Daniel Johnston first made his reputation in the 1980s with ultra low-budget homemade recordings that sounded as rickety as his notoriously fragile psyche. As Johnston's cult following has grown with the years, those early efforts have continued to define his approach in the studio for good or ill, as attempts to craft more professional albums have found him collaborating with sympathetic musicians attempting to make sense of his idiosyncrasies (most notably Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse on 2003's Fear Yourself), or working with producers trying to create a hi-fi replication of Johnston's early cassettes (something Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers did with surprising success on 1994's Fun). But with Is and Always Was, producer Jason Falkner has embraced a new approach; seemingly ignoring the artist's past work, Falkner has given Johnston's melodies a polished pop sound that reveals just how good the tunes can sound when given the right treatment. Falkner not only produced Is and Always Was, he handled most of the instruments himself (Joey Waronker play drums on six tracks) and in his hands, there's nothing halting or tentative about the songs -- these melodies are smart, energetic, and engaging, and with this treatment, Johnston's music sounds like potential hit single material for a change, especially on "Without You," "High Horse," and the title track. However, all that changes when Johnston starts to sing -- earlier attempts by producers to reach some middle ground with his music have given his quavering and uncertain vocals a reasonably fitting context, but the sheen and snap of Falkner's backing tracks make for an uneasy balance with his voice, which has developed a slight lisp while also showing the wear brought on by smoking along with its usual uncertainties. "Queenie the Doggie," a tribute to a departed pet, sounds as if its naiveté is more than a bit forced, and "Fake Records of Rock & Roll" suggests Daniel's familiarity with oogie rock is pretty sketchy, but otherwise this is a fine collection of new songs from Johnston, deeply personal but fascinating in their stark emotional honesty and surprisingly witty. But until Johnston's craft as a vocalist can rise to the level of Falkner's well-crafted soundscapes, he's going to sound out of place on his own albums if he keeps making records like Is and Always Was.
Daniel Johnston Is And Always Was(October 6, 2009 - Eternal Yip Eye Music)Every mind is an island - a landlocked island surrounded by walls: knee walls, great walls, or middling, porous walls that filter the stuff of daily life. It's the last one that most people are born with (or build up). This one renders "balance," "normalcy," "functionality." In short: sanity.An abundance of trouble awaits...
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The beauty of Daniel Johnston’s famed early work resides in the way in which the atmosphere reflected and imbued the involved emotion. He sung about being lonely, and – with just one organ and one voice on the recordings – he sure sounded it. He sung about being misunderstood, and – with a chillingly childlike…
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On his first album in 6 years, Daniel Johnston plunders his record collection but doesn't come up with all that much.Daniel Johnston occupies an interesting place in popular culture. He became widely known from a t-shirt Kurt Cobain wore a lot in public in 1992, but had been plying his trade in the American indie music scene for about a decade by then. Releasing his mainly home recorded tapes (...
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The beauty of Daniel Johnston’s famed early work resides in the way in which the atmosphere reflected and imbued the involved emotion. He sung about being lonely, and – with just one organ and one voice on the recordings – he sure sounded it. He sung about being misunderstood, and – with a chillingly childlike…
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Daniel JohnstonSongwriting cult hero Daniel Johnston is set to put out a brand new full-length album later this fall, his first such album in six years. The new 11-song record, titled Is and Always Was, will be hitting stores on October 6th via Johnston's own Eternal Yip Eye Music label.Is and Always Was is to be a step away from the low-fi, homemade recordings for which Johnston has become f...
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Daniel Johnston (pictured) will be heading out on tour this fall in the US and in Europe. His tour kicks off on September 3 in Portland, Oregon and ends November 11 in The Netherlands. According to his publicist, Is and Always Was, Johnston's first studio album in 7 years, is set for release in October this year. More details on the tour can be found at his official website. Vic Chesnutt will r...
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Texan bi-polar musical mastermind Daniel Johnston stands on the precipice of an all-new album release. Rejoice! Is and Always Was will be making its retail appearance from October 6 via Eternal Yip Eye Music and High Wire Music. For the endeavour, he'll be teaming up with Beck collaborator Jason Falkner as his producer and assistant instrumentalist.
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Daniel Johnston Is And Always Was(October 6, 2009 - Eternal Yip Eye Music)Every mind is an island - a landlocked island surrounded by walls: knee walls, great walls, or middling, porous walls that filter the stuff of daily life. It's the last one that most people are born with (or build up). This one renders "balance," "normalcy," "functionality." In short: sanity.An abundance of trouble awaits...
More >
Daniel Johnston has announced a few details about his forthcoming album due out later this year.Johnston is set to release his new album, ‘Is And Always Was‘, on October 6 via Eternal Yip Eye Music/High Wire Music.The musician teamed-up with solo artist/Beck collaborator Jason Falkner on the forthcoming album.Johnston has also dates for a forthcoming world tour.The jaunt is set to kick off Sep
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On his first album in 6 years, Daniel Johnston plunders his record collection but doesn't come up with all that much.Daniel Johnston occupies an interesting place in popular culture. He became widely known from a t-shirt Kurt Cobain wore a lot in public in 1992, but had been plying his trade in the American indie music scene for about a decade by then. Releasing his mainly home recorded tapes (...
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Is And Always Was is everything we have come to love and expect from Daniel Johnston, yet somehow so much more. Ryan Butcher reviews.
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mp3:Daniel Johnston – Without YouDaniel Johnston has long been, based on appearance and demeanor, perhaps the least likely indie icon of his generation. Between Kurt Cobain’s affinity towards wearing his ‘Hi, How Are You’ t-shirt and 2006’s documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, the eccentric and at times disturbed songwriter has occasionally flirted with mass [...]
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Yesterday evening, I managed to get myself a ticket for Daniel Johnston's early show at The Mod Club in Toronto. Not sure what I was expecting exactly, but after listening to his latest record Is And Always Was (buy here) about 5 times in the past few days, I knew that I would absolutely enjoy this experience. I wasn't wrong.Unfortunately getting there too late to catch any of the opening bands...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Mind Movies |
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| 2 Fake Records Of Rock And Roll |
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| 3 Queenie The Doggie |
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| 4 High Horse |
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| 5 Without You |
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| 6 I Had Lost My Mind |
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| 7 Freedom |
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| 8 Tears |
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| 9 Is And Always Was |
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| 10 Lost In My Infinite Memory |
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| 11 Light Of Day |
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 "Is and Always Was")
