Daniel Johnston - Is and Always Was
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 04:59PM 
If you expected Daniel Johnston to be eternally lo-fi and perpetually at risk of unravelling musically, with records that are little more than snippets of a damaged soul captured on tape cassette in his mum's basement, then this album may come as a shock to you.
It's full band and full throttle, with Beck and Air producer Jason Falkner bringing Johnston's ideas closer to the way he always heard his songs in his own head (and any musician can tell you how wide the disparity can be between what you actually create and what you intended to create). DJ himself is in brilliant voice and sounds like he's revelling in playing with the band. It took me quite a while to get used to the sheer professionalism of the album myself in fact, but I'm really loving it now because the more I listen to it, the more the whole feel of the album is utterly and completely uplifting.
Stand out tracks on the first few listens are the old school jam of Fake Records of Rock n Roll and canine tribute Queenie the Doggie (a song title and subject only someone as perma-innocent as Johnston seems to be could sing with a straight face), as well as the Sesame Street on crack cocaine keyboard riff of 'Without You' which is a bit musically trite but has grown on me.
Where he excels of course is as a unique songwriter, and at this stage he's pretty much a genre to himself. You either hate him, love him, or find the fetishisation of his mental health issues by some fans difficult to stomach. But it's difficult to deny the unblemished honesty of his lyrics and genuineness of his vocal delivery.
Daniel Johnston is playing Edinburgh tomorrow (Wednesday 4th November). Here's what I wrote about his Glasgow gig last year (warning: it all gets a bit emotional) and here are the photos:
Reader Comments (8)
I hadn't given this album a chance, you just reminded me how great the Fruitmarket gig was, defo going to check it out now. All thanks to your kick up the arse
Ah, were you there too? Cool! I think it's worth sticking with it even if you're put off by the production. The songs are still great.
There was a preposterous article in The Guardian the other week*. Its main contention was that people only like the music of Daniel Johnston because of his chronic health problems, and that calling him a genius is somehow to patronise him.
I didn't get this at all. It's like saying people only like Buddy Holly's music because he died in a plane crash at a young age.
Daniel Johnston imho IS a genius. And that's all there is to it. Didn't Howe Gelb once describe Johnston as a "lifer"? (Meaning that Johnston was one of a select few artists he'll be listening to for the rest of his life.)
I refuse to go see Johnston live in case it somehow breaks the spell. I have also passed up chances to see J Spaceman and Todd Rundgren for the same reason.
*I'm not suggesting that it was the only preposterous thing in The Guardian that week. There may have been others!
I agree - like any artist you either get their work or you don't and to suggest so many people would "pretend" to like his music is what's patronising.
Obviously his problems have made his story somewhat unique, leading to the film about him and an explosion in popularity as a direct result, but that's because it brought his great songs to a wider audience, not because everyone was just waiting to jump on some kind of bipolar bandwagon!
He was great last year in Glasgow, and not a disappointment at all but I can kind of see where you're coming from. Sometimes if I've enjoyed a gig I don't want to see the band again in case they're crap next time.
I was indeed there too, I've seen him a few times now (ATP and Indian Summer) and that was by far and away the best show I have seen him play. He's on Marc Rileys show tonight with Laura Marling (in fact he might already have been on), I was going to record, so if you miss it you know where to go....
Aha I may pop over to yours later for that little gem! He did have a good band with him at that gig.
I'm not a massive fan of his. But everything I have heard I have enjoyed. Unfortunately I cannot make his show. However, I will check out this album based on this review. Thanks.
Cool, will be interested to hear what you think Euan.