DANIEL JOHNSTON
REJECTED UNKNOWNb. 1961, Sacramento,
California, USA. A celebrated figure in the US rock underground through
his various activities with small-pressing fanzines and cassette-only
releases, Daniel Johnston is the ultimate "lo-fi'
Syd Barrett. A number of such cassettes were distributed throughout
the early 80s. Featuring cheap keyboards and elementary guitar playing,
the real attraction was Johnston's plaintivevocals, capable of conveying
an alarming level of honesty and emotional depth. His debut, 1980"s
Songs Of Pain, revealed how close to the edge of sanity he was -
hangovers from his fundamentalist background made themselves known
through statements against pre-marital sex and humanity's descent into
decadence as Johnston struggled to explain himself, producing both
pathos and high comedy. Subsequent efforts proved just as harrowing,
particularly the disorientating The What Of Whom. Having moved to
Austin, Texas, by 1985 and with Respect, he had become something
of a cult figure via his exposure on
MTV's Cutting Edge show, but his new-found fame did little to
solidify his state of mind. In 1986 and 1988 his problems resulted in
incarceration. In 1988 Homestead Records issued his first recordings on
vinyl with the re-release of Hi, How Are You. Another powerful
statement, Johnston's songwriting had become more acute and focused,
combining resignatory romance narratives with spiteful attacks on former
employers. It also included the memorable line: "I guess I lean toward
the excessive/But that's just the way it is when you're a manic
depressive", which gave some indication of the artist's state of mind
during its recording. The double set
Yip/Jump Music was performed entirely on
chord organ, and included eulogies to the
Beatles, Danny of
Danny And The Juniors and cartoon character Caspar The Ghost in
addition to God. Both Retired Boxer and Respect were
excellent collections, including typically left-field compositions such
as "I'll Do Anything But Break Dance For Ya, Darling" and "Just Like A
Widow", as well as a cover version of "Heartbreak Hotel" which managed
to sound both offbeat and authentic. Continued Story featured
contributions from Bill Anderson and Rick Morgan to acidic songs such as
"Ain't No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me" and a version of "I
Saw Her Standing There". Though his collaboration with
Jad Fair was not entirely successful, he subsequently secured a new
contract with
Kramer's Shimmy-Disc label. Despite guest appearances with
Sonic Youth among others, his two albums for the label in the early
90s lacked something of the incisiveness of old. In 1994 former Glass
Eye singer K. McCarty recorded an album consisting entirely of Johnston
cover versions (Dead Dog's Eyeball), as Johnston's profile
continued to rise. This was confirmed when he became an unlikely signing
to Atlantic Records in 1994, for whom he recorded a solitary album,
Fun, produced by Paul Leary of the
Butthole Surfers. Following the album's release Johnston was left in
contractual limbo by Atlantic. An album was mooted for release on
Tim/Kerr Records, but the label's closure meant further delays. In the
meantime, Johnston's quirky drawings were exhibited in New York and
Berlin.
Rejected Unknown was finally released by
the Gammon label in 2001. |