By now I’ve probably settled into a vegetative drunken state in Vegas, but because these posts are being written ahead of my scheduled trip you’ll have no way of knowing all the gory details. Those will have to wait for Saturday. Until then, suspense is the name of the game.
– “Oh my God, how much did he spend on the most opulent burger he could find!”
– “Is he more booze than blood at this point?”
Twitter, for sure, is burning up with inquiries about my adventures in Sin City right now. Am I trending? What’s the cool hashtag they’re using to describe me? Surely the phenomenon that is I has the world waiting with bated breath for my return to Los Angeles so they can hear all about the adventure.
*Ahem*
Day number two of “10 INCHES OF PLEASURE” — this week’s An Album A Day theme — features one of the greatest albums ever recorded. If you were to look up a list of New Jersey’s most successful artists and their greatest contributions to recorded music you might not see the name Daniel Smith ranked very highly (if at all). But I tell you, this (or Fetch The Compass Kids) is the pinnacle of New Jersey’s greatest artistic benefaction. Have you seen Danielson: A Family Movie? In my opinion, it’s a must-see film. Beyond just knowing Daniel Smith as “that Christian-y guy with the ear-piercing voice” you’ll walk away with a greater appreciation for the man and his music and his vision. I was already unabashedly in love with the guy’s songs, but that documentary really fleshed out his life and beliefs and approach to his craft. So good.
I could tell you all about it, but that would defeat the purpose of Wikipedia.
Tell Another Joke… was not the first full album of the Danielsons that I heard (that was the aforementioned Fetch…) but “Smooth Death” was the first song my friend Jet played for me in her apartment in the summer of 2004 that made me want to investigate their recorded output. I was visiting my sister for her graduation from Northwestern and rather than attend the departmental graduation ceremony I elected to just attend the big one at Ryan Field. So I had a free morning to do with as I pleased. My friend Jet came and picked me up from where my mom and I were staying and she took me record shopping then back to her apartment to see her home recording studio. There she introduced me to the Danielson Famile by playing “Smooth Death.” Within days I owned all the CDs. A few months later (8/19/2004) I saw Br. Danielson (aka Daniel Smith Solo) with Sufjan Stevens (yuck) at the Mercury Lounge in New york. A year later (May 9th, 2005?) I saw the Famile live for the first time (supporting Deerhoof at the First Unitarian Church in Philly). Then I saw them one more time, I don’t remember when or where. It’s going to sound like hyperbole, but I swear to God leaving a club after seeing an incarnation of Danielson literally finds you filled with joy. Call it an awakening, a religious experience, whatever…it’s undeniable. This music EFFECTS you. In the best possible way.
Finding an original copy of this album on vinyl (the 1997 double-ten-inch, not the Secretly Canadian reissue) took a very long time. I had a year to buy the reissue, but I wanted an original. Call me a nerd. On February 18th, 2009 I found a crazy cheap (less than $10) still-in-shrink copy on eBay. Near mint. Brown marbled vinyl. With a little “Limited Edition Brown Vinyl” sticker on it that looks like it was probably written by Daniel Smith himself, perhaps to help sell the thing on an early tour or something. Who knows. Either way, I’ve got it now. And every listen fills me with joy.
Get happy.
The Danielson Famile
Tell Another Joke At The Ol’ Choppin’ Block
(Tooth & Nail Records – TNR 1072, 1997)
01. A No No
02. Ye Olde Battleaxe
03. Me To Da Tee
04. The Lord’s Rest
05. Flesh Thang
06. Jersey Loverboy
07. I Am My Beloved’s
08. Big Baby
09. Deviled Eggs
10. Quest For Thrills
11. Smooth Death [MP3]
12. Jokin’ At The Block
