Jandek: The Man, The Myth, The Music
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"The longest-running, weirdest, loneliest enigma in popular music is a guy from Texas who calls himself Jandek." So begins a 1997 Boston Phoenix article by Douglas Wolk. Many people will never heard of Jandek, many who have may struggle to listen to his atonal, off-tempo, strangely tuned style of folk/blues music. Those who have taken the time to explore the weird musical world of Jandek have grown to love his music, despite knowing little of the elusive man himself.
When the documentary Jandek On Corwood was released in 2003, the musician was still an utter mystery to his army of die-hard fans around the world. But in the years since the release of the documentary, more has become known about him, as he has finally stepped out the shadows. Jandek has been creating and self publishing (even though it was claimed for many years that his work was released through a mysterious production company called Corwood Industries) since 1978. His first album Ready For The House (#0739) was originally attributed to The Units, only later being attributed to Jandek. The first Jandek album was his 1981 release Six And Six (#0740), which has been followed up by over 70 self produced and published albums. It wasn't until his February and March 2014 two-part cover interview with The Wire magazine (Jandek's first-ever face-to-face interview) that he was openly identified him as being an artist called Sterling Richard Smith. Although there had been rumours among fans that his real name was Sterling Smith. Although there is still mystery surrounding his name, as the article referred to him as Sterling P Smith. |
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Since the release of Jandek On Corwood, the musician has become much more prolific in his releases. Producing albums at a rate of 3 or 4 a year. His first known live performance was in October 2004, when he played at the Instal 04 music festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Although the performance wasn't publicised, or even identified as being Jandek, it's acknowledged that the man on stage was the same man that has appeared his album covers. Since that first performance, he has played live in the UK, the United States and Canada. Despite the live performances and the interview in The Wire, little is still known about the man himself. Almost nothing being known about him pre-Jandek and Corwood days. Apart from him revealing that he "wrote seven novels but burned them upon rejection from New York publishers."
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Everything else about the man is no more than rumour, and guess work by his fans, through the lyrical content of his music. It's assumed (but not confirmed) that he possibly grew-up or at least spent time the Rhode Island town of Point Judith. As those locations are referenced in early songs. Many of his album covers feature foreign locations outside of the United States, particularly European locations, and so it is assumed that he is well travelled. But again, these assumptions are no more than unsubstantiated guess work. As Jandek still remains one of the most mysterious enigmas in music history.
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I Know You Well (2016)
Scheduled for release in February 2016, I Know You Well (running time 65mins) is a new documentary about Jandek. Which promises to reveal rare access to the elusive performer and an intimate examination of Jandek's creative process. A Documentary that brings us up-to-date with Jandek, who is described as, one of the most mysterious American musicians with a large international cult following. Finally after many years, and since the release of the documentary Jandek On Corwood, which left us with Jandek as elusive enigma, this new documentary promises to reveal something of the man himself. |
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Six And Six (1981)
Six and Six is the second album by reclusive Houston musician Jandek, and the first to be released under the Jandek name (the debut, Ready for the House, was credited to "The Units" on first pressing). It was released in 1981, by Corwood Industries (#0740). There have been two CD reissues so far, each adding more silence between the tracks. This album appeared three years after Ready for the House, which remains the longest interval between Jandek albums so far. It is composed mainly of slow songs, most of which deal with topics like regret and hopelessness. The music is stark and slow, with a flattened-out dissonant blues sound. The cover image, reminiscent of the famous photo of Robert Johnson, is a photo of Jandek himself. It is one of the best known images of him. (Source: Wikipedia) |
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Track Listing
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