My recommendations 2006:Welcome to My World by Daniel Johnston

Daniel Johnston: Welcome to My World
High Wire 4/18/2006

Available at Emusic

Everything I've ever read about Daniel Johnston makes a point if mentioning his lifelong struggle with mental illness. Having heard this anthology of his recordings, I wonder which is his bigger problem: his bipolar disorder or just not receiving love and support from those he is supposed to be able to depend on. Johnston is frequently self-referential, and it's obvious that he's talking about himself even when speaking in the third person. His songs frequently tell stories of an anguished artist, discouraged by friends and family from doing what he loves who call him a bum. I can relate to this experience very well. At the age of thirteen, a psychiatrist told me that it was unlikely I would ever be able to function in society, hold down a job, succeed in school, etc. He told me I would probably end up killing myself, living in an institution or worse. Later, my mother tried to discourage me from going to college, saying, "Why bother? You'll just fail anyway." Sometimes, as Johnston and I both can tell you, people are just wrong. Johnston's recordings are often rough around the edges, but frequently brilliant. He continued to record despite his family's reservations and eventually influenced the likes of Tom Waits, Beck, Robert Pollard and TV on the Radio. Thanks to Johnston's determination and reliance on his own abilities, he amassed a vast body of work over many years. This anthology, as well as my graduation from college only weeks after its release, proves that mental illness need not be an insurmountable obstacle to success.