Comments for Secret Tones

Comment on The Devil and Daniel Johnston by Ray W

Ray W — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:23:44 +0000

This is the first honest review I have read about Daniel. He is a guy with challenges who makes music. Go to any beach or Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley and you’ll find many of the same. Genius?

Comment on Hanged Up – Clatter for control by kia cai

kia cai — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:12:39 +0000

Hangedup – F**king mental album, bursting with raw energy. Shame they don’t make it over this part of the world often enough. Seen them once and have yet to stop ranting

Comment on The Devil and Daniel Johnston by Sean K

Sean K — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:15:35 +0000

Also, it seems like the guy didn’t even really pay close attention to the movie. For example he says Daniel took control of the plane and sent it into a downward spiral because he was trying to “kill the demon flying the plane”. I distinctly remember in the film his father saying that is NOT the reason he did what he did, but explained in clear and unambiguous detail that he thought he was Casper the ghost at the time, and that he was actually ‘having fun’. They even showed the cover of the Casper comic he was reading at the time. Giving an uninformed review is one thing, but getting entire parts of the movie (and important ones, at that) is lousy journalism and is unforgivable.

Comment on The Devil and Daniel Johnston by Sean K

Sean K — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:15:53 +0000

Terrible article. Why have a guy who clearly ‘doesn’t get it’ review the movie. It’s like a heavy metal fan reviewing a Captain Beefheart retrospective. It’s only going to annoy the people who do ‘get it’.

Comment on Ben Christophers Interview by Jewel

Jewel — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:40:29 +0000

Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation Anyway … nice blog to visit.

cheers, Jewel.

Comment on Ben Christophers Interview by Jani BF

Jani BF — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:11:23 +0000

Good interview ST. Did you ever here the fantastic Ben Christophers session on Jo Whileys radio show –

Keep it up,

Jani

Comment on Ben Christophers Interview by music

music — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:10:44 +0000

Hello, nice post. Bookmark it.

Comment on The Devil and Daniel Johnston by Derik

Derik — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 03:29:53 +0000

Tuneless? Only lately. Danny has become a shadow of his former self. Melodically his newer songs seem to the barest jottings compared to his earlier stuff. Listen to the first three Daniel albums if you want to know what it’s all about. You’ll hear a brilliant songwriter, not a “mad” artist.

For instance in the song “I Save cigarette butts for a poor girl” he moves from absurd non sequitor to a Finnegan’s Wake reference to slamming home the earlier non sequitor with devastating comic timing at the very end. I could go on, but in the early albums there are literally too many examples to count. The lyrics are MUCH too controlled to be simply the product of madness. Not if you think madness=randomness, or a loss of the ability to reveal something about human nature.

As has so often happened with other artists, “bi-polar chic” has come to overshadow and define Daniel Johnston’s music. This means he is dismissed by so-called critics who rightly oppose this kind of sensationalism, but are unable to listen to the music without being tainted by it. Very sad, but to those who are above snap judgements there is a wealth of music to discover.

Comment on Ben Christophers Interview by Julie K

Julie K — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:09:58 +0000

Can’t wait until the forth album. Get your sorry ass in gear Ben! Nice interview. TQ

Comment on The Devil and Daniel Johnston by john barron

john barron — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:51:43 +0000

hi nichole

like i said, i’m not a daniel johnston fan but i loved the film. regarding the pixies ripping him off – isn’t it said that talent borrows and genius steals?