Customer Reviews

Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first heard about Daniel Johnston when I learned that Eels would be contributing a song to this collection, and did some minimal background research on him. What I turned up put him in that category of artists that I permanently mean to "check out sometime."

I didn't even know this album had been released until I saw it on the shelves of my local record store. I picked it up, looked at the artists featured on it, and found several names I'm happily familiar with (Eels, Beck, and Bright Eyes, most notably), and figured that if I were ever going to listen to Daniel Johnston, this would be the way to do it, so I bought the CD and listened that night. I was, quite honestly, blown away.

At first, I was wary of the 2-disc format at such a low price, because I didn't want just two CDs full of exactly the same thing, but despite being technically the same songs, the versions found on the two discs are vastly different from one another, though it's sometimes difficult to pinpoint exactly why. While listening to the originals, I had what seems to be the standard Daniel Johnston first reaction, which is "Man, this guy can't sing, can barely play his instruments...but it seems like there's something I'm missing." As the songs progressed and I grew accustomed to the lo-fi recording (which I'd expected, and in my opinion is an essential part of many of the songs, but still takes some getting used to), I found myself really enjoying the music, more than I could remember enjoying any CD I've heard recently.

The Daniel Johnston Effect is still something of a mystery to me. It's difficult to explain why exactly his songs are so great, especially when held up against the works of similar artists who seem to have so much more going for their recordings, but somehow the humble originals that appear on this set far outshine the more-complex and polished covers, with very very few exceptions (there is only one cover out of 18 that I prefer to the original).

The songs in Discovered Covered are lonely, heartbreaking, and almost childishly optimistic all at once, making this one of those rare albums that can as easily brighten your entire day as bring you to tears. In the liner notes, Eef Barzelay says that Johnston's songs "should never be dismissed as crazy or kitschy because they illustrate what a real, beating heart truly looks like." I couldn't agree more.

"My fame is spreading cross the land/my life is starting over again," sings Daniel Johnston at the start of this unusual tribute album. Surprisingly, it stands way above your average tribute album, most of which involve numerous mediocre bands covering old favorites. But here the selection is excellent, and the choices are

The first disc here is a selection of several songs by Johnston, with his lo-fi indiepop, wavery instrumentation and high vocals. Songs like "My Life is Starting Over Again" highlight his poppier melodies, while more melancholy songs like "Dream Scream" deal with the sadder aspects of love, breakups and reminiscences.

The second album is the true tribute material: the very same songs are covered by myriad singers and bands. Bands such as Beck and Bright Eyes stick closely to the original type of song, although their versions are far more polished. Expect harmonicas and slow-moving melodies. But other bands like TV on the Radio and Mercury Rev give new spins to old tunes. Two of the best are the Starlight Mints' catchily sweet cover of "Dead Lover's Twisted Heart," and Mark Linkous and the Flaming Lips' delicate cover of "Go," sparkling piano and strings taking center stage.

Mark Linkous, frontman of Sparklehorse, definitely knew what he was doing when he co-produced this tribute album. One of the best things is that it allows listeners to know what the songs originally sounded like, while also allowing them to hear the tribute covers. Not a lot of tributes do that, and it adds to the loving feeling of the covers.

Regardless of what the various bands sound like normally, they tone down their sound here. Most of the songs are softer and mellower, and a few of the singers even seem to be imitating the vocal quirks that Johnston had. Thistle and Teenage Fanclub match the faster pace of the original songs, while Tom Waits and Rabbit stick to a rock-ier sound.

"Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered covered" comes across as a labor of love for the offbeat musician, and is an amazing introduction to this music (and the assorted musicians) as well. Definitely worth getting.

Go was my favorite song years before I knew who Daniel Johnston was. I downloaded the Sparklehorse & The Flaming Lips cover on a friend's computer while searching for Flaming Lips songs that weren't on any of their albums. I didn't know who wrote it or why it was recorded. I only knew that it was the most heartbreakingly beautiful song I had ever heard - and I listen almost exclusively to heartbreakingly beautiful songs. If it had been a tape I would have worn it out until the tape player ate it. If it had been a cd it would have been scratched beyond recognition. If it had been a stuffed animal, it would have been missing an eye, had matted fur, and stuffing coming out of the seams. I truly loved it.
My friend's computer crashed, and she lost all her music. And I lost this incredible song, and the loss made it take on a mythical quality. Somewhere out there, it existed. Like a person I had loved, it had changed me, and now it was gone... unattainable. Unrequited. It existed to me only in my memory.
I couldn't find it. I don't know why it was so hard to find, but I looked, and it didn't seem to exist. After a while, I accepted that it was gone, and it would go on without me wherever it was. "I come knocking at your door, you don't live there anymore. Is it just a memory, or am I a little crazy for you?"
Over time, I slowly pieced it all together, but still couldn't find this song and didn't think to check out the man behind it. Then I stumbled upon a Daniel Johnston art exhibit. I thought, Ah, I know what this is. This is that guy. I decided to look again. Maybe it was re-released since the last time I'd looked, but I immediately found Discovered Covered this time. I was elated and ordered it right away.
When I got it, I was overjoyed - I finally had my song back. My long lost love. But it quickly paled in comparison when I heard the album of Daniel's songs. I found myself loving the original version of Go even more than the cover, which I didn't think could be possible.
I didn't have the same reaction most people seem to when they hear Daniel for the first time; he was never weird or alien to me. It was like coming home. He had always been underneith everything I loved, and now I actually had him. The pure, underlying essence itself.
When you take away everything you can, what he is is what you have left. He is the foundation. He's the bones of the whole organism. That's just what he is. It's what he would be even if nobody knew it. Everything else is built up around what he does, while he is made up entirely of what is at the center of all art. His songs are so simple and familiar they almost seem obvious, but nobody else has the ability to just say it like he does.
The potential to dress it up in a million ways is all there, and that's what Discovered Covered does. But ultimately, all of that decoration is unnecessary. It is what lead me to him, but he was what was drawing me in the whole time.

Wow, I thought from the title of this that Daniel had passed away. Glad to discover that that is not the case. I really enjoyed most of the covers but I still prefer the originals myself. They have that Nebraska (Bruce Springstein)intimacy to them which I love. For anyone who likes Daniel Johnston I recommend you go looking for a version of Speeding Motorcyle with Yo La Tengo. (It's on Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo) It is probably my favorite thing he has ever done. Brilliant.

As you all know, Sir Daniel Johnston is the best singer/songwriter of our era. He makes the most beautiful songs and lyrics, however we all know his limitations as far as recording and performing goes. This CD has the best of both worlds. I'm a sucker for covers, I simply love them, and these are all unbelievable covers of some of the best songs ever written. On one side, you've got the covers - it's worth mentioning the mind-blowing True Love Will Find you by Beck and the beautiful Living Life by Eels - and on the other side you have the originals for some nostalgic walkabouts and rainy days. Everyone who's a fan of music should own this. I wish they had a vinyl version.-

We are using the song "Go" as the processional for our wedding.

This album is packed with amazing artists doing awesome covers.

It is really fun to hear Daniel Johnston singing his songs. His voice is somewhat childlike and innocent and his poetry is both funny and poignant. I love to hear him sing "I'm Walking the Cow" because it always makes me smile. I also like most of the covers, especially Beck's cover of, "True Love Will Find You In The End," Clem Snide's, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievience," and Guster's,"The Sun Shines Down On Me." Buy this CD. It will make you happy.

This is the first review I ever write and what better way to start than with an unrecognized artist. I first heard of Daniel Johnson a couple of months ago when the trailer for the documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnson" appeared on apple's website. I since then had probably seen that trailer at least 20 times and after all that those views it stills brakes me down and puts me emotional. I have not seen the documentary yet but I ordered this CD a couple of weeks ago and boy was I shocked. The feelings I achieve from hearing his humble recordings are far greater than I expected, it is very hard for me to cry when watching a movie or even hearing a song, but I couldn't hold it with him and I have to admit I cry more than once while going through these songs. If you carefully listen to "Dream Scream" you can hear Daniel breathing so fast that it makes you feel as if he is going to break down in any second.
"Story of an Artist" and "The sun Shines down on me" are simply beautiful lyrically and melodically and my personal favorites, but all the songs are great except "King Kong" which in my mind can not even be called a song.
Many people would say that he is not a great singer or a good musician and they would be right, but let me tell you this, very few musicians can transmit the type of emotion Daniel can deliver, and that is his true gift.

I really love this CD. While others claimed to have long been a Daniel Johnston fan, I am new to him.

The people who cover him on this CD are just fantastic. I enjoyed the covers better than the orginals by Johnston himself. I think it's because his voice is so odd and the recordings by him are so primitive that I would need to see him in person to get a feel for what he's about. He truly must be an original.

And he's a great song writer--one of the best I've heard of in a while. I hope he continues in the music industry. My favorite song is the cover that Eels does of "Living Life" but all of the songs are terrific.

Not a great one. As an introduction to Johnston, it is adequate. True Love Will Find You In The End makes this cd a must have.