John B Posted June 30, 2005 Report Posted June 30, 2005 You Walk Alone I pretty much agree with you on this one, Dave, but it sounds as though you're quite a bit more enthusiastic over it than I am. Actually, reading your review, it sounds like we're on the same page until you write, This is another great album. Can't agree that it's a great album; lots of nice guitar work and sometimes effective drumming, when it's not being simply intrusive. (Jandek on drums works when he's either buried in the mix or simply accenting and not attempting to drive the music forward. Honestly, he plays as if he were drunk. DWI: Drumming While Intoxicated. Standout tune: When the Telephone Melts. Nice that this tune, as compared to the others, is less lyrically opaque. Not that the others are bad; often fascinating but I find myself missing the more straightforward storytelling. This would be an easy one to recommend to a Jandek beginner as it's all fairly accessible / conventional. That, though, could also spell dull. ← I'm going to revise my earlier assessment of this disc a bit. I still enjoy it, but wouldn't rate it quite as highly as I did. It is accessible, and would make an easy intoduction to Jandek, but I'm not sure it would make a good introduction. I think there are other, stronger albums that are just as accessible as this one that I would recommend first. That being said, I dig the VU / surf-style guitar. The drums are getting to be more palatable to my ears as I get more experience with Jandek's discography, but I'm still not crazy about them and think they appear on more tracks than they should. I'd definitely recommend You Walk Alone, but I don't know that I would call it "essential." I'll have to come back to this one, as I'm a bit mixed on my estimation for it right now. Quote
dave9199 Posted June 30, 2005 Author Report Posted June 30, 2005 Hey, I revised my opinion of On The Way. I agree with both of you, but You Walk Alone is one of his best and accecible though best doesn't mean accecible and visa versa. Quote
John B Posted July 6, 2005 Report Posted July 6, 2005 Modern Dances Well said Dave. I agree with your assessment -- especially as to Modern Dances being fun. That being said, I don't think I'd recommend this one to those new to Jandek; lots of improvising, and these folks really aren't pros when it comes to improv. Sounds like Jandek and friends got together for some fun, the tape was rolling and the resultant musical hijinks were released to us hapless listeners. If I'm not mistaken, there's another male voice at certain points. Sounds a bit effeminate? Persnickity? ← Again I agree with Chaney and Dave 100%. Modern Dances sounds like a patchwork album to me. A collection of tracks, recorded at various times, with various combinations of friends helping out. (I agree that there is a second male voice on a few tracks.) That being said, it doesn't hold together very well as an album and the general level of inspiration is fairly low. Anyone who delves deeply into the Jandek catalog should grab a copy of this one at some point, as it is humorous and has some points of interest, but it is definitely not essential and definitely not one of the first discs I would recommend to someone starting to explore the work of Jandek. I wonder if this album was recorded so "hot" intentionally? Perhaps to make the songs sound more aggresive? Or was it just ineptness with some new recording equipment? Quote
John B Posted July 11, 2005 Report Posted July 11, 2005 Follow Your Footsteps, album # 13... I've mentioned almost every song from this album and when I do that, you know I think it's a great album. Again a mix of acoustic and electric with 2 (or more!) very touching songs and some instrumentals to add to the quirk factor. The lesser songs don't take away at all from the overall quality of this album. Great! Follow Your Footsteps I like this one but probably less so than you, Dave. Nice playing by the guest guitarist but I have to wonder if that type of musicianship is best NOT found on a Jandek album, at least not at this point in Sterl’s career. (I’m thinking of the 2004 live set and just how good that trio worked together.) While our guest is clearly a more polished player than Jandek, he’s also much less interesting. ← I'm not quite ready to post my full thoughts on this one yet, as it is taking some time to sink in. My first impression is that this album is pleasant, but slight. I'm not finding too much to grab onto here. It doesn't sound, to my ears, that Jandek was very involved during the recording of this disc. It sounds like he sat back and let the other contributors take the lead which stops this album from having that essential "Jandek" sound that I look for when I grab one of his discs. My interim review: pleasant, but not essential. Quote
dave9199 Posted July 11, 2005 Author Report Posted July 11, 2005 I stand by my review of Follow Your Footsteps: one of his best. Part of the reason is because other people play with him. I'm enjoying your reviews John. Chaney, where's your One Foot In The North review? Quote
John B Posted July 12, 2005 Report Posted July 12, 2005 I stand by my review of Follow Your Footsteps: one of his best. Part of the reason is because other people play with him. ← I think this is one of the reasons I'm having trouble with this disc. Unlike Glasgow Sunday, where the two other musicians fill roles in the background, supporting Jandek, the earlier collaborations seem, to my ears, to work in the opposite way. Jandek moves to the back, allowing the collaborators to dominate and lead the proceedings. Perhaps if I get past this aversion I'll revise my opinion of FYF. Quote
dave9199 Posted July 12, 2005 Author Report Posted July 12, 2005 Blue Corpse & You Walk Alone are both like that & a lot of fans site these as favorites. It allows more musicality (?) and melody plus interaction which would change anyone's sound who's been playing solo before that. Quote
Guest Posted July 16, 2005 Report Posted July 16, 2005 (edited) '... what makes 'Glasgow sunday' such an important document is less to do with how it relates to Smith's personal mythos and more how it inaugurates a group that already look to be one of the most formelly inventive units of the modern age. Between them, the trio of Smith on guitar and vocals, bassist Richard Youngs and drummer Alex Nielson have birthed a free music with an internal dynamic and shared musical language as singular and historically unparalleled as late 20th century behemoths like Albert Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' trio, Keiji Haino's 'Fushitsusha', Harry Pussy and Musica Transonic.' 'As every Jandek project, 'Glasgow Sunday' feels like an extended investigation into a single colour or state, both emotionally, lyrically and sonically. Each track draws its deepest structure from archetypal blues forms, with vocal lulls alternating with extended chord and emphatic rhythms. Like the late Albert Ayler, Jandek has a way of hijacking the basest/purest of folk forms and extrapolating them into the heavens - or in this case, personnal hells'. The Wire - July 2005 (extracts) - (About the album) Edited July 16, 2005 by phasme Quote
ghost of miles Posted July 16, 2005 Report Posted July 16, 2005 I also ordered the book Songs In The Key of Z which has a chapter on him in it. ← An adaptation of this chapter is online. Apologies if it's already been posted. Quote
John B Posted July 18, 2005 Report Posted July 18, 2005 (edited) For today's work-time listening pleasure I brought in Ready for the House. If I had to choose one disc to be someone's initial exposure to Jandek this would be it. No co-conspirators, no possible exposure to hype, mythology or analysis that can affect ones impression of the later albums, this is pure, unadulterated Jandek. The essence of Jandek, if you will. The playing is incompetent, yet perfect. The lyrics are non-sensical yet deep. The mood is lonely, dark and disturbing yet, at least for me, inviting, with a glimmer of hope buried in the mix. Seriously, this disc is as "accesible" as any Jandek disc. If someone can't get their head around this disc and appreciate its beauties, there would be no point in exploring the catalog any further as Jandek is not for them. Essential. Edited July 18, 2005 by John B Quote
dave9199 Posted July 20, 2005 Author Report Posted July 20, 2005 A new studio album is out, Raining Down Diamonds. I ordered this and Glasgow Sunday yesterday. Quote
John B Posted July 20, 2005 Report Posted July 20, 2005 The cover image looks like Will Ferrel imitating Jandek. I like Seth Tissue's comment: "Cover photo is really blurry and appears to depict Jandek on his last pilgrimage to Mecca. " Voice and bass? I'll wait for Dave's comments before adding this one to my next order of 20. Quote
John B Posted July 20, 2005 Report Posted July 20, 2005 Between them, the trio of Smith on guitar and vocals, bassist Richard Youngs and drummer Alex Nielson have birthed a free music with an internal dynamic and shared musical language as singular and historically unparalleled as late 20th century behemoths like Albert Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' trio, Keiji Haino's 'Fushitsusha', Harry Pussy and Musica Transonic.' The Wire - July 2005 (extracts) - (About the album) ← I like the album but this seems a bit over the top to me. Quote
dave9199 Posted July 21, 2005 Author Report Posted July 21, 2005 The cover image looks like Will Ferrel imitating Jandek. I like Seth Tissue's comment: "Cover photo is really blurry and appears to depict Jandek on his last pilgrimage to Mecca. " Voice and bass? I'll wait for Dave's comments before adding this one to my next order of 20. ← I'm curious myself as the other 2 bass albums were during my least liked batch of albums. And with reports that Glasgow Sunday is very different from those only adds to that. I think that's what I'll do with the buying of future releases is wait for 2 albums to come out before I order each time. I can't wait for #41-60 to come out just to save some $. Although if he keeps up at this rate, that might be in about 5 years...nah, I don't want to wait. Quote
Guest Posted July 22, 2005 Report Posted July 22, 2005 Voice + bass - like 'The gone wait' ? I like very much this one. But is it really bass ? Or 'something' else ? Quote
dave9199 Posted July 23, 2005 Author Report Posted July 23, 2005 Jandek is playing 3 live shows in the US. Amazing. Quote
John B Posted July 23, 2005 Report Posted July 23, 2005 Jandek is playing 3 live shows in the US. Amazing. ← Road trip! Quote
John B Posted July 28, 2005 Report Posted July 28, 2005 Six and Six is my choice for today's Jandekian whimsy. I've read a good deal of commentary questioning if Jandek is releasing his albums chronologically, as they are recorded, or if many of them were recorded around the same time and are being released at later dates. Listening to Six and Six, which was released three years after Ready for the House, puts me firmly into the first camp. This disc is similar to RFTH, but is also deeper, darker, and more confident than the first album. It is also not as interesting, as the album does come across as somewhat formulaic. Jandek has found a "formula" and doesn't stray too far afield. However, anyone who labels Six and Six as "more of the same" from Ready for the House, is only listening at the most superficial level and is not making any attempt to hear these albums for what they are, rather than focusing on their "quirkiness" or "mythology." Just like Ready for the House, this is a disc you really should pick up if you are interested in listening to Jandek. Perhaps not as much fun as some other discs, I'd call this one formative and an essential stepping stone in Jandek's development. It also has the benefit of the quintessential Jandek album cover. Quote
John B Posted July 28, 2005 Report Posted July 28, 2005 Jandek will be going the avant-jazz route in NYC. The (rumored) backing band will be Chris Corsano on drums and Matt Heyner (Test, No Neck Blues Band) on bass. Funny Rat meets Jandek! Quote
dave9199 Posted July 29, 2005 Author Report Posted July 29, 2005 Speaking of Funny Rat, when will Chaney post in this thread? Quote
WD45 Posted July 29, 2005 Report Posted July 29, 2005 Tickets for the Austin performance go on sale tomorrow for $27. It seems a little less special with the guy touring, now. Not that it is bad, or that he is selling out or anything. But to go that many years with NOTHING at all but the records to selling $27 concert tix takes something away from the whole mystique. I will say, that it is a selfish mystique, however. More power to Mr. Sterling Smith... Quote
J.A.W. Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 Speaking of Funny Rat, when will Chaney post in this thread? ← Tony ("Chaney") is taking a break from posting. Quote
John B Posted July 30, 2005 Report Posted July 30, 2005 It seems a little less special with the guy touring, now. Not that it is bad, or that he is selling out or anything. But to go that many years with NOTHING at all but the records to selling $27 concert tix takes something away from the whole mystique. ← If I had to guess it's probably nothing more than his finally retiring / semi-retiring from whatever job paid the bills and funded all of these albums and deciding to get out a bit more in his spare time. Quote
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