Interesting. Let's dissect this moving backward - why in your opinion is Daniel > BJ in the category of sorrow?

They all get a indie cool stamp of approval from white suburbanites. All great though. You have great taste. It’s not like a duty to like everything. You don’t have to have black friends either.

Daniel is the king of grief. His whole story is an honest portrayal of a man who at best can only pretend to pretend to find even a kernel of joy. Sorrow and loneliness and the alienation of mental illness saturates everything he does. Even his attempts at hope and some kind of salvation are obviously profound despair wearing lipstick.

I understand that BW is largely a dark sorrowful character but his soul isn’t ripped raw and hung on display like Daniel’s.

BW's the better songwriter but I'm with OH on the rest.

https://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...74&oe=5EEC8AA3

Ah the real crux of the matter. The Beach Boys are too popular for you to like.

But Kurt liked BW so he clearly appeals to the trvly tortured white boys of America too

I'd argue otherwise. In terms of both songwriting and personal life.

They were both compromised while in the depths of mental illness that was exacerbated by drug use, but Daniel was never exploited by family or by the industry in the same way Brian was. And like, thank god, but Daniel's work was never stolen or compromised - again, at least not to the same extent, or with lasting repercussions. Daniel is sick, and his sickness made it so that he could never find contentment. Brian is sick, and his sickness was taken advantage of, and resulted in years of abuse and isolation.

Daniel Johnston will always be revered because he was a true Artist, and he suffered for it, and there's a huge sense of lost potential, and I think he knows that. I would say almost the same about Brian Wilson. He is called a genius, and will be remembered as such, but with a lot more baggage. Ultimately I feel more sorrowful about BW because at least DJs music is preserved in reverence. The current state of "The Beach Boys" is tragic. I think that's what tips the scales for me.

Rundgren is pretty underrated IMO.

Damn fine retort

It makes me think of the YouTube clip of Miley Cyrus smoking salvia. She just wants to hangout but everyone around her wants to exploit her somehow.

This doesn’t directly apply to what you’re talking about BW being especially tortured but being that famous would be incredibly alienating.