[Jandek] Re: Mahogany Brain / Godz

[djobe at uark.edu]

Neat, Josh.  I've got to say that's a new one.  For those newer to the list who've never heard my rant about them, pick up the first two Godz albums (sounding really great on the remastered ESP editions from 3 years ago or so).  It's hard not to see some influence on Jandek, and probably on Mahogany Brain (though the Godz can rock too - check out "radar eyes" on Godz 2, one of the best garage rockers ever).


That said, one thing I'll argue in Jandek's favor that I can't with most other "outsider" artists is his ambition.  this to me is what separates him from the truly insane, the "one hit wonders" found on the Key of Z discs, for instance. Or my beloved Shooby Taylor, who did one thing very very well, if that's your thing... Lucia Pamela could never have been anything but what she was.  "Progress" was impossible.  Even Daniel Johnston, my favorite songwriter of the "outsiders," only advances with the help of others, a help Jandek has denied himself by his self-imposed obscurity.  Which leads me to an old point - like the Godz and the Fugs (get their second album) Jandek is NOT an outsider artist in the demented sense.  He's not a Syd Barrett or Skip Spence who withered away and left us fractured recordings of their mental demise.  He's not the Shaggs, believing they were brilliant when they couldn't even play.  He's doing this intentionally,and he's progressing!  Each album, to
 me, is a very deliberate release, and unlike the similarly anonymous Residents, he doesn't bother with a website and fucking keychains (keychains!) to promote his music.  No DVDs, no t-shirts, just his music as he sees it.  If you like it, great. If not, oh well. This is the ambition of a great artist, and I love it about the guy.

Okay, my usual spiel, but sometimes I like to toss that out again.

Put "Blue Corpse" up on my faves as well, btw.  It really is something. Get the vinyl if you can.  

Can't wait to hear this new album!  One of the great things with Jandek is that like Neil Young, you never know what the hell you're going to get. I love this guy.

blabbing in Arkansas,

Danen

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Has anyone out there heard the French group from the early 70¹s called
³Mahogany Brain²  ????

I just found a cd of their called ³Smooth Sick Lights² and I can¹t believe
how much it resembles JANDEK...
    rambling guitars,drum, vocals.... Letting the songs kind of crumble and
pull back together.
Really interesting stuff. I¹m amazing a label in the early 70¹s released
this stuff.

I wonder if Jandek owns a record by this group and is influenced. I am
really serious. 
This band is really similar.

Info here at Forced Exposure, (I¹m surprised they don¹t mantion Jandek in
the write up)
http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/mahogany.brain.html
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