Originally released on Bar/None in 1994 "Dead Dog’s Eyeball: Songs Of Daniel Johnston" by K. McCarty is one of Bar/None’s finest moments. This tenth anniversary edition has three bonus tracks and three Quicktime videos. At the time of it’s release K. a k a Kathy was a singer/guitarist/writer for Glass Eye, the Austin Texas based band considered by many to be one of the finest most original talents to come out of that city. Daniel Johnston, who once listed Glass Eye's "Bent By Nature" in his Top Ten along with nine Beatles albums.
Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston Reviews
Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston Reviews
This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston (Audio CD)
So, throughout the years I heard about this Daniel Johnston who suppossedly was a genius songwriter but, as things go, I never came across his music until very recently.
Granted, his stuff is usually so shoddily recorded and performed that to most people it's just unlistenable and close to noise, but if you pay attention you can hear the real song underneath, too shy to step into the spotlight.
Well, this record manages to pull out the greatness of Johnston's stuff and put in the front seat. Glad I came across it and bought it.
Sad that Daniel Johnston himself never really got to record a real professional album, but hey, maybe with all the advances in home recording technology he'll surprise us one of these years.
Do yourself a favor and get this. And if you like it, experience real undiluted Daniel Johnston, you just might like it and get your musical paradigm shifted for you.
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This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston (Audio CD)
Why do you need another version of "Walking the Cow", now that Pearl Jam, Mike Watt/fIREHOSE, The Reivers, A Camp, and TV on the Radio have tried their hands at it and come up short? The version here is awesome, is why. Not some cutesy milking-the-indie-cred winking cover, but a dizzying orchestral version that takes things past the original. I *love* the original songs; these versions feel right and are lush, trading a bit of the pathos for good production values and caring, imaginative arrangements.
I am not a Glass Eye fan, and I feel that the EP of additional songs (also Johnston covers by McCarty) is not that strong. But this CD...all the songs are solid, spot on, moving, and beautiful!
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This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston (Audio CD)
I bought this after seeing the documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". In my opinion, if not for the restrictions of his illness, he could be a songwriter of Bob Dylan's caliber. His lyrics and perspective lend an honesty and insight into his soul. Kathy (whom you also meet in the documentary) has a hauntingly beautiful voice that takes Daniel's music and lyrics to a new level. I'm ready for more.
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This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball (Audio CD)
Village Voice (2/28/95) - Ranked #36 in the Village Voice's 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
Spin (11/94) - Highly Recommended - "...This is gorgeous, throat lump-inducing music....McCarty fleshes out Johnston's home-recorded sketches into an eclectic assortment of torch ballads, guitar rockers, and beer-hall sing-alongs, and beguiling art pop..."
Melody Maker (8/12/95) - "...Other people have tried covering Daniel's songs before...mostly without much joy. Maybe they've all been in too much awe. Kathy treats Daniel's songs with due reverence, love and humour--and one helluva kick in her voice..."
New Musical Express (8/19/95) - 8 (out of 10) "...brilliant...Songs that were once skeletal, lo-fidelity, bedroom-with-tape-recorder affairs become full blooded and experimental....if these songs were Kathy's she'd be on the same magazine covers as Liz Phair..."
Entertainment Weekly (11/25/94) - "...Singer Kathy McCarty, formerly of Glass Eye, pays... Read more
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This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball (Audio CD)
If you haven't already heard of this album -- you will. Here in the Philadelphia region we have a great radio station 88.5 WXPN out of the University of Pennsylvania. I was just out of high school when this album came out ca. 1995. While working at some crappy mall music store called "Tape World" I had access to all sorts of catalogues and could choose whatever I wanted.
So XPN was playing "Walking the Cow" and "Rocketship" pretty often and I took the chance on this album and I have loved it ever since. I have been a singer/songwriter since age 15 and I was immediately drawn to the sharp lyrics and strong arrangements which are as varied as the subject matter.
Trust me and the other reviewers this album is WORTH IT. If you don't love every song right away, play it tommorow and the next day and see if you don't love every song by the weekend. You will if you like classic rock and folk music - Kathy even tosses bluegrass, jazz and blues in for good... Read more
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This review is from: Dead Dog's Eyeball (Audio CD)
Ms. McCarty's interpretation of these Daniel Johnston songs are unconventional, intriguing and quite lovely. Desperate Man Blues probably was written in a fit of depression, and yet Ms. McCarty's crooning and marvelous piano playing gives it a magical consoling touch. Other songs like Baby in my universe use sound effects to provide an eerie claustrophobic touch. The songs seem so incidental and improvisational (like "running water"), and yet sounds like "Golly Gee" mellow out the mood. And other songs like "Walking the Cow" and "Monkey in a Zoo" have lyrics that are so strange that it almost seems meaningless (it almost hearkens back to David Byrne's own absurdist lyrics in "Once in a Lifetime" or "Strange Ritual."
The only criticism of the album is that the tone of the album is not really consistent. It is not really a unified album but a hodgepodge of songs.
A personal anecdote. I listened to this CD to death while... Read more
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