Desert Island Recordings: Ready for the House by Jandek

Jandek’s first album, like most of his career, was made with aggressive alienation. Heralded as a master of American DIY, at no point during the first 25 years of his career did he seek attention, press, or notoriety outside his homemade music. No press kits. No live performances. No ambition or self-awareness. All interviews are summarily denied. Prolific in both his obscurity and output, Jandek would release 45 records (always 12’ full albums until CDs were available) between 1978 and 2006 under the Corwood Industries label. These would all be sold only via mail order from a Houston PO box. In that quarter century, there are only a handful of supposed interviews, which might be a misnomer because interview implies some transmission of pertinent information. He may have worked as a machinist. He may have had formal musical training. The unidentified man, who was Jandek, but only identified himself as representative of Corwood Industries.

If Tom Waits’ song “What’s He Building in There” was non-fiction, it would’ve been about Jandek.

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