Jandek

[John B]

and the jandek news just keeps on coming... a second Jandek tribut albums is being released in April:

http://www.summerstepsrecords.com/news.html

Down In A Mirror - A Second Tribute To Jandek

Track listing:

1. "Crack A Smile" - Jeff Tweedy

2. "You Painted Your Teeth" - Live Show Rabbits

3. "The Dunes" - Eric Gaffney

4. "Your Other Man" - Okkervil River

5 "Message To The Clerk" - Brother JT

6. "I'll Sit Alone And Think About You" - Six Organs Of Admittance

7. "Cave In On You / European Jewel (Incomplete)" - Home For The Def

8. "Down In Mirror" - The Marshmallow Staircase

9. "White Box" - The Mountain Goats

10. "Aimless Breeze" - George Parsons

11. "Nancy Sings" - Lewis and Clarke

12. "Naked In The Afternoon"- Jack Norton

13. "Sung" - Rivulets

14. "Babe I Love You" - Kawabata Makoto

15. "The Spirit" - Wayside Drive

16. ";Just Die"; - A Real Knife Head

17. "Van Ness Mission" - Ross Beach

18. "I Found The Right Change" - Multi Panel

19. "Babe I Love You"- Dan Melchior

20. "You Painted Your Teeth" - Pothole Skinny

21. "With U Icon (An Homage) - Dirty Projectors

Edited February 25, 2005 by John B

[dave9199]

I was betting #40 would be the live show. I wonder when it'll be out. Maybe all the internet trading pushed it back, but I figured he released albums in order. Maybe he hasn't gotten to it yet. Are you saving your $80 Chaney? Have you listened to the rest of them (not for review, just to hear them)?

Edited February 26, 2005 by dave9199

[dave9199]

Hey Chaney, I got to talk with a rep from Corwood a couple of days ago. I asked if #40 was out & he said within a week. He said I could order the 2nd 20 & if #40 wasn't ready when he got my order, he'd send it to me when it arrives. He's such a groovy guy!

[Guest Chaney]

You and that rep from Corwood. Best buds!

Actually, a while back I ordered 21 through 39 + an additional copy of release #39. All are now lined up on my shelf, just waiting to be unwrapped.

I've been listening to On The Way and The Living End but, as I've yet to hear either on my home system, I hesitate to voice an opinion. (Both sound good on my crappy office system an in my car. I really like to take Jandek along for the ride.)

[dave9199]

What did you do with the extra #39?

[Guest Chaney]

What did you do with the extra #39?

Sent it to a friend. (I'm SUCH a nice guy. )

[dave9199]

Hey Chaney, just read a post on the Jandek list from someone who talked to Sterling Smith & he said there's one more cd coming out (#41) and then the live one will come out on cd & dvd.

[John B]

Have either of you ever seen this?

One of the most bizarre (and pointless) Jandek related sites I have come across.

Oh, and once my tax refund comes in, I'm buying my box of 20 discs. About time, no?

Edited March 14, 2005 by John B

[dave9199]

Are you sure you want to do that? Have you heard enough of his stuff for that kind of comittment? Jim Dye split a box of 20 with someone and while intrigued by the Jandek myth, said in a PM to me that he just couldn't get into it. I'd be happy to make you a sampler from the first 20 cds (which I just sent out a handful on a Guided By Voices board). PM me if you want one (or anyone else who reads this). It's just you really should know about his style before you jump in because it is NOT for everybody (and I'm a fan saying this!)

[John B]

I just edited my above post to read a box of 20, not 40.

Thanks for the offer but, due to the kindness of a friend, I have had a chance to hear several Jandek albums recently. While not something I would choose to listen to regularly, I have enough interest to buy a box of 20.

There is no way I'll be able to match you and Chaney for commentary, but I'll post my thoughts as I explore.

[dave9199]

Yes, please post. I think Chaney's lost interest.

[Guest Chaney]

Hey Chaney, just read a post on the Jandek list from someone who talked to Sterling Smith & he said there's one more cd coming out (#41) and then the live one will come out on cd & dvd.

Can't wait to see that DVD. Imagine: The Main In Motion!

Have either of you ever seen this?

One of the most bizarre (and pointless) Jandek related sites I have come across.

Pointless? I share three of my very private Jandek fantasies and all you can offer is ridicule?

:rsmile:

Yes, please post. I think Chaney's lost interest.

Not necessarily so. I'm just buried under other CDs I've bought and I'm

v

e

r

y

slowly working my way through them.

[dave9199]

Got my 2nd box o' 20 today. #40 will be sent later. Yee-haw!

[John B]

time to start looking into cheap airfare:

"Jandek is playing at the 'Sage' in Newcastle on Sunday the 22nd of May"

[dave9199]

I didn't see it listed on their site, but if true, this will be the first show which was advertised beforehand. From his 2 most recent albums, it sounds like he's in love. Maybe that or turning 60 this year is bringing him outside of his house & telling people about it. Great time to be a Jandek fan...or at least a Representative From Corwood fan.

Edited March 26, 2005 by dave9199

[John B]

Not officially announced yet. There was a brief mention in the Wire, but this is definitely still a rumor at this point.

[dave9199]

I'll be posting my reviews of the 2nd 20 soon...if anyone wants to chime in with their reviews, that would be great. I'm talking to you Chaney!

[John B]

When I Took That Train

"Just heard about the gig - I might even make it to this one.

The new cd arrived today - the 40th album if I'm not mistaken. The

cover features you-know-who standing on a corner in a European city on

a rainy day. I'd guess it's London - you can see a red double-decker

bus and what looks like a London Underground sign. The old buildings

look very distinctive, so the location should be easily identified.

The man himself is bearded, wearing a light brown suit and a black

hat. He's quite a way back from the camera, so I get the sense that

the picture was taken by a companion rather than by a passer-by on

request. The first cover featuring Jandek in an identifiable location,

and also the first to feature other people (distant) in the

background. Musically the album is very similar to the last one (shock

horror), featuring acoustic guitar throughout all 11 songs. Lyrically,

it's pretty much a sequel to The Door Behind, apparently dealing with

the same relationship, which seems to be going well. He's as obsessive

and intense about it as always, but mentions that he's been around

enough to be able to take it if the relationship ended. Though the

mood is positive and even ecstatic, the delivery is often disturbing,

as usual partly because of the intimate nature of the material. Much

of the lyrics seem to be spontaneous, and on a few songs in the middle

of the album he repeatedly babbles long, repetitive lines until he

runs out of breath. The last few songs - Angel Moves, Thing Called

Me, and My Escape, introduce more opaque imagery. Thing Called Me in

particular is one of his odd metaphysical numbers, in which he sings

of having existed for 6 million years... another head-scratcher,

folks! On first hearing I didn't notice the album title appearing in

the lyrics."

[John B]

more live Jandek info:

http://www.musicloversfieldcompanion.org/

May 22d in England

[Guest Chaney]

OH BOY!

Did I read somewhere that the hall in which Jandek will be playing has all of 400 seats? Sure to be a sellout, I'd guess.

Wonder if this one will be recorded, both by fans and Jandek.

[dave9199]

Well, hello again. It's time for the continuing story of Jandek. Album #21, Lost Cause. The cover is possibly the youngest picture of Sterling Smith (Chair Beside A Window #4 is also a possibility). A lot of people think the cover of Six & Six (#2) was taken in a photo booth, but I think they were taken in front of the same curtains also on this cover. The title of the album comes from the song Lost Cause on Foreign Keys (#11). Let's get to the music.

This is a great album. It continues with someone else playing guitar (Eddie?, who knows) and Jandek on vocals. Green & Yellow is a slow bluesy song and moves really nice with a minimum of chords (just 2) with Jandek vocally subdued on it. I never expected to see a Jandek song called Babe I Love You, but there you go. Reminds me strongly of the Syd Barrett song Here I Go from The Madcap Laughs. I-IV-V chords, but stays on the I & IV mostly. A song you might be able to play all the way through without someone getting a chill down their spine. The short Cellar moves along in a jaunty fashion (I never thought I'd write jaunty) with the chords being picked a note at a time. How Many Places switches to a minor Jethro Tull-ish feel and everything is still nice & mellow. Crack A Smile is another minor key song with Jandek holding notes that tend to crack upward (no pun intended). The odd thing about this one is the guitar finishes and starts tuning while Jandek still sings for another minute. It's here that the album shifts quite suddenly. God Came Between Us goes back to the Jandek you know & love. Solitary, out of tune guitar & off kilter singing & yeah, I still like it. Mike stand used as slide at the end; nice touch. Just to show how a title shouldn't lead you to expect a certain sound, we already had Babe I Love You. This time it's I Love You Now It's True, but the guitar is the same playing style as the previous one.

The last song is the coup de grace. The Electric End is 19:39 of random guitars, microphone feedback (you know, the really squealy kind) & Jandek on drums & yelping. It's definitely not an easy listen, but I like Coltrane's album Om so it's not too far away from that. The only annoying thing, for me, is the feedback. Now I love feedback, but for the last 14 or so minutes of this is someone shaking a mike in front of an amp. The only good thing about that is it's panned to one speaker along with the drums so I could listen to just the two guitars intertwining which gets drowned out by the feedback. At 18:30, for the first time, everyone drops out except a guitar playing random notes. It could've ended there, but Jandek isn't having any of that. He slowly brings everyone back in just in time for the tape to run out. This, until his live show in 2004, was the last time he played with electric instruments, though recently he's been using an electro-acoustic guitar. He does play with someone else on a future album, but otherwise from here on in, he's completely solo.

Edited March 30, 2005 by dave9199

[Peter Johnson]

Dave, I'm not Chaney and I've never listened to Jandek, but I completely love your reviews of the CD's and have immensely enjoyed watching your "getting to know" the artist. Your enthusiasm is infectious, the reviews are great, and I'm seriously considering hooking myself up with some of the records.

Keep it up!

[dave9199]

Thanks very much Peter. It's always nice to know someone is enjoying the reviews. I could send you a sampler if you like so you know what you'd be getting yourself into. PM me with your address if you want one.

Edited March 30, 2005 by dave9199

[dave9199]

Album #22 is called Twelfth Apostle. (Is twelfth spelled right? For some reason I didn't think there was an f in it). The first all solo Jandek album in a while finds him going back to the basics. He works into a dynamic on You're Not Even Alive of playing louder while singing then backing off in between lines. Native Land has an interesting line, "It's not my fault I live in a vault." Two-thirds through the album, the fast repeating reverb gets turned on for the guitar & vocals for a change in the albums sound. More ghostly when he plays quiet, but much louder when played harder. Whiskers approximates a sound akin to that title (that sentence is a keeper!). Guitar with slide and seemingly playful lyrics. He tends to put these at the end of the album to fill out the tape & they do help you come up for air at the end, though this album has one more song after it that goes back to the overall sound.

Y'know, I listen to these albums as I review them and while I like this one, it's hard to write anything about it because of the lack of change in it. I like it as a whole sound, but ask me to pick a song that sticks out, that's very hard. Whiskers is the only one that does that. I don't want to have a review that reads like a diary (e.g. He plays a high note here, this song he plays all open, my phone rang during this song, it was a wrong number). His albums get more & more static, but not just yet. There's still some great ones coming up as I listened to the 2nd 20 twice before writing any of this compared to listening & reviewing each one for the 1st 20.

If you want to describe Jandek in the terms of jazz, he plays nothing except blue notes.

[dave9199]

Due to the overwhelming response I've gotten since starting these reviews back up (2 in all), I've decided to keep reviewing.

Album #23 is called Graven Image. It starts with a short song called Remain The Same in which our hero speaks and slightly sings in a low key way that I don't recall hearing him do before. It's like a song-speak and only 1:36. The album works off of a Em type of tuning with lots of off center notes all over the place & it works really well. His lyrics feel very folky against this type of tuning. Ghost Town By The Sea revisits Point Judith (a real place in RI) from the album Six & Six (#2). The lyrics attempt the same discriptive ambience as the earlier song, but isn't as ghostly sounding as that one. My favorite song on the album is called A Real Number. It sounds like an accordion being played on this instrumental, but it also sounds like a small organ driven by air. I remember one like this at my house with a volume pedal. I'd go with that being played because of the volume dynamics at the end of the song. If this song proves anything, is that Jandek can play an instrument & is fully aware of melody & rhythm. The title is completely true. It's a great song and I wish there were more like it. It has a waltz feel and a simple melody line that brings to mind a happy oompah dance. The next song, Be Going Down, is played with a broken bluesy & percussive feel. Hardly any words, but I always like his percussive playing. Nothing You Lack is a fully realized song despite it's bizarre lyrics:

Nothing You Lack

Best that you forget me

Cause I talk too much

And all the like of such

All the time

Got a merciful mind

Is a streaking giraffe

Costing four cents a pound

If you lay on the ground

A monkey jumps on your back

Hey, there’s nothing you lack

Except a big red sack

To put your head in

And leave it there

For centuries to spit on

They scream from the mountains

I can’t hear your ear

There’s all in the way

Those movies are ugly

Janky is the fun song on the album with just vocal & harmonica:

Janky

Sure is clanky that hobnail Janky

Cleaning my boots in the pebbles and the sun

Along come Janky he sure is clanky

That Janky is clanky all the time

Clanky Janky, clanky Janky

Butter me up some bread right now

Don’t wanna be clanky but here comes Janky

Janky is clanky I’ll have you know

That Janky is clanky all the time

Clanky Janky

Clanky Janky

Phillip Was Mentioned has all of the elements of the album stacked on top of one another. There's the basic song & vocal, then overdubbed onto that is the accordion/organ from A Real Number playing something different and there is also a harmonica playing totally random. The main song ends and it leaves the accordion/organ & harmonica (I think played at the same time) to play out the last minute of the song. Quite a lot of info in one song. Closing uses a guitar phrase similar to Nothing You Lack but more thought out while he sings a melody that works really well with the riff being played. He then takes a few minutes to relate the trials & tribulations of fishing:

Fishing Blues

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve even got a song

But you can always sing the fishing blues

And all that time there ain’t no news

Just see how long that you can’t wait

When you don’t have no living bait

You’re washed ashore the sun is hot

Row back again to another spot

Throw your dead bait again

Ain’t caught no fish since don’t know when

Oh my God I got those fishing blues

Oh this ain’t no pleasure cruise

Row back again to sit and wait

And on the hook is my death bait

The beginning of Going Away My Darling makes you think your cd or the recording gets suddenly slowed down before you realize he's playing slide on his guitar. Because of the way his guitar is tuned, it's quite a melodic line used for the song which is fortunate since this is the longest song on the album at 5:13. The album ends with Going Away which is nothing like the last song. It reworks the Em ideas used throughout the album.

Graven Image has what Twelfth Apostle lacks, more fully realized songs. Jandek sounds more inspired on this one also. It's the first realization, post-electric and other musicians, that he has learned from that time and did incorporate a stronger sense of melody when playing solo. The tuning of his guitar on this one helped a great deal in making songs more melodic. This is another great album & though I didn't mention every song, it doesn't have any bad ones on it. This is a good one to get for solo Jandek that's not as abrasive as he can be.

Edited April 7, 2005 by dave9199