Merry Christmas Cassette

[zack26]

Hey everyone

A while back someone started a thread titled “Most Underrated Album” asking what we thought was the most underrated Daniel Johnston tape/CD.  I couldn’t find the original thread, so I’ve started a new one.

I’m really interested in people thoughts on “Merry Christmas”.  I absolutely love this tape - it’s been my favorite for awhile.   It seems to be the somewhat forgotten tape of the Daniel Johnston catalogue.  What I like most about it is that it doesn’t feature Daniel playing any one particular instrument.  There is spoken word (“A Recorded Message”), piano tunes, chord organ tunes, guitar tunes, and one sing along hymn.    It’s kind of like Hi How Are You in that respect.

And the pre-1990 versions of “Held the Hand”, “Don’t Play Cards With Satan” and “Lord Give me Hope” are fantastic (though Lord Give Me Hope is a fairly distorted).

But the real highlights are “Golly Gee”, “Laura Hadley”, and “Wiz Kid” -  three gorgeous heart-breaking songs.  “Golly Gee” was the first song I downloaded on my very first visit to the Rejected Unknown website… I listened to it several times a day for about six months… still one of my favorites. 


Also, does anyone know the history behind the recording of Merry Christmas?  It’s dated 1988 - one of those years I sort of see as a void in the chronology.  The version of “Casper the Friendly Ghost” is the same one with Jad Fair from “It’s Spooky”, though it fades out about two minutes earlier.  I’m curious if all of these recordings are from the same time period of if they were taken from older recordings.

If you don't have this tape, I highly recommend it!

Zack

“Remember… life is only as fragile as your Casper the Friendly Ghost glass….  And if you’re glass breaks, you can be a ghost too.”

[dwillems]

I love this album too!  I only have it on cassette.  Is there anyone out there who could send me mp3s of Laura Hadley, Golly Gee and Wiz Kid?  I'd love to have these songs on mp3...

Please email me at willemsnyc@yahoo.com

Also if you have his duet with Moe Tucker "Do It Right", I only have that on cassette as well..

Thanks!

David

[LuckySperm]

Wow, I never knew he did a duet with Moe.
Where can I find it?

The VU are my favourite band 

[zack26]

It's on "Life in Exile After Abdication"... it was an mp3 of the week a while ago, but it's not up anymore.  Maybe they can put it up again...

[bkeaton]

I'm looking for a copy of Merry Christmas.  MP3's are fine too.  Any info would be great.

[Billy Castillo]

Me too!

fear2stop@yahoo.com

[Billy Castillo]

Good LORD this album is awesome...finally got to hear it all the way through last night and LOVE it. The wife's favorite is "Lord Give Me Hope". My favorite part of the album? The little bit of dialogue about the Casper the Friendly Ghost glass. "Life is as fragile as this Casper the Friendly Ghost glass..." (sips)..."and if this glass breaks, you can be a ghost too". 

[chunk1904]

anyone up for a trade .i dont have  a recording of the christmas tape if you have one let me know if we can set something up.
i have all the other cassets.
los-

[D. Sulpy]

I love this album too!  I only have it on cassette. ...

If you have it on cassette, you have it, since that's the only way it was ever issued.

Boy, I didn't think of that - with the Stress tapes gone, "Merry Christmas" is unavailable... 

[Billy Castillo]

That's a shame, because this is some seriously great work.

[Billy Castillo]

Question..are the versions of "Held the Hand" and "Lord Give Me Hope" the same ones as on "1990"?

[haint]

Both different.

[Billy Castillo]

Really? Okay, I think 1990 is the next album I'm buying!


Thanks for the info!

[PaulTMA]

pauljosephkelly@hotmail.com

Could I be sent these too?  I'm gutted I never ordered one from Stress despite planning to do so for years.