Why on Earth is this board so dead?

[D. Sulpy]

So... are we the last few Daniel Johnston fans on the face of the planet? Is there some other Daniel Johnston discussion board somewhere that's actually active?

When the latest posts here are responding to a website update made three years ago, it really makes me wonder!

Not only is there little discussion - there's no real news, either (which doesn't help).

His latest album, "Is And Always Was" is two years old now (yes, I'm ignoring "Beam Me Up!!"... that's not an album, it's a coaster). His last single ("Death of Satan") was also in 2009.

I need some new music! Daniel... record something! .

[Stress Records]

Hi Doug,

I've been asking myself the same questions.  Daniel has more fans than ever before so it makes little sense.

If you're on Facebook, I have a fan page here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stress-Records-Museum-of-Love-featuring-the-art-of-Daniel-Johnston/34700824580?ref=mf

There's not a whole lot of discussion but I certainly welcome it and I try to post any relevant news items or something of interest almost every day.  The latest news item is that Daniel will be playing a festival in the UK in August.

Best wishes,
Jeff

PS: In Daniel's defense, I'm pretty sure he's busy these days working full-time on the comic book and that's by his own choice.  

[Thibo]

Apparently, registration is "currently disabled" since a long time.  This won't help this board to coming back to life.

[ghostjr.]

A lot of recordings exist that haven't made it to record. blame it either on A.)  the digital age of downloads killing record purchase, or B.) Some certain weird syndicate of a very small handful of folks that don't want to see anything happen outside of what they had some hand in. Either way Doug, I hope that someone takes a note of your plea. There used to be a record made everyday. Maybe still is (unlikely tho), but the ones that care about it seem not to be taken into consideration.
Bull**** talks and so does money.

[dables]

shoot, I've been trying to spark discussion on this board but nobody responds to **** that I post.

I got something, I ordered a few of the cassette tapes and on my copy of Merry Christmas, several of the songs cut off before they finish, is it supposed to be like that, like did Daniel record it that way or is whoever is making these is not checking to make sure they finish putting the entire song on it?

Also my copy of Hi How Are You on cassette tape has an ENTIRELY different version of Poor You on it then is on the digital copy, that flipped me out.

[Thibo]

I just have Merry Christmas from Yip Eye Tunes, but there is also some songs that cut off abruptly (like "Fool on the hill"). But I think some mistakes are always possibles : on my copy of Retired Boxer and Respect (from the CDR archives), there is a "bonus" track with no sound...

[D. Sulpy]

The only song on my copy of "Merry Christmas" that cuts off is "Fool On The Hill".
Interesting about "Poor You." The one on the CD is 2:03. Which one does that match?

[GregPolard]

I've been getting all my Daniel news from Jeff's Facebook page.  I highly suggest all clicking on that link and hitting "like".  You won't be dissapointed!

[gummomarx]

I got my Merry Christmas tape from Jeff, sounds great and tracks are not cut off. I bought the Yip Eye download version after and found it to be not as good as the tape.

[gummomarx]

P.S. When can I buy Death of Satan LP. Please release it.

[Rob Wheeler]

Doug, just my opinion, but I think the bleak truth is that in the last couple of years for most artists, putting out releases has firmly moved from being less profitable than it used to be, to consistently loss making and counter intuitive from a business sense. For all the talk about moving to new business models and approaches, the basic fact is that getting money in from a release is next to impossible, and the reason is an ever encroaching generation of kids that illegitimately download their releases and a dwindling older generation that still buy them. The sad thing is, the serious fans who come to places like this and most likely buy all the releases legitimately suffer unfairly, because they do not get releases that might otherwise have happened.

Exposure in the media is dominated by sales, and sales are dominated by PR and advertising placed behind acts with broad appeal, and the marginal acts that previously would have maintained a small but income sustaining fanbase find they never have an opportunity to grow and progress into a position where they have some economic security. An artist like Daniel is very fortunate to be in a position where he has earned a huge number of supporters across the media and established pop world who frequently plug him and give him exposure outside of their own commercial remit. Many without this exposure wilt away before they ever have a chance to make the work they otherwise would have done.

As someone who was trying to put together a label that would champion noncommercial fringe artists such as Daniel, I have watch potential project after potential project go down the tubes purely because we know that the sales figures will not even cover the basic costs. System such as 'Kickstarter' and the like look appealing, but when you actually see the amount of money even the big name artists bring in, even when they achieve their targets, it does not always equate to a livable wage.

The other problem with such systems is that it is hard to move quick with them. I recently had a project that I desperately wanted to put to together. The artist was keen, but it never got anywhere near happening simply because you need to have a certain amount of money ready to go before you start negotiating with their management. And when you go in you have to be able to predict that you will generate a worthwhile amount of money from it. Going in and saying "well we might be able to raise $10,000" is not going to impress many people, especially as you have to fund the project out of it and everyone has to take their cut out of that.

Having said that, perhaps it is a good platform for reissues and projects such as Daniel's comic book. Maybe one day we will use it to do a Blu-ray release of 'The Angel and Daniel Johnston - Live at the Union Chapel'. We have HD masters, it would be fairly straightforward to prepare (although still a lot of work and money), but there is little chance we would do it without having the entire run sold prior to production. And would we go to the expense of buying studio time so we could add further bonus material? Again the real fans suffer because we are working on the basis that there are a large number of people who will obtain it via illegitimate means using the reasoning that we will not miss the few dollars we would have brought in from it. Multiply that by thousands of times and everyone involved in making the thing is seriously out of pocket and the producers are saying to themselves "never again..."

[GregPolard]

I mean, as far as actual recorded output, Daniel's last "official" studio album came out in Fall of 2009, so it hasn't even been 2 years.  In today's world, 2 years is a normal gap between releases....in fact anymore it seems more like it's 3 years, given the state of the recording industry.  Having said that...if Daniel isn't going to release new music, I'd love him to tour and play Philadelphia so I can see him perform

[Henry Long]

I've thought about this a lot of late, and have been especially encouraged by Rob's post to respond.

If you look at all that Daniel has been involved in since 2005's "The Devil and..." Documentary, it's overwhelming.

First off, a touring schedule that would have given Hank Williams a heart attack. Then there's the brilliant and beautiful labor of love, "The Angel and Daniel Johnston – Live at the Union Chapel." Major art exhibitions, including the prestigious Whitney Biennale and the wonderfully realized Rizzoli Publication Art Book, collecting hundreds of reproductions. There's an iPhone game. Back to back critically acclaimed rock operas. Dozens of collaborations with a number of musicians, bands, artists and others. Three released albums. At least six or seven side projects with their own releases (or in the can and ready to roll). The gorgeous and under-appreciated Munster Records box set. The Hihowareyou Radio Shows. Television appearances, interviews, you tube clips, toys, greeting cards, tote bags, and the "Infinite Comic Book of Musical Greatness!" And there's still MORE coming! All this, in six years!

I'm sure I've missed dozens of other Daniel related projects, but you get the idea.

If anything, I believe there has been a media glut which has never really subsided. There is more information and access to Daniel's music than at anytime in his career!

Part of the original mystique of discovering Daniel, for me, was the unknown elements. Who IS this guy? What's the story behind these amazing lo-fi recordings? What is that sound? There was always this mythic aura to his music, out of time, where one had to just listen, headphones on as tight as possible, and glean what they could from ordering the tapes through Stress and pouring over every hand written word from Jeff on the back of the sales receipt when they arrived in your mailbox! 10 or 15 years ago, when "Daniel Johnston" was searched for online, you'd get a mailman from Nebraska and a photo of some Civil War soldier. That was it! Now, well, just go ahead. Google him. It's like figuring pi: it doesn't end.

As for the board, there is so much information scattered throughout here, that there is simply no humanly possible way to make any sense of it. I know something more streamlined and updated is coming soon, with more direct input from those around Daniel. But for now, the Museum of Love has so many wings and satellites of products, details and data, that one could get lost in there for years. Not necessarily a bad thing.

I recently have been going back to those early tapes, again, and yes, it is true. He IS better than any of us imagined. (Well, I'm sure Jeff T. imagined it, or he would not have poured out so much of his blood and sweat and tears to make Daniel's music available to whoever wanted to hear it.) Listen again to the incredible balance of confidence/vulnerability on "Frankenstein Love." An under-rated live masterpiece.

Who needs more talk? Who needs more extrapolation? Just pop in the tapes and hit play, and be reminded of why we call ourselves fans.

Meanwhile, we'll be here, keeping the torch burning for all who wish to enter.

PS: Here's something fun to go along with your Rapture: http://youtu.be/KMQkox6d1rQ

[GregPolard]

Very well put Henry.  Having said that though, I just wish this board had more traffic

[gina164]

Beep! beep!   traffic. . . Coming through!    Aloha fellow fans!