[Jandek] The Bowery, Beacon Hill, Biography

[BlackMonk]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matthew Elliott" <soccerdude219 at yahoo.com>
To: "Jandek" <jandek at mylist.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 4:58 PM
Subject: [Jandek] The Bowery, Beacon Hill, Biography


> Seth also pointed out that Beacon Hill is a "skid row" in Seattle, though
> the much-disputed "Providence connection" leads me to think he's referring
> to the Boston region, which is anything but a skid row- quite upscale.
> Perhaps that's what he means by juxtaposing it with the Bowery in those
> couple of songs. "I've been on the Bowery, been on Beacon Hill," he says,
> as if to mean "I've been rich, I've been poor". In an earlier song, "Quinn
> Boys", he says "Meet me in the Bowery, goodbye Beacon Hill", perhaps
> suggesting that he's rejecting a rich upbringing to live a bohemian life.
> If Jandek started recording in the late 60's as most of us believe, he was
> probably around to the time of punk rock, 75-78, when he recorded "Quinn
> Boys" (on Blue Corpse, and reduxed on You Walk Alone), so the idea of the
> Bowery as a place for a young inconoclastic rocker to go would make even
> more sense- or would it? I don't know, I've only seen a documentary on the
> Ramones that gave me that
> impression.

I don't think the Bowery itself had any romantic reputation, but he might
have made that association in his own mind,  since CBGB was on the Bowery
and it was right next to, if not part of, the East Village, which DID have a
Bohemian image.

However, the skid row association is much more likely.