Jandek

[Mr Silver]

Man...Theres something insanely cool about this guy.

For those of you who aren't familiar (and i'm sure a lot of you aren't), Jandek is a recording artist with a 30 odd year career behind him. What makes him special is that he's only given 2 interviews, has managed to conceal his identity (nobody is sure that he's really the person that people have claimed he is) and only started performing live back in 2004!!

Jandek's music may not be to most peoples tastes. Its described as 'Outsider Folk' and features a lot of detuned instruments, droning chords and loose vocal melody. As a Musician myself, I try to appreciate the musicality of all artists and a lot of people would say Jandek's music is 'Horrible'. But theres something truly unique about it and artistic.

I really think a movie needs to be made about this guy, he's a very mysterious, yet uniquely talented individual, with a lot of stories to tell.

Check out this performance from Jandek's first ever live concert.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I have a passing familiarity with Jandek's work although I can't say I really see the appeal.

 

[Mr Silver]

I have a passing familiarity with Jandek's work although I can't say I really see the appeal.

For me its the mystique, the apathetic attitude he has about his own work. In the few interviews he has done, he has stressed indifference to the feedback about his music. He writes music that is personal and truly unique.

There is not a lot of people who are fans of Jandek. Most of Jandek's music isn't to my particular taste, but I respect him as a musician and a person for going against all the rules in the book. He's built a career based on anonymity and as I mentioned earlier, indifference.

 

[Amaris]

Oooh, I don't like his, um, music.

 

[Mr Silver]

Here is a much 'easier' piece of music for those of you to check out from Jandek

 

[Amaris]

Here is a much 'easier' piece of music for those of you to check out from Jandek

Nah, just really not my taste or style. I mean, I listened to some of it, but no, no. For me. there's nothing at all worth engaging in the, uh, music. It sounds like someone plunking around on a guitar. I mean, I could do what this guy is doing right now, as could just about anyone who has a rudimentary grasp of basic guitar chords, but that doesn't make it good or insightful. Just my opinion.

 

[M'Sharak]

Check out this performance from Jandek's first ever live concert.

Listening right now. I can't recall ever having heard of Jandek before, but this reminds me in various spots of stuff by Fred Frith or Henry Kaiser or Eugene Chadbourne, and possibly a bit of Pere Ubu. A list of his recorded output also reminds of Chadbourne.

 

[Jadzia]

For me its the mystique, the apathetic attitude he has about his own work. In the few interviews he has done, he has stressed indifference to the feedback about his music.

The value of art is a measure of the audience's respect for the artist.

ie, (i) One who has expressed a rare or unusual ability, (ii) that cannot easily be imitated, (iii) that the audience would like to be able to imitate.

To me: (i) Apathy is indeed a rare/unusual attitude to music, so it scores a point here (ii) fail (iii) fail --> very low value.