dave9199

I have to say that I perfer the American version of the I Feel Fine/She's A Woman single. The reverb makes those songs. The drier English version just sound limp. Thank You Girl is another that I liked better with reverb all over the place.

Careful Chaney, you might be having the same reaction I did listening to Moon after Chair. Gotta give it a bit of space then listen again. I think I've got to review differently as I think you have a point there. The last 2 I was listening to as I reviewed. When I don't do that, I forget to write things such as the 2 or 3 things you've mentioned that I felt, but forgot when I wrote the review. Another word you won't find on any Jandek album: Personnel.

Is that the first line of the song? Another thing that jumps out to me as really good but forgot to put it in my review. He sings and actually melody line on that line. Too bad he didn't (couldn't?) keep it going through the song. Glad to see you liked it Chaney. Hey, where's JohnB in all of this with his review/comments? Jon Abbey: I can understand your desire to have something to just enjoy espicially if music production is what you do.

I must've known you posted about that Clementine, as the thought of your post and that book crossed my mind saying, "I wonder when he's gonna ask if anyone read that?" My response? No, I haven't. Jon Abbey: Come on in, the water's fine! One other note I keep forgetting to post; Jandek's drumset is set up for a right-handed drummer except that snare & floor tom are reversed. The hi-hat is near the floor tom and not the snare. Not only is his guitar playing unorthodox, but his drum set up is left & right handed. And how does he make a harmonica also sound out of tune?

So I've listened again to the next four and realized my opinion about leaning towards the acoustic stuff is partially false. What happening is a back & forth of inital opinion. While reviewing acoustic albums, but listening to electric albums; the two didn't sit comfortably together, at first. According to my keepers list, both albums have acoustic (good songs, not just improv starts & stops) & electric (also actual songs & some improv messy jamming). I've re-thought it & feel (at least right now anyway), that this type of album is my favorite type of Jandek album; both worlds sitting together with no (or hardly any) just o.k. songs. Both worlds compliment each other and it helps the album as a whole. There really is a lot of variety in there if you get more than a few albums. Chaney: what the hell is your Funny Rat thread about & why is it so popular?

Don't know. Do you look my my mother's tv repair man?

I loved this album from the first listen all the way through. It's got a simple structure & the solos can go anywhere around, inside, outside or any direction. It's just so damn FULL! I think I like it better than Ornette's Free Jazz because it's fuller sounding. And I like both versions equally.

Here's my ranking for the second 5: KEEPERS 1. The Rocks Crumble PERSONAL OPINION 2. Nine-Thirty 3. Your Turn To Fall FOR COMPLETISTS ONLY 4. Interstellar Discussion 5. Staring At The Cellophane This set was a bit tougher to rank since the initial Jandek experience went to the first 5. I'm also trying to keep in mind what albums I would tell someone not to bother with until later (completists only). I'm also thinking about people who are reading this thread & want to buy an album or 20 while combining that with my opinion of each album. This is actually my favorite part of it all. I would definately like to hear from anyone who took my advice on this. To me, very few songs grabbed my attention and the last 3 albums I had to relisten to more than once as they didn't make a great impression on me initially. Your Turn To Fall's second half saved it from being a completists only for me. As I've said before, I enjoy all of these albums, I don't dislike any of them, but some are better than others. It's ironic also in my last review stating that I lean toward his acoustic albums & the keeper of the bunch is almost all electric. I will say this: If you want the best album out of the first 10, get Chair Beside A Window.

Wrong Time It’s not the right time Something’s wrong, but I’m gonna do it anyway You can put your bloody mind in a paper bag and eat it for lunch What is God? What are you doing here? Or there? I am a fool Forgive me If a door is open I should be back soon There's the lyrics to my favorite song off of album #10: Nine-Thirty. It's all acoustic and he sounds very inspired in his lyrics & his playing, which is very energetic. I find myself, no matter how repetative, leaning towards his acoustic albums which have a more intimate, emotional pull. One song called Faye, is practically a lyrical lift (for the first 2 verses) of Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do, which I know through The Rolling Stones version on their first album, which also has an out of tune guitar all the way through. Hmmm... This Is A Death Dream is good for his spoken words. Even the one instrumental, Tumblings, is energetic, though not much in terms of "song", but if I expected that, I wouldn't be listening to Jandek anyway, right? This is his idea of SONGS! That's why it's interesting. He re-does Oh Jenny which I believe was from Later On originally. I'd have to listen to the first version again, but I don't hear an immediate difference. So, on the whole, I like this album quite a bit even though I wouldn't say there are any great songs on it. Think of it as an entire piece; a progression from the pieces called Ready For The House and Six & Six.

Again Chaney, you mention something that I heard, but completely forgot, yes, I agree about the Mick Jagger thing, but I couldn't tell you which album or song. Speaking of Mick Jagger, see my next review... ...and no way can anyone fake that kind of vocalizing...for 37 records & counting.

All right Chaney, 2 reviews coming up, it's about time! John B, my opinion in short of Blue Corpse, I wasn't as impressed by it as I was with the next one; You Walk Alone, at least by the first 5 songs. Anywho, #9, Interstellar Discussion. Nothing really jumps out at me on this one. 6 songs electric, 9 acoustic. Electric mostly instrumental, though I liked I Ain't Got None, noisy, jammy, wailing type o' thing. I think he recorded the whole album himself even despite the fact that on 2 songs you hear 2 voices at the same time, but they're both that yoweling Jandekian voice. I haven't heard anyone else he's recorded with have a voice anywhere near his. I do have to say, I like when he uses the words ha ha, as in the song Ha Ha from this album, as a rhythm which he also used on Moon on a song called Comedy. Nothing special, but it's ON BEAT! The Spirit has a nice feel and I think almost a whole minor chord being played throughout. I think that's just the tuning though. There's a song called May 7th, 9:15 A.M. which is nothing special, just the title reminded me of a Minutemen song called May 2nd, 9:30 A.M. The only one that really stuck out to me was the last, Kick. It's mostly one note, and a fretted note at that. His voice fits better with quiet, hushed songs rather than loud, yoweling (& that's the perfect word for it) songs. Middle of the road, not bad, but not great. Somewhere on the Tisue site, someone wrote in a review about his songs being quiet or loud, yet he doesn't mine the grey area in between. That's the one thing I agree with in terms of a critical assessment of his music. Whispery or full on, no in between. Again a challenge as you never know when one is coming on, though he obviously does his songs in sessions and breaks them up according to the 40 minute mark of an album (at least when he had vinyl, with cds, that's streched to longer amounts of time. His songs are now sometimes 30 minutes!).

Living In A Moon So Blue...that's Chaney FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!! If you don't believe me, go back a few pages. I've got to relisten to my next review-Interstellar Discussion. I've only got 1 and a half more to listen to out of my 20. How 'bout you Chanski?

And to continue that trend, here's The Rocks Crumble. #8 starts with a couple of acoustic songs; one of which is called Birthday, and it's the same lyrics (with current tuning) as Nancy Sings & John Plays Drums, which I almost missed that detail. Then it's electric guitar with 3 versions of European Jewel, of which there have already been 2. First is just guitar, second & third are with drums with the second being more tighter with beat in reference to the drums. Next is 2 versions of a great songs; Message To The Clerk. He works the lyrical sylibals (sp?) well with the drums. It actually sounds like he's LISTENING TO WHAT GOING ON AROUND HIM!!!! I think this is one of those albums where it's Jandek playing drums & guitar as mentioned in a letter that Chaney had posted earlier. A really good album, but I had a hard time wanting to post about it. I think once you add usual rock instruments, no matter how it's played, it takes away from what Jandek started as, which is more intimate (though repititious). I've been waiting to hear this electric stuff & yet wasn't as excited as I thought I would be initially. That will change once the ebb & flow of 20 albums falls together in my own mind. It's interesting that as I go along, not only do the albums change, but my perception changes with every shift on instrumentation. And when I've adjusted, he's switches again. That is a great musician/songwriter/artist/what-have-you. Two words you won't find on any Jandek album: Bonus Tracks.

There's been some talk about whether it's Jandek singing or another person who plays guitar with him on some albums. Blue Corpse is next for me & I've heard it's great. I've held off from reviewing so John B can contribute. His electric stuff is even more untamed than the acoustic.

I read they use Season 2's beginning because it was Jay Ward's favorite. Don't forget, the first 2 seasons it was called The Rocky Show. Then, i think, it switched networks & became The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. I think that's the beginning your thinking of. It looks like they used the first season opening (I'm guessing here) on the last 2 stories in the season 2 box. I say that because of the crudeness of the drawings.

All I've got to say is Chaney, get to Your Turn To Fall, because the one after that, The Rocks Crumble, shifts to electric guitar. JohnB, what albums are you borrowing?

Hey Chaney, you said you pretty much agreed with my rankings of the first 5, but I looked back & you gave Later On a . Is that still the case. Man at this rate we'll never get off the first 6 albums.

I listened to Moon again. I like it a bit more than I did. Chaney, do you think you like Cellophane over Moon because of his vocalizing is more loose on Moon? That's the major difference I hear between the two. I'm not so sure, but maybe the lyrics are a bit better on Cellophane?

Damn straight! Hey would you put Ready For The House above or below Chair Beside A Window? You've made me want to listen to Moon badly now.

I listened to Cellophane & Your Turn To Fall again. I like them better after a second listen, especially Your Turn To Fall. Cellophane isn't as bad as I thought. I may have been all Jandeked out & didn't realize it at the time. I also have to relisten to Moon, though I know it wouldn't change on my list, but I won't listen to it with any expectation either (as it's after Chair Beside A Window which is great, I think that was my problem). I think I get it now. That's how I feel about Six & Six: a good uniform. If you ever find a woman who likes Jandek, marry her!

Interesting take on it Chaney, but I'm still confused over your like of it & your breakdown. You used 6 blank emoticons & were iffy on a couple others. I'm not trying to argue about it, I'm having a blast doing this. I guess I still don't get how this is different from Moon, in your opinion. I'm gonna need more explanation on this. I'll also have to relisten to it. By the way, what's your ranking of the first 5?

Really? Well I'm interested to hear your take on it, and I'm sincere about that. Looking forward to it. I ask if you can include what is different between Cellophane & Moon.

Next up: Your Turn To Fall. It's better than the last two, but not great. It has it's moments like the song John Plays Drums. Everything else is solo. The 7th song is called New String & it's just that. He's tuned his low E down an octave and uses that for the rest of the album. This seems to get his lyrical juices flowing again as pretty much every song after that has a verse or two, at least. Dance Of Death is good, but the one that stands out (aside from John Plays Drums) is the last song, They Knew My Game. It's really quiet & makes the most of his shakey vocals. So I'm hoping this is an upswing.

Upwards & onwards. Look out Chaney, #6, Staring At The Cellophane, is Living In A Moon So Blue, only (sigh) less so. As Moon starts with a song called Gretchen, Cellophane starts with a song called Michael. The second song is again an instrumental. He doesn't use his voice in any interesting fashion so even fewer songs stand out at all. One that breaks the mold of the album is Sand I, which is mostly percussive strumming. The biggest weakness of this album is still fewer lyrics, if you can believe that. No wonder he could pump them out at such a fast rate. The last song, Blood & Bone also has something way in the background. At first I thought it was a harmonica, but then it sounded like a cheap organ or something. Another tough one to get through.

So here's how I rank the first 5: KEEPERS 1. Chair Beside A Window PERSONAL OPINION 2. Later On 3. Ready For The House 4. Six & Six FOR COMPLETISTS ONLY 5. Living In A Moon So Blue Keepers are, obviously, the best ones; personal opinion are the middle ground that vary from person to person (these are in my opinion order of good to lesser, but that doesn't mean Six & Six is horrible); and for completists only, well, you know. I still enjoyed them all. And I did hear what you heard on Jessica, Chaney. Just when you think it can't sound any more creepier...