Daniel Johnston - Beam Me Up!

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2...according to our Clinton on Thu 29 Apr, 2010.

I went to see Daniel Johnston in Leeds last October. The songs he did on his own or with his guitarist were great. Once a band joined in it quickly became terrible. The 'ahem' idiosyncratic vocals seem to work ok with his hotchpotch playing but add in 'proper' musicians and it starts to grate. Here is an album with an orchestra. Not the best idea in the world as Johnston is in worse than ever voice but as usual the strength of the songs shines through - at times theres a fascinating juxtaposition between the upbeat parping and the pained vocals and dark subject matter. He seems to be revisting his back catalogue - one of my long term favourites 'Walking the Cow' is reduced to the sound of a tramp singing a completely different song to a nearby oompah band yet at times still retains its charms. Probably for obsessives only.

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TRACKLISTING:
01 Sarah Drove In Her Car 02 Syrup Of Tears 03 Must 04 True Love Will Find You In The End
05 Wicked World 06 Mask 07 Try To Love 08 Devil Town 09 Love Enchanted 10 Walking The Cow
11 Last Song 12 Beatles

OVERVIEW:
Daniel Johnston, underground artist with cult status releases in 2010 his new album on Hazelwood Vinyl Plastics!

Following his recordings for labels like Homestead, Shimmy Disc, Atlantic, Trikont, and Sketchbook his new album "Beam Me Up!" was created in November 2009, recorded and produced with a veritable orchestra in the Netherlands.

Daniel Johnston is born on the shore of Sacramento River at the onset of the historic sixties. In the early 80s he starts to record his shy songs on cassette. Soon after that, his oddly moving songs are sold at a local record shop, and, the young music station "MTV" features him in 1985. This attract's the attention of the American Underground. Soon after, many artists want to record songs by and with him. But, his disease gets in the way of his career. Manic depression, medication, blackouts and excesses have severe consequences. A visit to a Sonic Youth concert in New York ends up in a disaster. He frightens a woman (whom he believes to be possessed by the devil) so much, that she jumps out of a window and breaks both her legs. On his return from the Austin Music Awards he causes a crash by pulling the key from his father´s small aircraft. Father and son survive slightly hurt. Daniel gains his widest public exposure to date, when, at the 1992 MTV Music Awards, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain (who constantly touted Daniel in interviews) wears a Johnston T-shirt. The "Hi, how are you?" drawing, is still a cult object for shirts and graffiti.
Subsequently he signs with Atlantic Records and releases "Fun" in 1994, selling only a few thousand copies. Once more his career starts to fade, even though his status as a genius songwriter and cult figure is established in the art scene, and, for connoisseurs of music. David Bowie, Beck, Eels, Bright Eyes, TV On The Radio, Sonic Youth, Death Cab For Cutie, Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips, Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and many other famous artists interpret his merciless songs.

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