Dinosaur Jr.: Brilliant or crap?

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You're Living All Over Me is just so much genius... the warm and somnambulant production, the songs that warp from alt_byrdsy prettiness to absolute sabbath heaviness, for seemingly no reason; the songs about bugs and moths that are immediately smothered by avalanches of feedback... ah. yes.

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 07:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I vote for brilliant crap!

― st tremaine, Wednesday, 15 October 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The chorus of "Get me" is a classic "scarves in the air" moment...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

the cover of 'hot burrito #2' on the flipside of the get me single is awesome too... not to mention the bleak acoustic reading of 'qwest'

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Soon, this will come back big time and be in vogue. We'll have shredding indie rockers everywhere.

― scott m (mcd), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 13:22 (twenty-two years ago)

i've always pronounced it "mashis" but i've never actually heard it spoken by anyone.

We've called him Mas kis in the past and he didn't complain, if its not right Im sure he's used to it.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always said "mass iss" like kiss rather than is (which sounds like iz, ya know?)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

rhymes with "stasis."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"mass kiss" = straight from the horse's mouth.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

haha. of COURSE he'd prefer "mass kiss" but I'll continue to think he rhymes with "stasis." hyuk hyuk.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

CD80 "portable" Dinosaur Jr. go!

Repulsion
Little Fury Things
Kracked
The Lung
In a Jar
Freak Scene
No Bones
They Always Come
Yeah We Know
Pond Song
Just Like Heaven
The Wagon
Thumb
Out There
Start Choppin'
Get Me
Feel the Pain
I Don't Think
Never Bought It

(78:46 - weighted towards 2nd and 3rd LPs, I hope there will be many who disagree and post other ones!)

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 6 November 2003 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

bump.

Also, I have an instrumentation question. On "They Always Come" there's a change at about 30 seconds in, and there's this high pitched repeating sound which is almost like a really high register clav or bells or something. What is that??

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm a huge fan and don't mind saying it. I always remember a bit of a stigma around them.

Green Mind is where its at for me, whilst the others are more timely and easily placeable, Green Mind has a bit of a uniqueness about it that I like. I find it very similar to "Goo" by Sonic Youth in that it's the album-before-the-commercial-one where you can see some of the experiments with gloss coming through, but still with enough rough to make it a hearty meal.

― Bernard the Butler (Lynskey), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:27 (twenty-one years ago)

In the US, Goo and Green Mind were huge commercial ventures.

Spencer, I will take a listen tonight.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It was a real trip to see/hear Mascis this weekend at All Tomorrow's Parties. He played a song off Green Mind ("The Wagon" maybe?). He still shreds* and is loud as shit. He was shuffling around the fairgrounds the whole time mostly unbothered, in track jacket and stringy long grey hair.
Anyway, brilliant.

*I don't mind using "shreds" here as I think it's damned appropriate.

― Nostalgia for the Old Cineramadome (Ben Boyer), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

No qualification necessary. One of the very few guitarists to ever make "shredding" truly appealing.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Free So Free was a bit of a disappointment, although "Freedom" is a lovely tune.

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Sometime after Green Mind/Whatever's Cool With Me, J. began suffering from debilitating tendonitis in his left (chording) hand. His sets were limited to like 45 minutes. I haven't seen him since then but I'm wondering if he ever recovered from the tendonitis.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

The reissues of the first three albums should be coming out sometime soon. I remember reading about them coming out a while ago. My copies of the first record and Bug are long gone and I was looking forward to checking them out when they came back into print.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 01:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Merge is putting those out, no?
My early-to-mid-90s indie rock nostalgia orgy rages on...

― Nostalgia for the Old Cineramadome (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Merge is all over that shit. Early 2005, according to label dispatches. Obviously YLAOM and Bug are super-classic...Dinosaur is OK, everything else is diminishing returns and fine if you're a big fan but otherwise pretty unnecessary.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "Where You Been" is essential early 90s angst grunge. Mascis' delivery was perfect for every music writer that needed to cite "disaffected vocals."
Absolutely crushing guitar playing on there.

― Nostalgia for the Old Cineramadome (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

i ran into j at the newbury comics in amherst once! he had the aforementioned track jacket on and orange shoes, if i remember correctly... he came in and wrinkled his nose and like turned and walked back out. i was completely awestruck but at the same time he looked so burned out and fucked up i felt some kind of pity. but then, i guess he doesn't need my pity or anyone else's.

― drew, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Spencer,

I'm hearing 32nd notes played on the hi-hat, but i get what you're saying... there is a residual noise that sounds tuned melodically, like a very high bell sound, like jangling keys.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

BUG is MUCH better than it was when I last rated it. Holy moly.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

for such a "guitar guy" he sure mixes the drums louder than anything else on "youre living all over me". Ace points for white rappage,

― Loose Translation: Sexy Dancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

though a guitar guy, Mascis was/is also a major drum guy - remember, he played drums in Deep Wound, the hardcore pre-Dino band w/Lou and some other guy. Murph got way pissed at him because he pretty much dictated all the drum parts for Dino albums.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Dinosaur Jr may be my favourite American rock band of the last twenty or twenty five years. That's not as big a statement as it might sound to some, as there hasn't been much US rock in that time I've really liked much, but I love Dinosaur Jr. Mascis is certainly among my top five or ten rock guitarists.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

They changed the course of indie music in Glasgow, they made rock music, loud guitars and guitar solos acceptable. The first time they played in Glasgow, EVERYBODY who was in an indie band at the time was in the audience. So you had guys like Norman Blake, who had short hair and played in the Boy Hairdressers, he disappeared for a while - came back with long hair, playing guitar solos and in Teenage Fanclub.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I should really pick up copies of "bug" and "green mind" at the very least. I used to really like them, but the whole parade of imitators pre nirvana breakthrough kind of killed that sound for me. I remember this indie disco I was putting in a sound system for, where EVERY FUCKING TRAKC THEY PLAYED copied the intro for "freak scene". I think it's long enough ago now that I'd probably still like the original/s.

(x-post, yes, out of the every track they played that night, about 9/10 of them were by pre-bandwagonesque tfc)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

BUG is awesome from top to bottom. I esp. like "Post".

Green Mind > Yr Living all Over Me > Fossils > Bug > Whatevers Cool w/ Me > Where You Been ... stopped paying attention after that.

I remember having to re-purchase Fossils, Watery Domestic, and Greatest of All Time recently because the originals were thrashed and skipped on every song. Three of the best EPs ever for sure.

― tk, Tuesday, 9 November 2004 23:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Dinosaur's cool.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 23:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm always a little sad that J's friendship with Kevin Shields didn't amount to more.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

crap. mostly. sorry. one of the worst live shows i've ever seen. i don't like sebadoh either. i don't hate or despise them or anything. they just bore me a whole lot. just answering the thread title. don't sue! if i had to say something nice i would say that lou was really nice to take the bunnybrains on tour with him and he seems likes a really nice and smart guy and i liked his folk implosion hit and that cool fast one on the kids soundtrack and he was in a cool hardcore band and i did kinda like parts of bug and i kinda liked the cure cover and i kinda liked repulsion a little. there, see, i'm not an ogre. i don't know why i used to be so perplexed by the u.k. love for dinosaur, but i remember being perplexed.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually saw Dinosaur Jr. play more times than any sane person should've (and oof were they ever loud), but I can't for the life of me fathom why. Their records, by and large, bored the bejesus out of me, and J.Mascis' voice couldn't possibly be more annoying. And I don't even think much of his guitar playing. Fuck'em. Dud. And their album covers suck. And they're ugly.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Stick to boybands then.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:37 (twenty-one years ago)

They're uglier.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 00:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Mascis joined Love As Laughter onstage for their last song at ATP last weekend - and it would have been better without his "shredding."

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I dug up my old Dinosaur Jr. tapes a couple months ago. I was surprised by how monotonous (and badly recorded) they were. All high-end with lots of fuzz. There's some really good songwriting occasionally, but his guitar antics really don't excite me like they used to. Not sure why that is exactly... it was kinda fun watching him play with the Stooges and Watt a couple years ago.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 10 November 2004 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Have we done a dino POO or POX?

freak scene
the wagon
puke & cry
feel the pain
kracked
little fury things
raisans
i live for that look
just like heaven
post

xpost w/ shakey--they had way more bottom end on Bug & Yr Living All Over Me, and I presume also on the first record (though I've never heard it.) I imagine this had a lot to do with Lou playing REALLY HEAVY. But... yeah, they go a little neil young style treble crazy.

― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

So they're re-releasing the first 3 with a couple extra tracks. I'm most interested in hearing how J remasters "Little Fury Things" which has always sounded wrong on CD (digital crackling sounds etc - my VHS copy of the video sounds better).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

whatever fuck ALL YALL THE TORPId furious sludge of their first albums = TEH POINT

― jake b. (cerybut), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Bug!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Jake, you're right, but the crackling on "Little Fury Things" gets in the way of the furious sludge!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm ill have to listen to it for this cracklin now ... i actually havent listened to dino jr in years, but surprise surprise they were a 'coming of age band' etc etc. also i take back the 'fuck all yall'

― jake b. (cerybut), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

The second and third albums are definitely in my top 20 "throw it on and listen all the way through without even having to think about it" records of all time!!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 22 December 2004 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Good for making good music. Crap for kicking out the future bassist for sebadoh. Although sebadoh wouldnt have existed so.... not crap.

― Jeremy Snyder, Thursday, 23 December 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

So they're re-releasing the first 3 with a couple extra tracks. I'm most interested in hearing how J remasters "Little Fury Things" which has always sounded wrong on CD

It's odd how they took "Show Me the Way" off of You're Living All Over Me and put "Just Like Heaven" on in it's place. I thought "Heaven" was a post-Bug single.

I hope in the remastering they took out the 2 second space between "Kracked" and "Sludgefeast" that was on the CD version.

― Vic Funk, Thursday, 23 December 2004 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

That is very odd about "Just Like Heaven" - it is a post Bug single.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 23 December 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

JUST LIKE HEAVEN+FEEL THE PAIN=brilliance

― hilel swartz, Friday, 24 December 2004 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

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Great bass solo by Mike after the first verse, that's wild!

― Mrs. Ippei (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 22 January 2025 22:55 (one year ago)

yeah wish the studio version had that :(

― lil $CHUB (Spottie), Wednesday, 22 January 2025 23:42 (one year ago)

Great version!

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 23 January 2025 00:58 (one year ago)

So so

― LightUserSyndrome, Thursday, 23 January 2025 01:20 (one year ago)

six months pass...

Sending good vibes to the boys, had to cancel the last three shows of their current tour due to "a medical issue with J".

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 6 August 2025 19:47 (ten months ago)

hopefully just an overuse injury for his pedal stomping forefoot

― Lady Sovereign (Citizen) (milo z), Wednesday, 6 August 2025 21:20 (ten months ago)

fingers crossed!

― better than ezra collective soul asylum (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 6 August 2025 21:44 (ten months ago)

three months pass...

Someone should do an arist poll. I think “not you again” could be my number one

― Heez, Thursday, 4 December 2025 17:02 (six months ago)

Could be mine too, really.

― husked, tonal wails (irrational), Friday, 5 December 2025 15:11 (six months ago)

That and Green Mind was when I got into them. That EP is so good. Green Mind might be my most listened to album of the 91-94 period.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Friday, 5 December 2025 15:29 (six months ago)

would love to do a poll, so i can vote for all the awesome overlooked post-reunion stuff

― harper valley paul thomas anderson (voodoo chili), Friday, 5 December 2025 15:47 (six months ago)

yeh farm has become my favourite of their albums

― nxd, Friday, 5 December 2025 16:14 (six months ago)

Farm and Beyond rule, and are my go-to listens after You're Living and Bug

― . (jamiesummerz), Friday, 5 December 2025 16:48 (six months ago)

i bet on sky is also really great

― harper valley paul thomas anderson (voodoo chili), Friday, 5 December 2025 16:59 (six months ago)

They sure are, but I still cant see past the ones I grew up with.

― Toshirō Nofune (The Seventh ILXorai), Friday, 5 December 2025 17:03 (six months ago)

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