K McCarty Dead Dog's Eyeball: Songs Of Daniel Johnston CD

...Daniel Johnston". 1994 Reissue W/ 3 Bonus Tracks.

Personnel includes: K. McCarty (vocals, guitar, violin, steel drums); Mark Plaza, Jake Bohstedt (vocals); Rich Brotherton (acoustic & electric guitars, background vocals); Brian Beattie (guitar, lap steel guitar, accordion, piano, chord organ, keyboards, acoustic & electric bass, percussion, background vocals); Scott Marcus (guitar, drums); Andrea Preisinger (violin); Karl Smith (viola); John Hagan (cello); Bill Jeffery (trumpet); Max Crawford (flugelhorn); Mark Rubin (tuba); Bruce Marton (piano).
Recorded at The Dog And Duck Pub, Arlyn Studios, The University Of Texas, and Women And Their Work, Austin, Texas. Includes liner notes by Gina Arnold.
With the release of Dead Dog's Eyeball, K. McCarty has done the pop music world a great service; she has made the songs of Daniel Johnston accessible to all of those who may not have been able to get past the odd voice, bad recording, and less than polished performances of his homemade albums. McCarty fleshes out Johnston's music without covering up its original charm. She seems to grasp both the inherent darkness and irresistible poppiness in his songs. Check out the hooks she pulls out of songs like "Walking the Cow," "Rocket Ship," and "Museum of Love," as well as the pretty and sweet "Golly Gee," the troubled, jazzy "Desperate Man Blues," and the dissonant rocker "Sorry Entertainer." Highly recommended. ~ Brett Hartenbach

Spin (11/94, p.96) - 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..."
Entertainment Weekly (11/25/94, p.77) - "...Singer Kathy McCarty, formerly of Glass Eye, pays tribute to fellow Austin, Texas musician Daniel Johnston....unearthing veins of compassion and sadness not heard on the originals..." - Rating: A-
Alternative Press (2/95, p.64) - "...This isn't a tribute album, more an homage to one highly individual talent from another....[Kathy McCarty's] biggest achievement is to make these songs accessible while retaining the charm of their quirkiness..."
Option (5-6/95, p.116) - "...McCarty's a capable singer, and her voice is the glue that holds the disparate styles together....McCarty manages to separate Johnston's songs from his eccentric persona..."
Melody Maker (8/12/95, p.35) - "...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..."
Village Voice (2/28/95) - Ranked #36 in the Village Voice's 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
NME (Magazine) (8/19/95, p.51) - 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..."