By Brian Atkinson
January 04, 2007
ldquo;There are no two Daniel songs that sound alike, rdquo; said Yves Beauvais, who signed Daniel Johnston to Atlantic Records, in a 1994 interview. It rsquo;s true. Sure, raw honesty is a common thread in Johnston rsquo;s music, but his focus shifts seamlessly from hallucinatory philosophy ( ldquo;The Adventures of God as a Young Boy rdquo;) to romantic revenge ( ldquo;Blue Skies Will Haunt You Forever rdquo;) to (many times) depression ( ldquo;Going Down rdquo;).
A true cult hero of independent music ndash; Kurt Cobain famously championed Johnston, who suffers from bipolar disorder, as a favorite songwriter ndash; the debate over this mental health casualty long has been this: mere patient or mad prophet? A good case can be made for both. I Killed the Monster suggests the latter, and backs up the claim with forceful, passionate performances.
It's a follow up to 2004 rsquo;s The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered ndash; a higher profile tribute that featured the likes of Beck and Tom Waits ndash; but it captures Johnston rsquo;s essence more gracefully than its hat-tipping predecessor. Like Johnston himself, most contributing artists here are incredibly talented yet relatively unheralded voices that deserve a broader audience. Chalk one up for the underdog.
- Star-Telegram | 01/04/2007 | It's all music, man!
Hun LeeJust call her "yodelback girl." In her new single Wind It Up , pop star Gwen Stefani samples music and sings lyrics from the unlikely source of The Sound of Music song The Lonely Goatherd...
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