beck - 'true love will find you in the end'

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Taken from the Late Great Daniel Johnston covers album, here's Beck with one of the truly great love songs.

beck - 'true love will find you in the end'

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Beck's voice and style is perfect to cover the Daniel Johnston track. 

daniel johnston in concert tonight

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He played at St Bartholomew's Church tonight in Brighton and neither the venue nor Daniel disappointed. The church itself is massive, built to the biblical dimensions of the Ark and is reportedly the biggest church in Britain and consequently it provided a dramatic stage and wonderful natural acoustics. Daniel Johnston was supported by British Sea Power (BSP) who played a short, low-key set as support. Never ones to take the conventional route, all but the drummer sat whilst he stood. I particularly liked the bass drum with the Boy's Brigade emblem on it. I'm an ex-BBer myself (5th Worthing Brigade) and they taught me the only musical instrument that I could play albeit terribly. The bugle is an instrument of torture in my hands.

Daniel came on shortly afterwards and played 3 songs solo. The venue was rammed and there was a lot of love for the most idiosyncratic singer I've ever seen. He started somewhat nervously, which we all expected but his voice was much better than I'd heard previously both on tape/cd and also live. After his solo set, he almost ran off the stage before returning with BSP, reincarnated for this tour as Texan Sea Power. I'd never heard Johnston sing before with such a full sound behind him and it gave a whole new dimension to his songs. 

At this point, I must add that, apart from being alongside some very knowledgeable and lovely friends, my 12 year old son was at his first ever live gig. I'm a little wary of foisting on him the kind of music that I think he ought to like but I felt that this kind of venue with this kind of performer would be an interesting introduction. I needn't have worried as he absolutely loved the gig and Daniel Johnston. We discussed at length in the cab home, the history behind his music and it was a pleasure to see my son so animated about musicians that I adore.

Back to the gig. The second part of the gig saw Daniel J in top form with a few jokes and some black humour that belied the myth that Daniel is a perennially fragile person. In that large frame is a wonderfully funny and engaging man. My night was made complete when he played my favourite song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Your Grievances". There was also the obligatory Beatles cover and for the first time ever, I saw the man rock the stage. (If you've ever seen him live then you will know I mean metaphorically, not just physically.) I think there might be some merit in getting hold of any master tapes of his earlier stuff (if they exist) and re-mastering them. Perhaps not. In my enthusiasm, I think I might be gilding this beautiful lily.

Part of Daniel Johnston's charm is his brutal honesty about himself tied with his unswerving faith in the goodness of others. That, and the fact that I genuinely don't think he realises how great he really is. Tonight was very special and I'm glad to have been a part of it.

He also played this song 'Love Enchanted' from his finest album 'Fear Yourself'. 

daniel johnston: the black cab session

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true love will find you in the end

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Daniel Johnston is possibly (probably?) the nearest thing I'll ever come to a person who can be described as a man-child. I mean that in a positive way. I had the pleasure of seeing him a few years back and his presence on stage was that of an awkward/shy/insert suitable adjective here 9-year old boy. Even though the lithium and God knows what that he's taken for years to battle his mental problems has meant that his weight has ballooned he still came across as gangly. It made him genuinely endearing without being twee and it made the gig all that more intimate.

I digress, I've been listening a lot to Daniel tonight. My favourites are his classic "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and an early-ish one of his: "Despair Came Knocking".  His songs are of course lo-fi to the extreme but also are so deeply personal and self-confessional, I can't recall any other artist who approaches songwriting with such an honest approach. Johnston lays bear his soul with every song and shows a courage that I can only admire. The world is a better place with people like Daniel in it.

I'm adding this live version of 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievance' as you might be able to get an idea of what I mean (the quality is also a lot better than most of Johnston's music on the web).

Night, night.