It's Spooky

It's Spooky is a collaborative album by musicians Jad Fair (of the band Half Japanese) and Daniel Johnston. It was first released in 1989 on 50 Skidillion Watts Records, under the title Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston, and contained 25 songs on its cassette and CD versions, but only 20 on the LP. It was re-issued on CD in 1993 on Paperhouse, with six bonus tracks, and then in 2001 on Jagjaguwar, with the same bonus tracks, plus an enhanced CD bonus video of Johnston performing a version of his song "Don't Play Cards with Satan." On April 10, 2020, Joyful Noise Recordings released a 30th Anniversary edition of 1,500 copies of a double LP on "Casper white" vinyl, remastered by Kramer, with the additional song "Ashes on the Ground" (originally by Half Japanese, from their album The Band That Would Be King), a 7" flexidisc of Johnston's "I Live My Broken Dreams," which was previously unreleased, and new liner notes by Fair, Kramer, Everett True and Jeff Feuerzeig. Joyful Noise has also made it available for download, but not including "Broken Dreams."

It's Spooky
Studio album by
Daniel Johnston and Jad Fair
ReleasedJanuary 1989
RecordedAugust 1988
Uniontown, Maryland
GenreOutsider music, indie rock
Label50 Skidillion Watts Records
Daniel Johnston and Jad Fair chronology
Merry Christmas
(1988)		 It's Spooky
(1989)		 1990
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pitchfork[2]

Although receiving praise from critics and fans alike, the record was commercially overlooked. Both Johnston and Fair play the majority of instruments, including vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards and drums.

Track listing

All songs written by Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston, except where noted.

  1. "It's Spooky" (Johnston)
  2. "Summertime"
  3. "I Met Roky Erickson" (Johnston)
  4. "Happy Talk" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers)
  5. "McDonalds on the Brain" (Johnston)
  6. "I Did Acid with Caroline" (Johnston)
  7. "If I'd Only Known" (Fair)
  8. "Tongues Wag in This Town"
  9. "Tomorrow Never Knows" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
  10. "Oh Honey" (Johnston)
  11. "A Vow of Love"
  12. "When Love Calls"
  13. "Frankenstein vs. The World"
  14. "Hands of Love" (Paul McCartney)
  15. "Kicking the Dog" (Brian Beattie, Dave Cameron, Sheri Lane, Kathy McCarty)
  16. "What I've Seen" (Johnston)
  17. "Something's Got a Hold on Me" (Johnston)
  18. "Villain"
  19. "Chords of Fame" (Phil Ochs)
  20. "Ostrich"
  21. "Casper the Friendly Ghost" (Johnston)
  22. "First Day at Work" (Johnston)
  23. "Fun and Games"
  24. "Nothing Left"
  25. "Memphis Tennessee" (Johnston)
  26. "Comes Back" † (Beattie, Cameron, Lane, McCarty)
  27. "Tears Stupid Tears" † (Johnston)
  28. "The Making of the Album" †
  29. "Get Yourself Together" † (Johnston)
  30. "What the World Needs Now" † (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
  31. "Sweet Loafed" † (Butthole Surfers)
  32. "Ashes on the Ground" (David Fair) (2020 re-release bonus track)
  • † Bonus tracks featured on the 2001 re-release.

Musical style

The album features both artists' typically idiosyncratic approach to songwriting, clever vocal wordplay, simple instrumentation, and wild imaginations for song themes and concepts. Seven of the songs are covers; artists covered include Burt Bacharach, the Beatles and Phil Ochs. The structures of many of the songs are akin to Johnston's previous music; some of the songs, such as "Get Yourself Together" and "Casper The Friendly Ghost", had previously featured on Johnston's Hi, How Are You and Yip/Jump Music records of 1983. "Tears Stupid Tears" would later appear on Johnston's album 1990.

References
  1. Pruett, Jon. "It's Spooky - Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  2. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2957-its-spooky/
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