The Ruins of Adventure is the 49th album by avant-

Avant-garde

Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....

folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

/blues singer/songwriter Jandek

Jandek

Jandek is the musical project of an anonymous outsider musician who operates out of Houston, Texas. Since 1978, Jandek has self-released over 60 albums of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk and blues songs without ever granting more than the occasional interview or providing any biographical...

, the 45th 'studio' album released by Corwood Industries

Corwood Industries

Corwood Industries is a Houston, Texas-based company whose only output would appear to be the music of Jandek. It is not known what other ventures, if any, that Corwood Industries may be involved with....

 around December 2006 (#0787).

Music Notes

After a few consecutive live releases, this album finds the artist back in a good sounding studio playing solo fretless bass and vocals. In contrast with the more expansive live work that had been recently released, this album was denser, with long songs describing a man building a park that nobody else could go to ("The Park") to extremely harsh blasts at various individuals, finishing with the declaration that he will "not fall into your stinking hole." It is closer in sound to such studio albums as Shadow of Leaves

Shadow of Leaves

Shadow Of Leaves is the 36th release by avant-folk/blues singer/songwriter Jandek, released by his own Corwood Industries label . It is his first release of four released in 2004, and the second album to feature his voice accompanied by solo fretless electric bass, though the lyrics are darker and...

, though the bass work here is somewhat different, more languid than before. Vocally the album toys with several singing styles, including a howling blues vocal but also a more spoken voice that sets up long runs of image-filled lyrics.

Track listing

1. "The Park" — 10.08
2. "Bluff Brink" — 8.10
3. "Completely Yours" — 7.10
4. "Mysteries of Existence" — 6.42
5. "The Ruins of Adventure" — 14.28