JANDEK ON CORWOOD
Directed by Chad Friedrichs
Oct 22 — 25, 9 pm
Metro Cinema
Ziedler Hall, Citadel Theatre
**** (out of five)

Outsider music, generally the domain of performers of debatable talent and sometimes questionable mental health, isn’t for everybody. Even those open-minded enough to appreciate the jollity of The Shaggs or Wesley Willis, however, find the stark, frightening world of Jandek challenging.

Jandek is a prolific, if enigmatic, figure. Since 1978, he has released 37 albums, all of which have escaped the notice of the general public. The music is stark and odd, composed largely of out-of-tune singing, rhythmless (and out-of-tune) guitar plucking, and merciless assaults on a (tuneless) piano. And if the music doesn’t leave you unsettled, the lyrics will. "Naked in the Afternoon," from the album Ready for the House, starts off with a chilling ode to parental, um, yearning: "I got a vision, a teenage daughter/Who’s growing up naked in the afternoon."

Chad Friedrichs’ Jandek on Corwood attempts to document the story of Jandek, without actually talking to the man himself. "You may not get all the answers you want. It’s better that way," is the response Friedrichs got when he attempted to contact Corwood Industries, the company which produces the albums and seems to be run out of a post office box in Texas. And, oddly enough, Corwood Industries may be right.

Intertwining the amateurish cover art of the albums with Jandek’s music, the film has a creepy atmosphere, not unlike the music itself. Analysis of Jandek and his music is provided by various DJs and music critics who go on at length about the power and relevance of the music, breaking his oeuvre down into three distinct periods: Jandek and guitar, Jandek and guests, Jandek alone again.

Ultimately, the dearth of information about Jandek preserves the mystery. Is he a sociopath? A loner with no interest in fame? Is he playing a joke on everyone? Although the interviewees all admit their theories are just that, if you’re open to the Jandek, the speculation is intriguing.