Fan Reviews of Discovered/Covered

[Henry Long]

The new Blender with Hilary Duff on the cover (I know...I know) has the new release reviewed. It's under "Various Artists" in their alphabetical Guide, and they give it **** out of ***** stars (Score: "Great. Check it out")

Here it is, word for word:
(I tried the website but it isn't updated yet, so here we go...)

No Pic

"Beck, Death Cab for Cutie and friends drop by for tribute to a (certifiable) Texan oddball."

"Daniel Johnston's not dead, he's just a mess. A brilliant songwriter cursed with serious mental illness and a lisping whinny, he started selling homemade cassettes of his profound, grimly funny, pain-wracked songs in the early 80's; his biggest fans tend to be other musicians. By and large, the contributors here (assembled by Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous, who appears with his new side project Rabbit and the Flaming Lips) treat Johnston's halting, obsessive melodies to lavish pop arrangements - proving the sturdiness of the source material, while making it a bit easier to love. (There are a few other approaches, too, notably Thistle's raucous, Blondie-style "Love Not Dead" and Calvin Johnson's spookily low-tech "Sorry Entertainer.") For the uninitiated, a second disc includes Johnston's agonized original versions of all these songs."-Douglas Wolk"

"Download These: "King Kong"(Tom Waits), "Walking the Cow" (TV ON the Radio)"



....so that's it. The New Blender Review of The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered/Covered.

Class, discussion?
I mean, it's a "good" review and all, although it seems to leave out a hell of alot. However, out of 155 new releases reviewed, NONE got 5 stars, and only 14 received 4, including Tom Waits (Real Gone) and Elvis Costello (The Delivery Man). Not bad company.

I expect my copy to arrive by Tuesday. I will post my review right here as well, so let's keep adding our reviews to THIS post, make it all in one tidy place, okay?

As for the expected promos, posters and stuff, mentioned earlier in this very forum by Gammon Records...as of 09-18-04, (one business day before the official release): Zero. Zilch. Nada.

I will be taking my copy of the CD to the local radio stations (WVUD, WXPN) and have a sound write up for the indie record stores around here and Philadelpia, but it woulda been NICE to be able to give these people a little a cardboard poster or something to stick on the walls to arouse local curiosity and interest.

(Maybe I'll xerox one of my bought-and-paid-for Daniel drawings, scribble some album info on it with a sharpie, and stick them up with a staple gun or some ****)

Okay, later all.

[wickedwill]

Yeah,Henry i got the same amount of promo stuff you got ZERO! After sending my E-mail 3 times in total i got a *ahem* response that the money was being spent in other areas of promotion and since i did not like the Gordon Gano song that maybe the cd "was not for me"
I wonder what the folks who offered to let me hang some promo stuff up ask me about it and i just tell them "its not for you"
Oh well no harm done i suppose but it would have been nice to be able to promote it on a "grass roots" level liked discussed I just hope the only music store in town where i was supposed to hang the promo stuff gets my order right and gets it here on time!!! Small college town living can suck when it comes to getting music.
Well its just a matter of days..............

I guess we can see all the promo stuff looked like on e-bay so thats a plus!
**** i may even order one.............

[the messenger]

I guess we can see all the promo stuff looked like on e-bay so thats a plus

Promo stuff? What promo stuff?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I vividly remember Jordy telling people that he would be sending out promo stuff to all who were interested...all the promises to hype the album, and not a damn thing to show.  Yet Dejected is singing Gammon's praises...?  

[dbeefy]

but at least they put the CD out  

[dbeefy]

actually, to qualify, it'll be interesting to see what promo stuff Gammon do in the next few weeks. . .

(surely there will be some)

[dejected]

It's hard to imagine that there is space in anyone's schedule to deliver "promo" packets to "whoever asks" - but as some indication what is happening, I am receiving almost daily updates from FanaticPromotions who are promoting the CD, and almost daily leads for interviews, etc.

This CD, for instance, has the widest retail distribution of ANY Daniel Johnston album ever ALREADY, was released in Japan and Europe several weeks ago, and they have already bottomed out inventory and are doing a second pressing.

The fact of the matter is that a LOT is going to fall between the cracks, because even with three or four of us working "full time" at all this, it's coming too fast and furious.

This is all good, of course, but I may not always "look" good.

[Henry Long]

Jordy-

   Congratulations! Discovered Covered is a wonderful tribute to an amazing artist. The songs on disc 2 sound really awesome! The covers are great! (I’ll go into more details in a later post about those.) In fact, it’s such a respectful package, that it disturbs me all the more to see SO MANY blatant typos, misspellings and incorrect wordings throughout the whole thing!

   You’ll be hearing all about these, I’m sure, and I’m not gonna point each and everyone out here, but there are at least 15 in the liner notes (including a song title!) that really stick out and should have been caught by a proof-reader prior to printing.

I have to ask about this one:

"EXPLOITION???"
What the ****? That's not a word! Do you mean EXPLOITATION? If you do, that's REALLY REALLY the wrong word to associate with this "tribute!"

   If you intend to reprint the package in the future, contact me! I will eagerly assist you for free in the minor editing, spelling, and grammar rules that can make all the difference in such a professional project.

   I really don’t want to come off un-appreciative, man. There's nothing worse than someone who just sits back and criticizes without putting in the time. It  is a GREAT thing to finally have this music coming from my speakers, believe me. I love the all the extras, and I have total respect for all the hard work that went into making this happen. As someone who spends a lot of time at a different kind of keyboard, I just tend to notice things like this, and it kills me.

That's it. I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't say something. Please consider it constructive and not a dis, okay? Peace.

[Gammon Records]

Thanks for your input Mr. Long.

[wickedwill]

Jordy,
Indeed you pulled it off i am pleased with the whole package (not that it matters) but i will give you the props you deserve and you do deserve them on this. Cant really say much about the covers have not had alot of time to listen but the originals does sound really,really good! The extras were a real treat and i really enjoyed them. The cd as a whole is great and was worth the wait.

About the cover when i went to pick up my copy the guy said to me "did i miss something, when did he die" to which i just shook my head and said "he didnt"

Yeah i am a asshole and dont like the cover but other then that its a real well put together project.

                                                                 Thanks,
                                                                  Wickedwill

[Gammon Records]

You're not an asshole at all.  Thank you for the kind words.  This project took me over two years to put together, it comes from my heart. We will all feel one way or another about the project.  I just hope you'll all love the music because thats what it comes down to for me. Well that and all things Daniel.

  Enjoy

[mark]

just listened to late great & rate it trippin good. i remember hearing some of those songs in dan's basement in w.va. many years ago on an old piano. now to hear someone like tom waits do a wild, primal version of 'king kong' & beck's straight ahead 'try love...' is a mind blow.

[dejected]

I was REALLY surprised that ANYONE undertook KING KONG (although Jad Fair did at one point) - but Tom Waits did a terrific job of pulling it off - it is LENGTHY and almost a trance-state "chant", etc.   The length makes it hard to pull off, but connecting the "story", the rhytmic repetition and making it work is a commendable feat!  

I would suggest that only great musicians can pull that kind of thing off and make it rock.  Waits did well.

[dbeefy]

"you know that feeling when you finally get something you've been waiting for..."

First, I know that the international orders of the CD were sent out a few weeks ago - I've had to wait longer since I've been moving house (heck, actually moving cities , from London to Cardiff), so it was sent to my folks'place,  but to cut a long story short, I am about to listen to the Covers CD. Followed by the originals. Quite a lot of these songs will be new to me, since I'm a recently-converted fan.

But wow, am I looking forward to this or what    

Thank you in advance Daniel &family, Gammon records and all the artists who contributed. I'm proud just looking at the package.
(earphones on, presses play...)

[Henry Long]

I have lived with it. Spent time with it. Slept with it, as one should with poetry and art. It's been a few weeks, now I'm ready...

About the MUSIC-

Put on Disc 2 (Originals) first. What can be said about this? It is nice to have a sort of official Daniel mix tape. Some songs sounded almost like alternative takes. All sounded better than my old tapes, that's for sure.
I'd be interested in what the 50 other songs were that Jordy shopped around.
 
Then I put in Disc 1 (Covers) Sat like dbeefy did with the headphones on. Cranked it. Played it again. Had friends over with it on...here we go...

track 1: Teenage Fanclub with Jad Fair
My Life is Starting Over Again
Fun, upbeat, nice sentiment and introduction to the project.

track 2: Clem Snide
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievience
Authentic, with feeling. Vocals sound committed, sweet, sincere. I will investigate Clem Snide further having listened to this.

track 3: Gordan Gano
Impossible Love
Channeling a shiny happy Lou Reed? Awesome! Teeth gritting, soul bared, interpreting this obsessive love impossible. Nice violin. Cool slide. Great mix in the headphones.  Perfect lead up to the fade out. A+!

track 4: Eels
Living Life
Tearful. Heart wrenching. Mr. E owns this one! One of the best tracks, as well as one of the best Eels efforts on record. A great guy, a great band, a real treat to see live. Only other covers I've heard him do are "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash and "I'm a Loser" by the Beatles. Not bad company. Buy an Eels CD today!!!

track 5: TV on the Radio
Walking the Cow
Odd, but interesting from a buzz band. I like that they kept this one pretty close to the original, both in feeling and delivery. Sounds like Peter Gabriel with a hangover at times. Hmm. Prefer Pearl Jam's version.

track 6: The Rabbit
Good Morning You
Could be a hit from an 80's Earth alternative universe!  Nice guitar work. You can dance to it. Very colorful in a Teletubby kind of way. Makes me happy in a medicated vibe.

track 7: Calvin Johnson
Sorry Entertainer
A lost in the stars Kurt Weil kinda thing going on here. Very theatric, sparse, spooky protest lounge. Could have been an outake from an art school 3 Penny Opera parody. I imagined Nick Cave holding a cigarette and sitting perfectly still on a wooden stool while playing this.

track 8: Bright Eyes
Devil Town
Some nice sonic stuff going on here in the background. Love the bridge of agonizing guitar squelch. It makes me almost believe in Conor Oberst.

track 9: Death Cab for Cutie
Dream Scream
Sure. Why not. A little saccharine for my tastes, but that’s the way the song goes. I like the feedback and sluggish drums ALOT. Hyperjinx!!!

track 10: Beck
True Love Will Find You in the End
Brilliant. Bare. Timeless. Could have been the best song on “Sea Change.” Love the way he drags out the vocals, like the way he sings the phrase “...true love finds you innnnn the ennnnnnnnd.” Harmonica is beautiful. Persuasive. Almost spiritual. A masterpiece. ****ing perfect.

track 11: Sparklehorse with The Flaming Lips
Go
Well, here is the other masterpiece of the record. Go. Go. Go, you restless soul. I love the sincerity, the slowed down tempo, Wayne’s vocals, Mark’s quote. This should be used in a major motion picture like “Garden State” during the closing credits. Glockenspiel!!!

track 12: Mercury Rev
Blue Clouds
Think I shall go out and get Mercury Rev CD’s this payday. I like the 60’s echo/reverb feel to this production and the way the sound builds. This band is popular with my hipster friends.

track 13: Thistle
Love Not Dead
First off, go get J.T. LeRoy’s remarkable, original “Sarah,” one of the most daring and non-middle-mind novel’s I’ve read in a long time. 2nd, the pop CBGB Blondie/Ramones thrust is infectious and works perfectly with Daniel’s song. They really make it theirs.
P.S. When I cranked it up, I thought I saw Molly Ringwald dancing like a white girl in my hallway. (Too much Diet Coke???)

track 14:
Vic Chesnutt
Like a Monkey in a Zoo
Sound’s like this master wordsmith wrote it! He really brings a level of well deserved respect to the song. A man in a wheelchair singing about being in a metal cage. The irony does not escape me. Like this? Pick up his under- rated “Salesman and Bernadette” or “Silver Lake.” You’ll be hooked.

track 15: Starlight Mints
Dead Lover’s Twisted Heart
Should be in a David Lynch film. I’m happy they chose this over “Rocketship.” I like that it is not overly long. Just a strange little twisted murky gem.

track 16: M. Ward
Story of an Artist
A little too much, maybe. A somewhat overly self-indulgent moment for Daniel, which translates the same. Pretty, though. Like that Glen Campbell la-da-da, da-da strumming at the end.

track 17: Guster
The Sun Shines Down on Me
A slow dance of hope and optimism with the girl of your dreams. The punch is spiked. Maybe she will kiss you. The mirrorball shines down on you. Ringo drums. For tonight, all is right with the world. (Omigod! Her hand is on my...)

track 18: Tom Waits
King Kong
The other other masterpiece on this CD. It says alot about Daniel and Daniel’s vision that Mr. Waits follows the original form through the whole thing. Cool minimal post-modern guitar. Spoken word in a smokey bar. Classic Waits. Killer. Take no prisoners.



So, that's what I think. There's a list of other musicians in my "dream" Discovered Covered, of course. Evan Dando, Neil Young, Arab Strap, Butthole Surfers, and so on for a hour or so. Maybe volumn 2!!! Overall, a great effort, worth every cent, and sure to change the world.

Speaking of which...

for our American Forum Fans: Don't forget to VOTE! And take a friend with you!!! (and read the ballot CAREFULLY this time, okay?)

Henry