Other Music review

[Gammon Records]

Daniel Johnston is an underground legend of sorts, a strange and singular songwriter and performer who is always name-checked and covered by the "cool" indie artists. Even if you don't own any of his own recordings (many of which were painfully rare self-released cassettes), you likely have heard one of his fragile love songs recorded or encored live by any number of great pop artists. But with a couple of notable exceptions (he has twice recorded actual "studio" albums working with accomplished producers and musicians), Johnston's own recordings are murky and uneven personal expressions, featuring his simple banging piano and child-like vocal wail. His lyrics and melodies are heart-stopping ("Hold me like a mother would, like I've always known somebody should, although tomorrow, don't look that good" from "Living Life") but his performances can test an audience, with a decidedly unpolished folk-art approach. He has reportedly battled mental illness his whole life, and his recordings and occasional live performances are far from professional, but always deeply moving experiences.

Gammon Records, with the cooperation of Johnston, his family, and a bevy of talented fans, has put together this incredible 2-CD tribute album, with 18 artists reinventing their favorite Johnston tracks, and a second companion disc presenting the Johnston originals, most of which appeared only on limited cassette releases, and are long out of print (plus one bonus unreleased recording). This is the best case that I've heard yet for Daniel Johnston as one of the finest songwriters of the modern era. These disparate artists each totally reinvent the songs in their own style, and in every case it sounds like the best tune that they ever wrote. The Eels track actually made me cry, and I'm pretty sure that I don't even like the Eels. Sad, emotional, powerful pop music, in the best sense. What else can I say? This record is wonderful from beginning to end. So many great artists appear that I feel the need to just list them all, and that's enough said: Teenage Fanclub with Jad Fair, Clem Snide, Gordon Gano, Eels, TV On The Radio, The Rabbit, Calvin Johnson, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Sparklehorse with The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Thistle, Vic Chesnutt, Starlight Mints, M. Ward, Guster, Tom Waits... I think you'll like this record. [JM]