Personnel: Daniel Johnston (vocals); Jason Falkner (vocals); Woody Jackson (acoustic guitar); Joey Waronker (drums).
Audio Mixer: Jason Falkner.
Recording information: The Bank.
As outsider folkster Daniel Johnston's cult following has grown with the years, those early efforts have continued to define his approach in the studio for good or ill, as attempts to craft more professional albums have found him collaborating with sympathetic musicians attempting to make sense of his idiosyncrasies, or working with producers trying to create a hi-fi replication of Johnston's early cassettes. However, with IS AND ALWAYS WAS, producer Jason Falkner has embraced a new approach; seemingly ignoring the artist's past work, Falkner has given Johnston's melodies a polished pop sound that reveals just how good the tunes can sound when given the right treatment. Falkner not only produced IS AND ALWAYS WAS, he handled most of the instruments himself (Joey Waronker play drums on six tracks) and in his hands, there's nothing halting or tentative about the songs -- these melodies are smart, energetic, and engaging, and with this treatment, Johnston's music sounds like potential hit single material for a change, especially on "Without You," "High Horse," and the title track.
Professional Reviews
Paste (magazine) - "[T]he pro-style production enlivens the songs rather than deadening them, and it probably helps that Johnston sounds like he's having the time of his life..."
Pitchfork (Website) - "Johnston writes pop songs and loves the Beatles, and on this record he gets the rich Beatlesesque pop arrangements that are surely in his head."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.83) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Opener 'Mind Movies' sees Johnston kick straight into his heavy acoustic thrash..."
