[avantgarde1]

so i've heard a good amount of the crowood rep's stuff and i like most of it, but i dont' know what album any of the songs are on (nor the name of most of the songs). so if anybody could steer me in the right direction of maybe 2 or 3 of his best albums that'd be great. i like his real (psych?) folk stuff, and even soem of his electrical stuff as well. preciate it.

[jonathan]

I'd say start with the documentary.

I've got Six and Six, Chair Beside a Window, and Modern Dances; they're all pretty good but at the same time I rarely listen to any of them. The mystery surrounding the man is far more interesting than his music.

[Dead-Air]

Overall, I say start at the beginning. Since you say you like his folk stuff and "some of his electrical stuff" you'd be getting the straight one man folk stuff to begin with. Then you can ease into the electric group stuff just as it happened. Ready for the House is a fine place to start, as it's where he did.

I totally disagree with jonathan's statement "The mystery surrounding the man is far more interesting than his music." I've seen Jandek live and he put on an amazing two hour set of pure unadulterated charisma. I love his records too, and while they may nto be the perfect music for every mood or every day, they capture raw emotion in it's purest form the way only great art can. The mystery is kind of cool, and has made for great album covers and an original aesthetic, but I get kind of annoyed by all the theorizing behind who he might be. Like Calvin says in the movie, refusing to participate in the mainstream media circus does not make you a recluse or a social misfit. Who he is has always been right there on the records to the extent that it was needed.

[avantgarde1]

i think the mystery thing adds to it, but it's not the only reason i like the guys music. it is pretty kool though and kinda thing really deos spark my interest (it's why i checked him out in the first place), but definately not the be all end all. though i've also doen my research, i know his name is really sterling smith and he records for his own label called crowood industries, and is also sometimes refered to as the corwood rep, hardly ever makes appearences and what not. i just like dudes music, but am also aware that he has over 50 albums and not all of them can be great. just wanan know where to start is all.

[Bollocks_to_Pop]

I found this site to amazingly helpful in being able to decide what album to start with. This guy has all of Jandek's albums and has a short, but informative, review of all of them.

http://www.myrecordcollection.org/ar...andekpage.html

[avantgarde1]

damn, good looking out man. i'll check that out tomorrow at work, gotta finish cleaning the house and get some sleep. thanks.

[atsonicpark]

start at the beginning.

no surprise, a LOT of his shit sounds the same. i've listened to nearly every one of his records and uh.. they don't really.. i mean, they're cool. but none really stand out to me. there are some major clunkers in there though.

[Dead-Air]

My favorites off the top of my head are the first one, Ready for the House, Six and Six, Living in a Moon So Blue, Telegraph Melts, and Worthless Recluse (that is one of the "spoken word" ones and I think it's brilliant though a lot of people can't take it at all.) I at least like all of his albums, though I understand why some of the late '90s meandering instrumental ones (and for that matter the spoken word ones) bother people. I just find his general experimental creativity to be refreshing even when he borders on noodley territory. Overall, I take the earliest stuff and the early-mid electric band stuff as my faves though with a nod to the spoken word for proving to those who said "He can't possibly get any more primitive", that, yes he could!

[SuperCreep]

Chair Beside a Window, Interstellar Discussion, and You Walk Alone are all good starters.

[atsonicpark]

really enjoying his newest one right now (myth of blue icycles)...

I think my favorite is interstellar discussion... I also LOVE the acapella albums.

"Jandek's not pretentious, but only pretentious people like his music." - Kurt Cobain

Oftentimes, Jandek's voice reminds me of Thurston's.

[atsonicpark]

http://www.furious.com/perfect/jandek/jandek-nyc.html

This is really funny...

[PAULYBEE2656]

the new one is the best ive heard so far. ive heard a few but i really dont see the huge deal.. i mean he is ok, and talented and "avant garde" or whatever but it bores me after a while.. the new ne is real good tho.

i think people love the man and the myth moreso than the music...

[atsonicpark]

I love the myth but I just chill out and listen to the music. It's creepy and comforting and the lyrics are great. I think each album is an interesting snapshot of this depressed dude. It fascinates the hell out of me, and musically it surprises me often.

But yeah, that new one is unreal in how good it is.

[batreleaser]

i think the best place to go with jandek is the early to mid 80s, thats where the majority of his best records are if you ask me. from 'six and six' to 'on the way'. so much beautiful music during that period.

[atsonicpark]

http://www.furious.com/perfect/jande...ekreviews.html

the "boogie period" haha... that's the best.

[Derek]

I've only heard Blue Corpse and Chair Beside a Window, I'm gonna listen to some of his spoken word stuff, for some reason it really interests me.

[atsonicpark]

"Let me tell you about my blues/My blues have turned black/Black, black, black, black,"

[atsonicpark]

http://www.saddle-creek.com/webboard/viewtopic.php?t=64023&sid=2643ea6c0dfa35f4e2c1e195 3d653711

Oh man this dude totally has Jandek tabs shit!!!

[andrei]

I just got Glasgow Monday. Really, really nice performance/album. I highly recommand it: Jandek on piano, Youngs on double bass and Neilson on drums.
Now i need to get the DVD

[atsonicpark]

I once read that you could fit the people who think jandek is a genius into a sedan.

Can I be the driver?