[Jandek] That Jandek Survey

[Jason Cooley]

Are you male or female?

Male
 
How old are you? 

32

What part of the world do you come from? 

Burlington, VT, USA

How did you get into Jandek? What is your ‘story’? 

A local used record store (a room with a bunch of
records, really) had a college radio station's entire
vinyl collection donated to them.  They let me have a
first look at all the records because I was a regular
customer.  Amongst the Galaxie 500, Pussy Galore, Pere
Ubu, Melvins, Voidoids, etc. I came across four Jandek
records that looked bizarre and right up my alley.  I
got them for three or four bucks each.  "You Walk
Alone" had me hooked.  I went online to find out who
he was, saw Seth Tisue's site, wrote my first dorky
message to the discussion group and now I'm here.

How do you define being a Jandek fan? Do you consider
yourself a Jandek fan? 

Listening to the music and not just looking at the
album covers.  

Why did you join the mailing list? How often do you
post? Do you use the digest format? 

I joined to find out more about Jandek, and eventually
I realized I was the only person who knew about him in
the state.  I like to read and don't post very often,
usually because I write embarrassing things (Google
Cooley Jandek Phish to see what I mean).
 
What do your friends and family think about Jandek?

They thought he was just some funny obscurity that
only I'd be into, but now since the movie came out and
his live shows have brought him some attention they're
all into it.

What do they think about you listening to Jandek? 

They think I'm just being me.  If I play them the
right song they'll go "Wow! That's really beautiful!"

To what extent does the ‘myth of Jandek’ – the mystery
surrounding his identity – appeal to you? 

It definitely appealed at first; I'm an Andy Kaufman
freak.  I have to admit aside from the live
performances I've heard/seen (which have been amazing)
I like his earlier music a lot more than his recent
material (2000-on).

Have you ever tried to contact Corwood Industries or
Sterling Smith for reasons other than placing an
order? What happened? 

I'm not one to bother an artist.  I ordered a box of
20 CDs from him 2 years ago and just his handwriting
on the address was enough for me.  I still have the
box with the CDs in it.

What is your perception of other Jandek fans? 

I don't know any personally.  I wanted to meet some at
his show in NYC last fall but was too scared.  I saw
Gary Pig Gold, Lee Ranaldo, Alan Licht, and others I
recognized from the documentary but I just wandered
out.  I'm shy.  I even turned down a dinner
invitation!  Stupid.

Why do you like Jandek? 

At this point his sound is all his own, like the
Beatles, Motown, or Phil Spector.  You recognize it
immediately.  And at it's best it's truly haunting. 
I've only just recently started to appreciate "Ready
For The House" as a whole album.

How often do you listen to Jandek? 

At least once a week.  Usually something from "Chair
Beside A Window", "Blue Corpse" or "You Walk Alone". 
Lee Rosevere's Lavender mix comes up quite often. 
When I lived in NYC that and "Nancy Sings" were
frequent iPod selections during cramped rush hour
subway rides.

What other music do you listen to? 

Just about everything except for modern country,
dancehall reggae, dixieland jazz, modern
ska-metal-punk-whatever, jam band music, and Eric
Clapton.  

Is there anything I have not asked that you would like
to tell me? 

I had to sell some of my Jandek records a few years
ago to make my rent and I've bitterly regretted it
ever since.


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