An Investigation of Jandek's
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THEMATIC INTERCONNECTIVITY AS AN INNATE MUSICAL QUALITY: AN INVESTIGATION OF JANDEK’S “EUROPEAN JEWEL” GUITAR RIFFS NICOLE A MARCHESSEAU A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO MAY 2014 © NICOLE A MARCHESSEAU, 2014 Abstract This dissertation is divided into two main areas. The first of these explores Jandek-related discourse and contextualizes the project. Also discussed is the interconnectivity that runs through the project through the self-citation of various lyrical, visual, and musical themes. The second main component of this dissertation explores one of these musical themes in detail: the guitar riffs heard in the “European Jewel” song-set and the transmigration/migration of the riff material used in the song to other non-“European Jewel” tracks. Jandek is often described in related discourse as an “outsider musician.” A significant point of discussion in the first area of this dissertation is the outsider music genre as it relates to Jandek. In part, this dissertation responds to an article by Martin James and Mitzi Waltz which was printed in the periodical Popular Music where it was suggested that the marketing of a musician as an outsider risks diminishing the “innate qualities” of the so-called outsider musicians’ works.1 While the outsider label is in itself problematic—this is discussed at length in Chapter Two—the analysis which comprises the second half of this dissertation delves into self- citation and thematic interconnection as innate qualities within the project. Explored at length in this dissertation are the guitar riffs of the Jandek song “European Jewel,” the closing track appearing on the artist’s debut album, Ready for the House (1978). The riffs are heard 37 times over the course of five different versions of the song. Elements of the riffs also appear in tracks that are not labeled as “European Jewel” variants. A larger structural form in which the song-set is situated has been observed. When heard outside of the “European Jewel” song-set the riffs appear in fragmented form. Continued use of the “European Jewel” riff 1 Martin James and Mitzi Waltz, “The (Re)marketing of Disability in Pop: Ian Curtis and Joy Division,” Popular Music 28/3 (2009): 378. ii material lasts until the album One Foot in the North (1991). Much attention has been given to the interconnection between certain visual and lyrical ideas present in the project by Jandek fans; however, Jandek has not been investigated at any great length in music scholarship, popular or otherwise. In part, this investigation contributes to the breadth of popular music scholarship by exploring this underrepresented act. It also delves into the sonic qualities which are intrinsic to Jandek. This type of sonic analysis is performed in order to separate Jandek’s sonic qualities from non-sonic discussions of the project. Finally, this dissertation poses the question of whether or not these qualities are of value to fans and scholars. iii To Richard, for bringing me outside iv Acknowledgements A doctoral undertaking involves an ensemble of players who advise, ask challenging questions of, and in other myriad ways prepare the candidate. I consider myself honoured and grateful to have had such a team. Individually, I would like to thank Dr. Rob Bowman for his early interest in my off-beat topic, for the boundless enthusiasm he expresses while teaching, and for his patience with me despite my many stumbling drafts. I thank Dr. Irene Markoff for sharing her passion and expertise in the area of tunings, temperaments, and transposition, and for her attention to detail. Many thanks as well go to Prof. Rob van der Bliek for his frank, straight- shooting critiques of my work, Dr. Darcey Callison for his valuable input an as outside eye, and Dr. George Plasketes who saw me through my debut and accepted the blazon use of adjectives. I would like to express my gratitude to York University who made my dissertation possible. Special thanks go to the director of the Graduate Program of Music Prof. Michael Coghlan for his candid counsel. And many thanks go to the indispensible Tere Tilban-Rios for her steady navigation through the process. This dissertation comes as a result of the loving support of my family, in particular my husband Richard for his unwavering encouragement, his helpfulness concerning guitar-playing logistics and terminology, and for tuning me in to the weird and woolly world of outsider music. Many thanks also go to my daughter Cypress for her encouragement and daily inspiration. I am also eternally grateful to my mother who has physically and emotionally been there for me throughout this journey, and to my father for his savvy stage-exit tips and advice on how to look good in a floppy hat. I thank the participants who have given their time to discuss Jandek with me, each offering their own unique insights. Many thanks go to Danen Jobe, Seth Tisue, Dr. Lars Iyer, and v Michael Goldman for their individual perspectives. Special thanks go to Naythan Wilson for revealing how important difficult music is for some; and to Phil Milstein for so generously giving his time and expertise, and for his hospitality during my stay in Braintree, Massachusetts. I would like to extend thanks to Rob Clutton for giving me a leg up in what could have become an unfortunate situation, and to Jesse Stewart for helping to organize the Jandek show at Carleton University in Ottawa. Many thanks go to my doctoral mentors: Dr. Amy Peaire for the opportunity to rehearse answers to difficult questions while out of breath and oxygen-deprived from running at ungodly hours of the morning; Dr. Mariam Nargolwalla for her tips on acknowledgements sections of dissertations and their use in defense presentations, and on the navigation of equine acquisitions; and Dr. Sarah Rosloski for her challenging discussions, sage advice, and for her insights into the social meanings of hair colour. Special thanks are also extended to Katherine Clarke and Stina Aurelia for their listening ears and words of wisdom when they were needed most. Many thanks also go to the countless friends, family, and others who have supported me in this journey. Lastly, I thank Corwood Industries for giving me the opportunity to ask on-the-record questions, Sterling Smith for the Ottawa collaboration and the evening at Vineyards in Ottawa, and Jandek for the art. vi Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Intent and Rationale ..........................................................................................................5 1.2 Summary of Chapters ........................................................................................................7 1.3 Locating the Text, Locating the Researcher: Metatextual and Metacontextual Approaches to Knowledge ..............................................................................................11 1.4 Bridging the Gap Between Metatextual and Metacontextual Approaches: Music Analyses as Indicators of Social Meanings ....................................................................12 1.5 A Brief Survey of Popular Music Ethnographies and Auto-Ethnographies ...................17 1.6 Self-As-Text: An Auto-Ethnographic Account...............................................................21 1.7 Early Correspondence .....................................................................................................24 1.8 The Ottawa Jandek Concert ............................................................................................25 Chapter Two: Jandek Overview.....................................................................................................29 2.1 Contextualizing Jandek ...................................................................................................29 2.2 Corwood Industries, Jandek, and Sterling Smith ............................................................29 2.3 Who or What is Jandek?..................................................................................................31 2.4 Going “Real Wild”: Jandek Live ....................................................................................34 2.5 Discourse: Scholarly and Other.......................................................................................35 2.6 Seth Tisue’s “Guide to Jandek” and the Now-Extinct Jandek Mailing List ...................40 2.7 The John Trubee Interview and the Development of the Jandek Mythology .................41 2.8 Jandek’s Cover Art ..........................................................................................................43 2.9 Jandek as a Conceptual Project: “The Purpose of Art” ...................................................44 2.10 Outsider Art and the Craft of Orneriness ........................................................................45 2.11 “Outsider Art”: The Term as it is Used in the Visual Arts .............................................47 2.12 The Dubiousness of Outsider Music ...............................................................................48 Chapter Three: Threads in Jandek’s Studio Works .......................................................................55 3.1 Jandek: Termite or Arachnid? .........................................................................................55