Jandek

Alas and alack.

It's turned into something more involved and interesting than I expected, and is definitely no longer trying to be an exact portrait like the earliest chapters try and be. Somewhere between fanfic and psychological study, eventually. Or so I hope.

I'll have to set aside some time to read your stuff, Ned...

1)

Jandek is a box of smoke. Open it and...*poof*.

did you call me a poof?

Twenty years ago I came across Jandek records and was naturally pretty miffed. Then I read some short article in Option, I believe. Seemed like an interesting oddity. Then lost touch with it. Then ran across that Jandek on Corwood film, which I thought managed to express both a sincere appreciation and still keep its wits about the situation. I thought Doug Wolk did a very good job balancing his analysis, as opposed to the Half Japanese movie The Band That Would Be King where Cosloy and Coley came off like pompous assclowns (OK, Byron you don't own any Beatle records, you're really cool) and Half Japanese sounded like a bad joke.

But then I read that Jandek was out performing and it seemed so wrong. As if the concept finally ran its course and was now something else that didn't quite work. I dunno. I'd be curious how others see it.

That's my longwinded way of asking: how do you feel about Jandek in 2007?

I saw a show, it was fair, but ultimately kind of boring (though I am very glad I went). But I have been listening to Manhattan Tuesday though and it sounds pretty nice.

McJandek.

I'm fucking greater than Jandek, and I can't play much either. Here's a whole album on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVfydUa-I78

I don't get Jandek.

But then I read that Jandek was out performing and it seemed so wrong. As if the concept finally ran its course and was now something else that didn't quite work. I dunno. I'd be curious how others see it.

I agree, it would've been much cooler if the man just had quit at some point and enter total obscurity (again) (not even reprinting sold out records)

"cooler"

surely you are also greater than jackson pollock and william carlos williams

don't sell yourself short

xxp

"cooler"

:)

I'm humble by nature.

so much depends
on my
wallowing in
internal
whimsy
I
again

is this ilm jandek street team day or somethuing?

Would be interesting doing track by track analysis with some of those albums,with snippets

Would definitely subscribe to the jandekcast patreon. Especially if elvis telecom made guest appearances.

At risk of liver damage, if our voices could make a Jandekcast work and worthy of the Rep - I'm in.

you need a separate podcast just for the LP covers. will never not be in awe of the countless non-chronological portraits captured of the rep throughout his life.

i think i could spend forever thinking about jandek.

I would 100% kickstart a moderately expensive coffee table/art book with good 12x12 reproductions of the original album covers

So one time the Rep from Corwood played a gig in Mankato, MN and his band featured some friends of mine so post-gig we end up at a little house party & the Rep himself was there, in all black, big hat, etc. And so obv no one is talking to him & it is all very awkward and weird, like this is a REALLY small place.

And we were kind of told by the host of the party that we probably shouldn't talk to him but one of my friends who I rode down with was like "we gotta talk to Jandek, but I don't know what to say" and my friend is not like a shy person at all but we were all a bit starstruck.

I decide, dude is from Texas, I know how to talk to someone from Texas, so I go up to him

"Hey, uh good show man"
Rep From Corward, totally stone faced: "..."
"Yeah...so, hey if I went to Houston where is the best place to get BBQ?"

At this point his eyes light up, he gets this little grin and sez: "huh, well I make the best BBQ in Texas" and from that point on I cannot get Jandek to shut up, we talk whiskey, hats, wild javelinas, BBQ, but anytime we even get close to music or anything he gets really quiet.

It was a weird night man, HBD weirdo

haha fucking brilliant. i feel like he's a normal bloke who doesn't want the spirits his house have given him. hank hill and the rep have a lot in common.

lmao that's an amazing story

perhaps it's just me but I really cooled on Jandek after that two-part interview in The Wire - like, I know he didn't actually say much but it was still kinda too much information

much preferred having a speculative relationship with the Jandek project

having said that the one time I saw him live (Melbourne, with David Keenan and Heather Leigh) was extraordinary

Was disappointed by the show I saw — he had an amazing band (Loren Mazzacane Connors, Matt Hecker, and Chris Corsano) but played synth and recited poetry all night instead of going improv noise-jam like you normally would if you had those three behind you. LMC got a couple of good solos off, though.

xp I'm pretty sure 90% of that interview was total BS

Saw three shows in the space of a week and were all very different from memory. Two Youngs/Neilsons bookended a Mick Flowers/Chris Corsano show which was probably the noisiest? Third show was most structured and had some definite angular/post punk tunes you could probably have hummed the tune to. One even had a dance routine of sorts, or at least defined arm waving.

Actually the thing I remember most is the Representative carrying around what seemed to be his musical wordly goods - lyrics sheets, song notes, strings - in a supermarket carrier bag that he held overly tightly.

I'm pretty sure 90% of that interview was total BS

BS as in it was deliberately trying to twist the tail of Wire-reading chins-strokers? Or BS as in made up?

Either way it was kind of a drag

completely made up, imo

he had an amazing band (Loren Mazzacane Connors, Matt Hecker, and Chris Corsano) but played synth and recited poetry all night instead of going improv noise-jam like you normally would if you had those three behind you.

this is the jandek way. he's not going to ride the wave, he's going to try to fuck it up and be alienating wherever possible. and recite poetry.

about to start marathon listening to entire corwood discography, one LP a week. groovy! who's in? ...anybody? ...

I'm in for a while, first 22 at least

I would be very down for a Jandek listening thread/discussion

I'm in

Jandek...the book.

Jandek New BOOK Release:

0127 The Rays Of Light That Did Not Illumine https://t.co/s2obsK93TT pic.twitter.com/SLwvEDCEIR

— Sheila Smith (@veganloca) May 17, 2021

I'm assuming poetry...but hoping for confessional autobiography.

Then it turns out it's just nothing but accounting figures.

"1990, good year."

Hoping for horror stories, expecting lyrics

hoping for political cartoons

given the title and shape I'm guessing LP cover photobook

friend of mine got it

20 page prose poem

only $10 on the website!

what does it mean when Jandek just sounds REALLY right to you? like, the planets are aligned and any album or live recording of his is just...right in your mental wheelhouse. all the chords and notes and riffs sound like the perfect way to play something. the singing and lyrics the perfect way to express life on earth.

it isn't always like this. by a long shot. should i call a doctor? or just roll with it while it lasts?

i mean this glasgow sunday live album right now is just hitting the spot in a big way. but i've been listening all morning and it just sounds righter and righter.

Just roll with it. That aphorism about everything finding an audience eventually is legitimate.

Too bad yr not in Los Angeles, Jandek is playing the Lodge Room tonight and there's still tickets available