Daniel Johnston Mixtape

Making a compilation which best surmises DJ's talents / insanity is difficult for several reasons. For one, he has a lot of albums with a LOT of songs, and there is often a distinct sound to each one, particularly those recorded in the 90s and onwards with real...better musicians. To put it another way, smudging together a song recorded as a demo on an old cassette recorder in a basement in Texas in 1985 and a song recorded in a studio on a budget of more than $0 often sounds bad, and accentuates neither songs' best features. Then there are the little 'skits' which occupy about half the total track time on each early album: recordings made of the young Johnston's interactions with family, friends, and his beloved Laurie, not to mention garbled sound effects and child's toys ("the coyote goes...hroooowwwwwww"). The lad was nothing if not a passionate archivist, but they hardly contribute to a cohesive mix.

Furthermore, since Danny's influential music reads almost in biographical harmony with his personal mental health, it's hard not to place his best works simply in chronological order, and let them tell that story on their own. Add to that the fact that even listening to these songs is an experience in itself; you get overwhelmed thinking they are among the most amazing and inspirational, happy, yet sad songs ever written, but not being able to pinpoint quite why. All in all, it's a challenging ordeal.

So this mix is about as exemplary as I could make it, even if it is a little Songs of Pain-heavy. And while it does draw mainly from those pivotal early scrappy recordings about love, loss, (premarital) sex and God, I've included a handful of those more recent tracks where Daniel's haunting voice is somehow sucked to the forefront of a full band ensemble, even though in my mind that is not what Daniel's music is supposed to be. But even without an organised tracklist, each song on its own successfully illustrates the inner workings of a tortured musical genius, someone who was on MTV at least four times.

1. Grievances (Songs of Pain)
2. Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Your Grievances (Yip/Jump Music)
3. I Had Lost My Mind (Don't Be Scared)
4. Like a Monkey in a Zoo (Songs of Pain)
5. Devil Town (1990)
6. Lousy Weekend (Fun)
7. Held the Hand (1990)
8. Wild West Virginia (Songs of Pain)
9. Running Water (Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album)
10. Casper the Friendly Ghost (Yip/Jump Music)
11. Premarital Sex (Songs of Pain)
12. Laurie (Artistic Vice)
13. Crazy Love (Fun)
14. Some Things Last a Long Time (1990)
15. Joy Without Pleasure (Songs of Pain)
16. Walking the Cow (Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album)
17. Go (Respect)
18. True Love Will Find You in the End (1990)

If you have an iPod touch or iPhone, make sure to check Hi, How Are You?, Daniel's own game application.