Early on in the documentary Danielson – A Family Movie, band leader Daniel Smith offers his own criticism of rock critics. They always have to qualify their personal religious beliefs when writing about his band. I have to admit that the urge is there. But the more I know about Danielson (and the more I learn about Evangelicals) the less such a crutch is necessary to say that this is a damn fine understated movie.
Since I don’t know of any other works by the director JL Aronson, it’s hard to say for certain how much of the value is his careful structure and how much is simply the struggles and joys of everyday life playing out in front of his camera. Although it can certainly be said, to his credit, that he is not heavy-handed –if you don’t see the change in atmosphere as Sufjan’s personal career takes off while the Danielson project naturally dissolves (and you don’t notice that Sufjan’s Dylan-esque leather cap suddenly becomes Daniel’s helmet) well Aronson isn’t going to make it obvious with narrative or telling music. The viewer has to interpret a lot for himself. Personally I still don’t know if the “Two Daniels” photo shoot, Smith with Johnston, is more creepy and sad than quirky and relevant.
Ultimately the movie is about a family with a motivated artistic eldest brother. It is about this eldest brother’s challenge to make something of his life and art, especially as his family matures and siblings move on with their own lives after creating for him his most wonderful art project – one that’s splendor he desparately wants to recreate. All the while, the yet to be discovered Sufjan Stevens lurks in their midst.
So I don’t feel the need to qualify my own religious beliefs but I do feel the need to qualify Daniel Smith’s. Much is said in Danielson – A Family Movie about how Smith’s music fits in to a Christian music genre. For the most part it doesn’t because Christian music as a genre has one and only one goal. Daniel Smith does write hymns of a sort but I wouldn’t even say the majority of his work is of this ilk. Accepting this, one is less likely to ask the question, “why can’t more religious music be this creative?” Although depending on your tastes you might still ask, “as a devout Christian why is he bothering with this nonsense?” Or “why can’t he let go of that obnoxious squealing vocal manipulation?”
You’ll find there’s lots of things Mr. Smith can’t let go of, but you might see the beauty in his resistance.
Btw, the DVD is worth hanging on to for a few days. The extras are as entertaining as the movie. I especially enjoyed the “fan-terviews” many of which take place on their Europian tour and offer a nice look into current youth philosophies in England, Germany and France. I also dug the Chic-a-Go-Go clip. Chic-a-Go-Go was an hilarious Chicago cable access show that featured indie artists and a bunch of dorks dancing on a set to all sorts of odd stuff in a twist on the old Bandstand-type shows. It gets surreal when the gang starts dancing to a James Brown song which the DVD producers can’t afford to release – so for that section of the clip the sound is off. It was a personal pleasure for me because several of my friends were in the audience.
Here’s a of somewhat related Chic-a-Go-Go clip for your amusement…
And here’s an adorable more recent Danielson Famile video. By this time in the family adventure married-in’s are present as well so what you have here, along side Brother Daniel, are the two Smith sisters, one wife, one husband, one childhood family friend, and his wife (in the background at some point are mom and dad too).
It’s funny ’cause that Bobby Conn stuff is just fantastic to me for some reason. It appeals to me in a James Chance way. I guess it’s the white savant hitting the black buttons in a way I find really satisfying.
I am amazed that I actually dug the Danielson video because ordinarily I would be puncturing my eardrums in order to never hear coy, nerdy, joyous, childlike pop this precious ever again.
Who’d ‘a thunk of it?