Daniel Johnston is going to divide people on where (if anywhere) his talent lies. His ability to sing is questionable and his playing is (barely) functional at best.

Daniel Johnston’s life and work has been marked by his bi-polar disorder since the beginning of his career. Johnston’s personal problems always seemed to me to be the main selling point of his work. The way people seemed to only find his music pleasurable or remarkable in the context of a man with extreme personal problems, always struck me morally questionable. Once you get past the surface image and dig deeper into the songs on the 2006 retrospective “Welcome To My World”, you begin to see a unique talent struggling to focus his energies in a productive way. This collection covers mainly covers Johnston’s early recordings, with three tracks from his album 1990 and some from his Laurie EP.

The first hurdle that you will most likely have to get over is the fact that the recordings sound like shit, as the majority of songs present were recorded on very basic equipment in Johnston’s Home. Johnston’s voice is also very raw. He can hold a tune but over the course of this collection, you will find many occasions where he’s totally off. You may also have a problem with the lyrics and how “childlike” they are.

Once you get into the album though, you will see that all of these things are all part of who Daniel Johnston is as a musician and will probably see them as a plus, eventually. One of the things that Daniel Johnston has going for him in large quantities is his complete enthusiasm, the unselfconscious nature of his music and his performances. He totally believes in everything he sings and there is an authenticity that is hard to fake. This isn’t making excuses either. There are some great melodies and turns of phrase that will creep up on you as you listen. One in particular is Living Life which speeds along and manages to combine Johnston’s strange rhymes with a song that hooks you in and calls your humming centre into action. Its simplicity is a positive here.

“Hold me like a mother would
Like I always knew somebody should
though tomorrow don’t look that good
Well, it just goes to show

Though people say we’re an unlikely couple
I’m seeing double of you

Oh.

This is life
This is life
And everything’s all right
Living living living living living living living living life”

In spite of his problems, Daniel Johnston is still performing live.
Here is a version of Living Life from 2008.

When the quality of the recording improves, it is clear that Johnston’s voice can definitely deliver. It’s thin and it’s fragile but it goes hand in hand with the material. Probably his best known song, True Love Will Find You in the End manages to combine the brilliance found on the early recordings with a radio friendly single. Haunting and brief, it is something which has probably been used for thousands of Emo flavoured affairs and yet it still retains a commanding presence.

Some Things Last a Long Time, also from 1990 hits the same spots.

Some Things Last a Long Time 2008

Johnston’s humour is evident from the off, toy sounds introduce the earlier recordings and the topics are odd. Casper the Friendly Ghost is particularly amusing.

The problem with Daniel Johnston is always going to be the fact that the kind of music he makes, the way in which he sings it and the lyrics he uses are destined for a niche audience. I get why people are fascinated with him now but I didn’t for a long time. I’m not sure this collection would change your opinion if you don’t like what you’ve heard above but it is a thoughtful release and something which gathers most of Johnston’s best work. What I would suggest is that if you find him intriguing but musically unappealing then you should try and see the Sundance Documentary Directing Award winning, The Devil and Daniel Johnston.

Bugul

• BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
• « REVIEW: Lou Reed– “Coney Island Baby”
• » New Dark Knight Poster/ TV Spots

• BROWSE / IN Music Reviews
• « REVIEW: Lou Reed– “Coney Island Baby”
• » REVIEW: The Tony Bennett and Bill Evans Album