Jandek
 

could someone advise as to which of his many discs might be the best choice for an unclued head looking for a way in?

honestly, any of them.

i've heard about 6 of them, and they pretty much followed the same kind of structure.. horribly out of tune randomly-played guitar with creepy suicidal murmurings. strangely compelling. production makes it sound like it was recorded in a coffin.

i'd rather not advise you because there is a small element of surprise in his releases. some have a female vocalist, some have drums, some have electric guitar instead of acoustic. but it's all pretty fucking creepy..

sounds awesome...
might pick up the DVD of him live in Glasgow...

my 2 favs are interstellar discussion (mid 80's) and his first album ready for the house ('78). interstellar is heavy, really dark abrasive blues with complete band (member, members questionable) while ready for the house is more open, loose avant-blues. i honestly would never say go pick up one jandek album because they are all pretty varied. there are vocal only albums, some solo piano... etc. his catalogue is very uneven, but if you get into him your into him in ways that are going to haunt you the rest of your life...

The problem is with finding a 'way in' is that Jandek is pretty much the antithesis to easily accesible music. I would say the live shows or the Glasgow DVD you could give a miss to... Something like Nancy sings is probably slightly less intimidating than a lot of it. He is unbelievably difficult, more so than a lot of things... but once you get into it, it's well worth it.

I've said before, but I'm sure no-one pays attention/ cares - I saw Jandek in Newcastle last year (the second-ever live show) and I absolutely hated it. Thought it was the worst thing I'd ever seen. He really got under my skin in a bad way. So I started to become a bit obsessed... I've never been made so angry by any music before. And so I listened to loads of his albums. And slowly he grew on me. Outsider music at its most... erm... outsidish.

I only have Glasgow Sunday and it doesn't really turn me on all that much. It's not like I have a majorly adverse reaction to it...that one doesn't sounds all that dfficult to me. I just never really feel the desire to play it that often.

only heard snippets of jandek. the stuff i heard was great so i need to get some more stuff as well.

i'd say ready for the house, telegram melts or blue corpse might be good from the early ones. lost cause has a great 19-minute track "the electric end". but i don't think you can "get" jandek just by getting one album, you must get plenty of them, and they're cheap.

i've seen him once, when he was playing in helsinki last year, it was just an hour of instrumental piano playing, with a harpist backing him, totally weird but somehow very impressing.

the descriptions of him i have heard have left me utterly intrigued...

i've heard a few songs by him and liked them all a lot, but i saw him play live and it was boring as fuck

Blue Corpse is widely regarded as a good starting place. I think it's very easy to listen to.
Im very interested in the guy himself. I been meaning to pick up that documentary Jandek on Cornwood. Anyone seen it?

i only have "telegraph melts": there are songs i find fantastic (like "you painted your teeth"), and others I just cannot get into for the moment... In any case, I want to hear more from him.

Jandek
 

Hey what's up? My favorite Jandek records are I think one called the living end or something? there's a song called take a message to the clerk which is very inspirational. I also like "you walk alone" .. which is a very loose blues record... the other side of life... etc.... lost cause is good ... with the penultimate track called "the electric end" ... one of the best early 90's skronk jams... alongside the dead c's power from clyma est mort...

I got the Jandek DVD. Couldn't quite figure out what to make of it at first. I kind of dug it but also found it a bit frustrating. Kind of similar to the first time I heard A Thousand Leaves, my first SY LP. Watched it again last night and it's really starting to make sense. I especially like his vocal stylings.

You Walk Alone and Modern Dances are both amazing!
I found Jandek On Corwood on soulseek, pretty darn good film

im on the hunt at the mo for a jandek fan compilation called jandek for dummies. its about but cant find it at the mo......

2nd or 3rd post down...

http://grownupallwrong.blogspot.com/

i like

havent checked that blog in ages.. thank you!

I spent a looong time making this just because Im bored. Maybe someone can get some use out of it

I want to get into Jandek... but right now I'm poor, and I wouldn't know where to start.

i have the jandek for dummies compilation on soulseek. my username is threads

That's funny! Jandek's speaking voice sounds like Thurston on the interviews off of Jandek On Corwood (the film)

I'd start early, probably with Ready for the House or another of the first few l.p.s. That's the essential Jandek solo phase. Of course, the middle period with Nancy singing and the drummer is a whole 'nother thing, and that's probably my favorite phase. I'd suggest checking out Seth Tissue's incredibly comprehensive site to learn anything and everything about Jandek.

So far I've only listened to Glasgow Sunday and Newcastle Sunday. Glasgow Sunday was a disappointment for me because at some point every track sounded exactly the same which was pretty boring. The second one is much better.

My favourites: Interstellar Disscussion, and Lost Cause.

Wow. interesting. But it's definitely not him

yeah, i agree. but interesting idea... what if he'd do something like that?

I would love to see it! Simon, and the other two wouldn't even know what to say!

Awesome.

I got to see him live in Portland this past summer, and he was fucking awesome. He obviously hasn't been not doing shows for all those years because he couldn't. He was in complete control, and the songs were seemingly brand new for the occasion, and as good as anything I'd heard before. I think he probably has been playing in some other type of group, maybe a blues band or something, in Texas under some other name. I'd go see him again at the drop of a hat and pay whatever it cost.

Thats quite helpful, Thanks.

I've got Six and Six on Soulseek: the bulbous one.

My exposure to Jandek is limited to Six and Six, Modern Dances, and the DVD and from what I remember of the DVD, his early period is the most intriguing.

i used to see people on soulseek all the time who shared nothing but jandek. weird..