In the early '90s, I listened to several shows on WKPX religiously. One Saturday (early afternoon, with Keith McIntosh and I can't remember the show name for the life of me, sorry), I heard "Speeding Motorcycle" by Daniel Johnston. His off beat/off kilter voice and the song's sweet and easy lyrics set my teenage-musical heart aflutter. I called in the show to get more information and set out on my search. This was before the internet boom and Amazon, so I ordered a bunch of cassette tapes (and eventually a cool t-shirt, in white, even though my t-shirt preference at the time was black) from mail order.
As only about five people I knew had even heard of him, I felt it my job to spread the word about my discovery. I didn't know it at the time, but Johnston had already been put into the uber-hipster consciousness. In 1985, MTV profiled the music scene in Austin and apparently, Johnston got quite the cult following from his appearance. In 1994, Atlantic released his major label debut, Fun (he had 11 self and indie releases prior and 9 since) and if you knew me at the time, I probably made you listen to the CD while you were in my car. "Speeding Motorcycle" is still one of my favorite songs (since covered by Yo La Tengo and more recently, a cover version ended up in a Target TV ad).
In 2004, The Devil and Daniel Johnston (a doc about Johnston, written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig) was released. It's obvious from watching that Feuerzeig is a huge Johnston fan, and while the film is very admiring of him and his musical genius, it does not make a martyr out of Johnston. Weaving together interviews with family, friends and business partners with self-confessional audio tapes of Johnston from back in the day, home movies and photographs with more current interviews with Johnston, we see the whole picture, both the good and the bad.
There is a thin line between creative genius and insanity. In Johnston's case, a multitude of issues (a repressive family, drugs, mental illness) help to blur that line. He was born into a conservative, ultra-Christian family in West Virginia, with parents who did not support his creative ventures (making music and movies that often portrayed his mother as critical and domineering). He eventually makes it to Austin (the fateful story of how he ends up there is almost mythic) where talented oddballs are embraced and nurtured. His career has had ups and downs, all documented in this movie. The movie tells a complete story and does not get too heavy handed when covering his past frequent LSD use or his mental illness (in the past, many close to Johnston have objected that some try to market him based on his mental illnesses, not based on his talent). Today, he is still the same free spirit, he is still producing music in his creative explosion of a room; the only difference is now, he's doing international tours.
One of my favorite scenes: backstage at one of Johnston's shows, he is introduced to Matt Groening (of Simpsons fame). Groening tells him he's a fan of his music. Johnston is quiet, a bit distant. You wonder if he's having a bad day or if, maybe, just maybe, he is trying to appear cool and nonchalant to meet someone as huge as Groening. It's a brief chat with Johnston suggesting he do some music for the show (the Simpsons). Groening agrees, seems good with that. Groening excuses himself so that Johnston can get on stage. As soon as Groening is out of earshot, Johnston (a man in his 40s-50s), no longer able to hide his excitement, lets out a giddy yelp comparable to that of a kid who just learned he's going to Disney World.
Daniel Johnston is musically a genius and this documentary is the best presentation of his unique story of his life: religion and repression, heartbreak and unrequited love, and his fascination with cartoon superheroes.
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