #6, Staring At The Cellophane, is Living In A Moon So Blue, only (sigh) less so. As Moon starts with a song called Gretchen, Cellophane starts with a song called Michael. The second song is again an instrumental. He doesn't use his voice in any interesting fashion so even fewer songs stand out at all. One that breaks the mold of the album is Sand I, which is mostly percussive strumming. The biggest weakness of this album is still fewer lyrics, if you can believe that. No wonder he could pump them out at such a fast rate. The last song, Blood & Bone also has something way in the background. At first I thought it was a harmonica, but then it sounded like a cheap organ or something. Another tough one to get through.

So here's how I rank the first 5: KEEPERS 1. Chair Beside A Window PERSONAL OPINION 2. Later On 3. Ready For The House 4. Six & Six FOR COMPLETISTS ONLY 5. Living In A Moon So Blue Keepers are, obviously, the best ones; personal opinion are the middle ground that vary from person to person (these are in my opinion order of good to lesser, but that doesn't mean Six & Six is horrible); and for completists only, well, you know. I still enjoyed them all. And I did hear what you heard on Jessica, Chaney. Just when you think it can't sound any more creepier...

Cult deprogrammer: I did get Paul McCartney out of Wings. Homer: You idiot! He was the most talented one! Also, did you know when The Who were on The Simpsons, Pete Townshend's voice was actually done by his brother Simon Townshend? That's why in the credits they don't list them seperatley like they always do for bands. I don't know why Pete didn't do his voice though.

Hello DTMX from one Family Guy fan to another. Can't wait for new episodes, but no until May 2005 or so I've heard. If Lennon were still alive, I think a Beatles reunion would've happened on The Simpsons. That would've been great.

It's believed Blue Corpse is about their breakup & that came out in 1987. So she's probably spinkled throughout until them (Mmmmm...sprinkles.) I chuckled at your post Chaney. Wasn't Poltergeist out that same summer? I wonder if he goes to movies that are lighter than his songs or just as dark. Hey JohnB, what did you order from Corwood? The first 20? Hey Clementine, what albums do you have? And in another Simpsons reference; when I occasionaly yell JANDEK! with my wife around, she said, "It sounds like Grampa Simpson." So now, I try to imitate him as I say it. Instead of The Matlock Expressway, it's the Jandek Expressway. JAAAAAANDEEEEEEK! (With the way it writes out, it looks like Ren Hoack is saying it, "Jandek, you bloated sack of protoplasm!") Sorry Chaney, I can't help but to keep plowing through & reviewing quickly. My next post I'll recap the first 5 with having listened to them all again (yeah I don't have much to do either).

Well after a great album, it's always possible to put out a clunker. Living In A Moon So Blue is just that. Shorter songs, but also light on lyrics. Felt extremely improvised. I felt before he may have had the lyrics written out and improvised their placement, but this whole album has that feel. It's not bad (how could it get any worse? ), but it's lacking coming after Chair Beside A Window. It's all acoustic, all same tuning, etc. Some songs he really stretches the vocal which is what I find interesting about the album. But particular songs don't stand out as much, althought a couple come to mind: She Fell Down lyrically sounds like a literal memory of a simple incident, and the most intersting song musically is the last one, Crime Pays. Most percussive. Also the second song, One Step Ahead is an instrumental which I'm surprised he would do considering the lack of chords. Oh yes and one song, I think Supression, he actually PUTS HIS HAND ON THE FRETBOARD!!! It's o.k. Will take more listenings to connect with.

I just listened again to Jessica from Later On and are you talking about the sound you hear while he sings? Someone on the Jandek site mentioned maybe he ran these old albums through some software where this can happen. It doesn't sound backwards, it just appears in the frequencies he sings in. Someone else said it sounded watery, which is what I hear. The songs I've listened to more than once I'm starting to really love. I may have to relisten to #1 & 2 again. Maybe we should recap every 5 albums and compare growth from set to set. Who knows how long it'll be until we both (and John) can order the next box of 20 when his 40th album comes out.

After listening to Chair Beside A Window and a nap, I'm back. I would call this album his first great album. I think by Chaney listing each song that you might feel the same way. Down In The Mirror has I think some of the best lyrics for the tuning he's using. Very spooky! European Jewel with drums & bass sounds like The Velvet Underground's offspring forming a band; by which I mean I like it a lot, especially the tension building quiet then loud ending. I agree with you 100% on Unconditional Authority. Not much lyrically, but the energy of his playing makes up for that. I wonder if that's a universal; the song may not be good, but if the delivery if sincere, that counts more. You Think You Know How To Score I liked and the harmonica wasn't blaring in that one. Nancy Sings is fantastic. I like the etherial voice. It made me pay attention to the lyrics. I think he had those lyrics and heard a female voice singing them. They are really good. No Break is the throwaway B-side to Nancy Sings, but I still like that one also. Mostly All From You, yeah that simple lyric works great. I think by now he's made simple, repeating lyrics work for him. I bet the title of Blue Blister is because that's what he got from playing it. He's using his fingers & pulling at the strings really hard and again, I like that. I didn't hear what you heard in The First End. I listened again after reading your post & didn't hear it, but I realized I loved the song. There's a couple of lines in Love, Love that jumped out at me that go something like: Use your talents/Don't bury them in the ground I wondered if he was talking to himself as he almost gave up music until Chusid came along. You mention his foot tapping-yes that's another thing about Down In A Mirror that makes it so great for me, but on any song it works. I think it all comes together for him on this album for the first time.

Yeah John, that will be great to have 3 opinions going 'round. I think I'll be moving quite fast through them as my excitment in listening & posting about them has had me awake since a little after 5AM. You still awake Chaney? My wife is up so time to listen to #4: Chair Beside A Window.

Saturday Night Live reference. Sorry if I threw ya. I started as a drummer so that's how everything filters through my ears; as rhythm (how the hell do you spell that word?). That's why Later On grabbed my attention. Chaney, do you live with anybody else or are you free to blare Jandek at your whim?

Wow, that's the first I've heard of a box for the post Jack Johnson period. Wonder what made them change their minds? ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$) They kind of dropped the ball now, because the only era not represented in a box like these is the Mobley line up. It would've been about 6 cds with Someday My Prince Will Come, Complete Blackhawk & Carnegie Hall. Maybe they'll "rethink" that one too. I'd buy it but the number on the box would be, what, 1.5?

You're kidding. Well, here's where it gets interesting. I just listened to Later On and liked the percussiveness in his playing. It still sounds like the same tuning though, but he's playing all the strings rather than picking them one at a time. It sounds like he loosened up too, even more confident. I liked Your Condition from the get go. I agree about some of the songs's lyrics though & I felt Just Whisper & Oh Jenny were the worst offenders. Don't Know If I Care is pretty griping lyrically. And to top it off, I have a song on a work in progress tape that has the exact same intro as The Second End. Aside from some weak lyrics, the harmonica that turns up is WWWWAAAAYYYYYY too loud! It made my cats uncomfortable. My wife got to hear this album & said it sounds like make-out music (?!?). I completely disagreed & she said it in reference to his intensity rather than the songs per se. I had no comment on that. I was also surprised how many future album titles came from the first 2 records. Rebuttal? (Jane, you ignorant slut...)

I almost forgot that, yes, I felt right on the first song that his playing was more confident even though he was playing the same chord in the same way. His lyrics? I didn't get much sleep last night so as I listened I became hypontized by the whole sound and wasn't paying as close attention. What I did catch did seem more deep or introspective or dwelling. One thing I will mention from the documentary from the interview at the end, he says that, yes, he does tune his guitar. It's intentional! I believe on the Seth Tisue site, someone posted (in the archives) his tunings from the first 6 or 7 albums. His tuning changes on #3: Later On, which I am off to listen to now. I have to wonder what people think of this thread who've never heard of him. It's ironic how I don't like Monk's 60's stuff because it's the same, but Jandek first two albums are identical in tuning and I have no problem with it. I think it's because I expected it. I also love The Ramones, but that one took a decade before it clicked.

So I've listened to the first two. Out of 18 songs, 17 are in the same tuning. You can read that over & over & not grasp it until you sit through it. Quite hypnotizing. What's interesting is that because it's so stripped down (he's got his own untuned tuning and doesn't fret the neck, AT ALL! for the uninitated), you notice any little variation. Not until the 7th song on the first album (Cave In On You on Ready For The House), the tempo gets faster after being so spacious. They Told Me About You is notable for the fact he plays some lower strings. He loves his B & E strings which are tuned to the same note but aren't in tune with each other and he HANGS on that. European Jewel (Incomplete) is a nice break in that his guitar (electric this time, all others acoustic), is tuned to a mostly in tune E chord. I love the cut off of this song, it's perfect. The second album (Six & Six) is all in the same tuning again and all acoustic. He gets violent with his playing on Wild Strawberries intro & outro. I also like when he speaks a bit as in Delinquent Words. He normally HANGS on words also, making his sound as about uncomfortable as possible. Recommended for the entire family.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........i got 'em chaney.........AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You're not too far from the truth Chaney. My wife liked his music, but pokes fun at me for my excitment over hearing him & talking to him. A usual line after getting off any telephone call, "Who was that, your boyfriend, Jandek?" Then I'll say "No...JANDEK, WHERE ARE YOU???", much to my merriment.

You won't believe this, within the last week, Amazon has added Jandek cds. 13 right now for $8.98 ea. The next documentary will be called Jandek on Amazon!

Bart: What's Gabbo? Homer: I figure it's some guy's name...some guy named Gabbo.

Not yet. It'll be 2 weeks on Thursday. I've stopped anticipating it every day as I get pissed when it doesn't show. JANDEK, WHERE ARE YOU?????

Yeah, though he does tend to throw a sarcastic barb or discription into most chapters, it's nothing like the Jandek chapter. He does admit he just doesn't get it though, but it doesn't make the subject matter look any less idiotic sounding. I would think that if the right person read that first, they would STILL be intrigued enough to check out something of his. (I've never typed the word intrigued as much as I have in this thread).

Unknown Legends of Rock & Roll looks interesting also. God Jandek Chaney! It didn't come today either. Now I have to wait until Monday. Did yours come via post office or UPS?

I just finished Songs In The Key Of Z. Very interesting, the whole thing, not just the Jandek chapter. There's a guy who wrote for the Stan Kenton orchestra that has a chapter, I forget the name, long last name, The Shaggs, Daniel Johnston, Tiny Tim, Wild Man Fischer.