Later On

Jandek album #3, Later On. Released in 1981.

Before today's jandek review, I have two references to make:

1. Negativland and today's date: E-leven. E-leven. It's not even funny.

2. Zappa reference to today's Jandek album title from "Jazz Discharge Party Hats": Later ON - they discovered, this would make a great way of LIFE for them...

Thank you. Now, back to our regularly scheduled Jandek review.

With this album, Jandek gets up and does something with more power than the C battery dim melancholy that the first two albums were cloaked in. Right away, on "Your Condition", he's moaning and rocking out, meditating on the the title, going "yorcun-dishun, yorcun-dishun..." and has discovered the harmonica, which he actually seems to know how to play. The guitar's still out of tune and will probably continue to be until the end of time, so let it be that way. He's also grabbing the guitar neck and muting strings for percussion, so Jandek's music, as well as his lyrics, move in a new direction. Songs actually change moods so it sounds like other songs rather than one long song divided by short silences. On the last track, "The Second End", lots of strumming up and down the strings close to the bridge. Introspective minimalism, and lots of it.

Once again I have a vinyl copy of this album to compare, and this one hasn't been messed around with too much, just a reduction of tape hiss and lots of reverb.

And speaking of Jandek,
The DVD of the movie JANDEK ON CORWOOD arrived in the mail. I watched moist of it last night, and will continue to watch bits of it as I continue into this odyssey of musical murkiness. I'll have more to say about this movie after November 24th, when it should be for sale in the regular marketplace.