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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