The Complete Early Recordings

Capping off a relatively prolific period in Daniel Johnston's career — a period which saw the release his first studio album in seven years, as well as collaborations with Jad Fair and Mark Linkous — Dualtone Records compiled Johnston's first two cassettes for a double-CD release in the summer of 2003. The Complete Early Recordings comprises Songs of Pain and More Songs of Pain and features new artwork from Johnston as well as liner notes by Louis Black, editor of The Austin Chronicle. Recorded in Johnston's parent's basement in West Virginia during the early '80s, the two collections introduce the lyrical themes, anxieties, and obsessions (and the piano-based, Beatlesque melodies) that would show up on nearly every subsequent album and form the basis for Johnston's renown.