Daniel Johnston's major-label debut is, arguably, his finest moment. With considerable help from
Butthole Surfer Paul Leary,
Johnston has never sounded so self-assured or confident before. Some of the songs are more polished, but they're never slicked up to such a degree that this sounds like a user-friendly approximation of
Johnston's style; in fact, there are plenty of tracks that return
Johnston to the keyboards ("Delusion & Confusion" and "My Little Girl") for his freewheeling, primitive workouts. Exhibiting some of his strongest songwriting to date,
Fun is a rewarding record that never loses its initial, visceral appeal. ~ John Dougan