Sortie en vinyl le 16 novembre 2009
And Always Was, Daniel adds another chapter to his artistic legend. The Album is a decided step away from the lo-fi homemade recordings for which Johnston is famous. "Everyone needs to take their demos and go back to the studio," says Daniel.
On this album, Daniel allied with the musician and producer Jason Falkner, who is known for his own stellar solo career as well as his work with Beck, Air, and Paul McCartney. With Jason manning the boards, "Is And Always Was" was a project that aimed to take the rock and roll symphonies in Daniel's prolific musical brain and deliver fully-realized and professionally-produced recorded songs. "He possesses that rare individuality that makes the listener wonder where this music comes from," Falkner says of Daniel Johnston. "It was challenging to make our minds work together but I really found myself immersed in his musical world. It's a unique place to live, that's for sure!"
While the Beatles may be an obvious touch point - Johnston has often exclaimed his passion for the Fab Four while Falkner has released two acclaimed Bedtime with the Beatles instrumental lullaby albums - the Is And Always Was sessions were frequented by discussions on the shared appreciation for 70's pop-rock icons such as Queen, Elton John, Wings, and ELO.
The high-level production is matched by top-notch musicianship. Daniel's guitar/piano and vocal melodies are backed by Falkner on guitar, bass, and keyboards with help from Joey Waronker (REM, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins) on drums. As with all Johnston recordings however, it's the only-Daniel-Johnston-could-write-those-lyrics that shines throughout.
On the high-tempo rave-up "Freedom," Daniel sings:
I want to win
Freedom talks of Freedom
I'm just a whim
I'm so trapped in boredom
I touched the shore
How did I get there?
To go away
Just to be nowhere
The album finishes with an epic six minute and thirty-four second masterpiece titled "Light Of Day" where love triumphs and "life's alright."
Took a ride in my car
Traveling far just to see you
I knew nothing about it
Destiny's star guided me to you
Got me thinking life's alright
In the middle of the night
I can see the light of day
Daniel Johnston is 48 now. Within his oversized adolescent frame and underneath that incongruously mopped grey hair lies a history of crash-and-burn volatility which co-exists with prolific creativity in music and the visual arts.
Daniel has said that his goal in life was to become a great artist, and the music was kind of 'accidental'. While he's always received attention for his music, his accomplishments in the art world have come to fruition as well. With exhibits worldwide since the late 80's, Daniel could finally feel he had "arrived" when his art was included in the Whitney Museum Of American art Biennial in 2006. In addition, his first formal table-top art book was released in March of this year.
Little surprises Daniel any more. On the heels of the successful 2005 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Daniel has now signed with Regenerate (independent filmmakers whose most recent release was My Suicide) for the production of a feature length movie about his life.
Now, for the technically savvy, you can even buy an iPhone game that features his art characters and music.
His output has been erratic and his career trajectory unpredictable, but Johnston continues to exert a powerful creative presence despite the demons with which he is beset. Johnston's personal troubles have sometimes overshadowed his music legacy, but they didn't derail his prodigious talents. Listening to the amazing 11-song journey that Is and Always Was, you get the feeling that Johnston is feeling a lot better and that everything is going to be alright.