In the faraway land of Houston lives a man known to the world only as Jandek. Over a span of thirty-three years he has released sixty albums, but his identity remains a mystery. Once in a very great while, he emerges from his cave of obscurity to perform live and every time people flock to his concerts. Why do these people go? What are they looking for? What are they craving? They are craving the foreboding dissonance of the folk/blues that has hatched from Jandek’s genius.
Jandek has come to be known by the soft, acoustic guitar songs that make up a large part of his repertoire. In each song, his lofty yet earthy vocals are backed by an unconventionally tuned guitar the he masterfully plucks. However, Jandek has collaborated with many other musicians, creating music ranging from the chaotic to the orchestral.
At every step, Jandek seems to slide away from any sort of definition. His fans have formed many different theories to try to explain the music, and factions have occurred along these theoretical lines. Some believe his identity is important, some think it’s irrelevant.
The lyrics are said to be incredibly personal and insightful. Maybe I just haven’t listened to them enough, but I have a hard time even hearing words being spoken. Listening to Jandek, the meanings of all the sounds that we consider words seem to fall away. The words themselves are an instrument. The power of the vocals primarily comes from their particular pronunciation rather than any meaning that might be attached. In one of his more tonal songs, “When the Telephone Melts,” the combination of vowels and consonants add variety to the piece, making the familiar words he used sound strange.
The songs ring of lost innocence. The melodic lines that seem to weave in and out of every song have an incredibly childish tone that sounds burdened by the atonal structure of the instrumentals. One gets the sense that something has been violated, but the object remains unknown. More importantly, who is the violator? Or should this not be a concern of ours?
Jandek remains a mystery, but that is as it should be. His record label Corwood Industries has stated on several occasions that the individual listener’s experience and interpretation is more important than whatever the intent behind the music may be. I personally find no distinct meaning in his songs. Rather, his songs offer a chance to emotionally experience a totally foreign life. Given how trapped we all are within our own perceptions, Jandek’s music is a rare gift indeed.