• News

• All

Jun 03, 2010 Daniel Johnston By John Everhart

Following two decades of critical and peer adulation, Daniel Johnston began to capture mainstream attention with the release of the 2005 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. Heightened interest in his artwork followed, and a few of his drawings were even exhibited during the 2006 Whitney Biennial. Now, the Texas songwriter’s seminal early canon is getting a long overdue 6-LP/CD deluxe box set treatment titled The Story of An Artist. It features his six cassette-only albums recorded between 1980 and 1983, mainly recorded on a “$59 Sanyo jam box and the cheapest tape he could find,” according to longtime Johnston friend Jeff Tartakov of Stress records. That takes the Minutemen’s “Jam Econo” ethos to another level. The set is due to be released June 22 on Munster. Details are below.

DISC 1 - SONGS OF PAIN
1. Grievances
2. A Little Story
3. Joy Without Pleasure
4. Never Relaxed
5. Brainwash
6. Pothead
7. Wicked World
8. Lazy
9. I Save Cigarette Butts
10. Like A Monkey In A Zoo
11. Wicked Will
12. An Idiot’s End
13. Wild West Virginia
14. Since I Lost My Tooth
15. Urge
16. Living Life
17. Tuna Ketchup
18. Premarital Sex
19. Don’t Act Nice
20. Hate Song

DISC 2 - DON’T BE SCARED
1. Going Down
2. Lost Without A Dame
3. Harley Man
4. Evening Stars
5. Something More
6. Cold Hard World
7. I Had A Dream
8. The Story Of An Artist
9. My Yoke Is Heavy
10. Stars On Parade
11. And You Love It
12. I Had Lost My Mind
13. The Sun Shines Down On Me
14. Loner
15. I Don’t Want To Be Scared
16. Lullaby
17. I Was Alone
18. Mother Mom Said

DISC 3 - THE WHAT OF WHOM
1. Man Obsessed
2. Peek-a-boo
3. Never Before/Never Again
4. The Goldfish & The Frog
5. Scuttle-butt
6. Heart, Mind & Soul
7. Blue Clouds
8. Surely You Don’t Work All Night
9. I Can’t Think Anymore
10. Excuse Me
11. Polka Dot Rag
12. Why/Without You
13. An Incoherent Speech
14. Wicked World
15. To Go Home
16. Scrambled Eggs
17. Peace & Tranquility
18. When You’re Pretty

DISC 4 - MORE SONGS OF PAIN
1. Phantom Of My Own Opera
2. Man At War
3. Only Missing You
4. More Dead Than Alive
5. I Will
6. Poptunes
7. You Put My Love Out The Door
8. You’re Gonna Make It Joe
9. Theme For Grievances
10. Never Get To Heaven
11. Follow That Dream
12. POW
13. For The Love Of Pete
14. Blue Cloud
15. Grievances Revisited
16. True Grief
17. My Baby Cares For The Dead
18. Mabel’s Grievances

DISC 5 - THE LOST RECORDINGS I
1. Take A Little Walk
2. Before It’s Too Late
3. Oh What A Wonderful Feeling
4. I’d Like To Say Goodbye
5. That’s Silly
6. There Ain’t Much You Can Do
7. I’m A Song
8. You Should Have Been My Wife
9. You Ruined It For Yourself
10. Once Upon A Dream
11. I Love You
12. Scattered Like Birds
13. More About Wicked Will
14. Good Luck
15. Got To Go On
16. It’s Real
17. If You Were Here Today
18. Girlfriend
19. Void (Space For The Memories)
20. Sad And Lonely
21. I’m Nervous
22. Cosmic Kid
23. Never Die
24. Kiss Me Again
25. I Wish I Could Call You
26. Love Is Weird
27. Burn Baby Burn
28. No Fun
29. Art Peace
30. Instrumental

DISC 6 - THE LOST RECORDINGS II
1. All Around The World
2. You’re Not Laura (After You’re Gone)
3. I’m Gonna Buy Me A Car
4. Out West
5. The Undertaker’s Assistant
6. Dreams Come True
7. Mean To Me
8. Fly Me To The Moon
9. Love Defined
10. Love
11. How I Love That Organ Music
12. We Could Be Together Again
13. Happy Talk
14. The Miracle Of Love
15. Who Killed The Monkey
16. The Wedding
17. Unfinished Symphony
18. Blue Cloud
19. I Never Meant To Be Spooky
20. Dream Lover
21. What’s A Matter With Me
22. If I Kissed You Once
23. I Give Up
24. Lonely Orphan On The Run
25. The Goat Show
26. You’ve Got A Funny Sense Of Humor
27. Last Song For You