Keiji Haino - Watashi Dake? (1981) [SAA Album Club discussion thread]

dankrsta · 02-12-2011, 02:17 PM

Wow! It took a couple of listens before it started to sink in. I think this album is perfect to apply Cage's quote to, the one that opened this club. I'm paraphrasing: When I tried to ignore it, it was tiring, when I really listened to it, I found it fascinating.

Many of you have already expressed the way I feel about this album. It is cathartic, almost primal in its bareness, raw and gives off an uncomfortable feeling of alienation, deeply seeded. It reminded me immediately of Jandek, specifically on Six and Six, incidentally from around the same time. Like Skaligojurah pointed out, there's something archetypal about a lonely man and his guitar, the same essence that can be found in blues, a direct expression of pain. That's what Haino and Jandek have in common. But, where Jandek emits a formal naivety, interested only in pure emotion, (which in turn can become very tiring and repetitive for the listener), Keiji Haino actually knows what he's doing formally and is choosing to strip down that form in favor of direct, free expression. This, in turn, makes Watashi Dake very unpredictable at times and ultimately more satisfying for me as a listener.

What hit me the most about this album is that it feels like a deeply personal prayer, sometimes, in its most intense moments, like a ritual of self-exorcism. The opening track with all the weeping, screaming, whispering, is almost like some soul from hell, and there's only his voice as the purest instrument. 'Going Home' is the perfect closing, as the title suggests. It's very quiet, evoking some weariness, release and finally peace. And I agree with others that the bonus track 'Sacrifice' just doesn't fit here and I will listen to it separately from now on. But, yes, it's a pure explosive expression of self-destruction.

If I had to rate it, I really wouldn't know how. It just feels so personal and expressive, that if I tried to dissect it formally and 'objectively', it would be like a violation.

But, speaking of ratings, how do you all feel about polls where you can vote for different ratings? Do you want me to start adding them to these discussion threads?

View Poll Results: Rate!
Excellent	3	60.00%
Very Good	1	20.00%
Solid	0	0%
Average	1	20.00%
Poor	0	0%
Crap	0	0%
Voters: 5. You may not vote on this poll

02-12-2011, 02:17 PM	#11 (permalink)
dankrsta ... Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,776	Wow! It took a couple of listens before it started to sink in. I think this album is perfect to apply Cage's quote to, the one that opened this club. I'm paraphrasing: When I tried to ignore it, it was tiring, when I really listened to it, I found it fascinating. Many of you have already expressed the way I feel about this album. It is cathartic, almost primal in its bareness, raw and gives off an uncomfortable feeling of alienation, deeply seeded. It reminded me immediately of Jandek, specifically on Six and Six, incidentally from around the same time. Like Skaligojurah pointed out, there's something archetypal about a lonely man and his guitar, the same essence that can be found in blues, a direct expression of pain. That's what Haino and Jandek have in common. But, where Jandek emits a formal naivety, interested only in pure emotion, (which in turn can become very tiring and repetitive for the listener), Keiji Haino actually knows what he's doing formally and is choosing to strip down that form in favor of direct, free expression. This, in turn, makes Watashi Dake very unpredictable at times and ultimately more satisfying for me as a listener. What hit me the most about this album is that it feels like a deeply personal prayer, sometimes, in its most intense moments, like a ritual of self-exorcism. The opening track with all the weeping, screaming, whispering, is almost like some soul from hell, and there's only his voice as the purest instrument. 'Going Home' is the perfect closing, as the title suggests. It's very quiet, evoking some weariness, release and finally peace. And I agree with others that the bonus track 'Sacrifice' just doesn't fit here and I will listen to it separately from now on. But, yes, it's a pure explosive expression of self-destruction. If I had to rate it, I really wouldn't know how. It just feels so personal and expressive, that if I tried to dissect it formally and 'objectively', it would be like a violation. But, speaking of ratings, how do you all feel about polls where you can vote for different ratings? Do you want me to start adding them to these discussion threads? __________________ Last.fm