Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising and incredible., October 1, 2004
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.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My life is starting over again, January 14, 2005
"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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Daniel lives!!!!, May 5, 2005
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.
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