Blue Corpse

Jandek album #15, Blue Corpse. Released in 1987.

This is the most recent Jandek album that I have a vinyl copy of to compare versions of. I have five others: Ready For The House, Six And Six, Later On, Nine Thirty, and Telegraph Melts. The CD re-mastering of all of these are poor in my opinion, and I have a standing offer for anyone who buys a copy of D.Verada's new album Cheese Sandwich through the mail (see the veebosonic link to the right). To prove that you already own a copy, photocopy the back of your jewel box of any of those CDs. Make it so I can see the name of the album, the song titles, the Corwood address and the bar code. Then send it to me along with your paid order. I will send you a copy of my vinyl rip on CD of the respective disc. Mind you, I will not send any Jandek vinyl rips to anyone who has not already invested in the music themselves, and I will not send them to you if you are not buying a copy of D.Verada's CD. D. feels very strongly about this, as I do. This way, only people who are genuinely interested in both of these independent artists can take advantage of this offer. Now on to the music for Jandek album fifteen.

This album features another guitarist, quite possibly the same guy who played guitar on Follow Your Footsteps. There are similar chord progressions, and standard tuning, chords, and blues progressions that really suit Jandek's lyrics and style. During "Down At The Ball Park", Jandek says, "...take it, Eddie." Maybe Eddie is the other guitarist.
The first two songs have a different singer, as well. Maybe it's the same guy who is playing the guitar. "Harmonica" is simply harmonica playing for five minutes. "House Of The Rising Sun" is not exactly a cover of the classic blues tune, because the music sounds entirely different, and the melody surely isn't the one you're used to. Then there's the words. OK, they're uh, similar to the original. Then there's the last cut, "One Minute", which is one minute long, with six bonus seconds. Drums. Talking. Then an abrupt stop.
It all boils down to a randomly constructed, but exactly wonderful Jandek record. This is one to recommend, because it's got the widest variety of Jandek sounds to it, and enough stuff that is serious to let you know what Jandek is really about. This one's my favorite so far.

This was Jandek's 15th album. Right around this time, the Spudlok album BIH! was recorded. The CD version, hopefully out later this year on veebosonic, has a tribute called "Ode To Jandek". Here's the words:

JANDEK IS GOD!! (4times)
Flipping my analog radio dial
I came across a station worth my while
The DJ's name is Evan Ford
Playing strangeness someone dared to record
Saturday mornings on B-W-C
On a show lasting one AM to three
Evan tells us we're about to hear God
And through the grooves we're about to plod
The man's name is... Jandek!
SCREAMING MAN:
Jandek! Jandek! I'm singing this song for you, Jandek.
He plays you every week, and when he does, I feel your power.
Music will never be the same.
You are my Beatles, my Bach, my Mozart.
I love you, Jandek, I really do.
SECOND VERSE, SUNG:
Corwood is the label he's on
For them fifteen records he has done
All of them are very plain
All of them sound quite the same
From his basement he presses them out
With shrieking guitar and shrill shout
He sends out promos and hopes records go
But he never gets played on radio
The man's name is Jandek!
SCREAMING MAN RETURNS:
Jandek! jandek! Your music is sheer genius.
I worship your album covers.
I'm naming my child after you.
Your music killed my plants.
My neighbors claw at my door when your music is on the radio.
I listen to you all day, all night.
Send me your autograph if you can write.
Oh wow-I made a rhyme. I'm rhyming for you Jandek!
Your music is genius.
You've got the brain of Einstein.
Keep screeching that guitar.
Rhythm is not a word. Neither is taste.
I love you, jandek, the God of avant-garde.
Jandek! Jandek! Jandeeeeekkk...... oh, no, no, it's just no good.

R.I.P. Johnny Carson. He was the best at what he did and nobody will ever do it as well again.

Modern Dances

Jandek album #14, Modern Dances. Released in 1987.

Wacky Jandek. Wild Jandek. More electric music, on the edge of being comedic. Reprises of "Painted My Teeth" and "Spanish In Me" are here. Silly puns abound in "Twelve Minutes Since February 32'nd" and "Hand For Harry Idle".
There's more ensemble playing and plenty of female vocals, presumably from "Nancy". In "I Want To Know Why", the guitar interplay sounds very much like Captain Beefheart, circa Trout Mask Replica. There's been talk on the Jandek mailing list of Zappa influences in his music, here's another clue for you all - as irrelevant as it really is.
Then, at the end of the album, it's back to acoustic guitar and voice. A comedy album? Almost. This is the closest I've heard Jandek come to raw and unbridled buffoonery, for almost an entire album.

Wild stuff, kids.

Follow Your Footsteps

Jandek album #13, Follow Your Footsteps. Released in 1986.

Young Jandek on the cover. Black and white photo. He is playing BASS!
A major shift happens here on this album. There is clearly another guitarist playing on a lot of this album, playing guitar in a much more traditional rock/folk way. Make no mistake about it, this is still a Jandek record, but when he plays the guitar it is in a wildly unorthodox style. All the tuning Jandek uses is his own, not assigned to any specific pitch. He just tunes to what sounds right to him and that's what he uses. It's plainly obvious that this second guitar player is using standard tuning and chords in a Jandek environment. Jandek also plays guitar, sometimes at the same time as this other player. The two guitars are not tuned to each other, and when they play together it is almost as if they're fighting one another.
This is a much more laid-back album, yet still there are tunes with electric guitar and plenty of drums. For those of you Jandek purists out there, there are a couple of tunes with just guitar and voice, and the last tune is amusing. Sounds like Jandek playing the other guy's guitar (there is also a definite tonal and timbre difference between the two instruments) and both of these guys being a little less serious than usual.

Rotten weather today. Time to stay home and watch TV and listen to music. Oh, and mail D.Verada CDs to radio stations and magazines. Queer Eye premieres of straight guy and straight girl tonight. It's absolutely bizarre how much of a guilty pleasure that show is for me.

Telegraph Melts

Jandek album #12, Telegraph Melts. Released in 1986.

The electric party continues at Jandek's house. The stimulant is coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, and sleeplessness. There's bashing away aplenty on drums, electric guitar, bass, harmonica, and microphones. Nancy Sings. John Plays Drums. Unless, of course, Jandek's doing overdubbing. There's a couple of tracks that have dueling Jandeks moaning at the top of their lungs, including "Mother's Day Card".
On "Governor Rhodes", which has nothing apparent to do with the Ohio politician, Jandek's going on about how "We are here to celebrate...to sing... to chant..." Nancy's repeating everything he's saying in her own interpretive singing. Then he says "Celebrate our love." there's a short pause, and then Nancy says, "Celebrate our love?" in a tone that sounds like she actually means "Wait a minute jandek, I thought we were just friends." They carry on and sing and chant just the same.
"Star Up In The Sky" has marathon yowling from Jandek that is horrifying and awesome at the same time. I listened to it three times on the way in to work yesterday. Then there's the classic "You Painted Your Teeth". No Jandek mix tape is complete without this track. Wild stuff, kids. Re-defining music as it never was.

OK, I have to take a shower and then start sending radio stations copies of the D.Verada album. If you're at a college radio station and are interested, e-mail me at the link on the right side of this page for details.

Foreign Keys

Jandek album #11, Foreign Keys. Released in 1985.

Jandek goes electric. Not just a little, this whole album is electric, and full of energy. It starts out with "Spanish In Me", probably the tune with the lowest energy on the album. But that just sets it up for the rest. Several of the songs feature the voice of "Nancy", all tracks have drums and electric guitar, and a few even have bass. Unknown whether it is Jandek playing all the instruments or if he just threw a party and started rolling tape.
The best two tracks are at the end, "Ballad Of Robert" has Jandek ranting in distorted splendor. The last track, "River To Madrid", is a reprise of "Spanish In Me", sung duet style by both Jandek and Nancy, with much more manic power. I LIKE IT!

Enjoy your weekend, kids. Stay warm.

Nine-Thirty

Jandek album #10, Nine-Thirty. Released in 1985.

Ten albums in eight years. What other artist can boast that? Not many. But then, not many make music the same way Jandek does. This is another acoustic album, but the songs actually do have a bit of variance in them. Jandek is using the fretboard of the guitar more, and on one track he's even playing one not and bending the string. The voice and the playing are starting to work with each other in this unique form of music. The lyrics talk a lot about traveling, and different locations. "This Is A Death Dream" is the big introspective one to listen to, as if the title isn't obvious enough. Oh, and the song "Oh Jenny" was released on an earlier Jandek album. For some unknown reason, he redoes it here.

The D.Verada album is OUT. It's a 75 minute instrumental blast of sounds, rhythms and solos. You can buy a copy by going to the veebosonic website , which is in it's very infancy, but promises to grow like a weed in the days and weeks to come. Check it.

Christmas was great. My sweetheart got me an LCD monitor for my desktop machine, cool as hell and saves energy and $$. Did I mention I like her a lot? I think I might keep her for a while. The rest is secret (big smile).

Now on to the NEXT Jandek album. Believe it or not, he just released another one. Damn! Four albums in 2004?? Stay alive in double-oh five!