Dinosaur Jr.: Brilliant or crap?

I like them. I have a really fond spot in my heart for them. But, it might kind of be like old friends when you finally get back together and realise you don't have much to talk about anymore. Maybe I outgrew them? Or maybe I just have to wait until summertime or something when the mood strikes.

They were good and original, though.

Here's a related question:

Who's better: Dinosaur Jr. or Sebadoh*?

(*just because Lou was originally in Dinosaur, if you didn't know that.)

I've got You're Living All Over Me and the best of. Not under the impression I need any more. But there's brilliance in that stuff.

I can't listen to anything J. Mascis has done without falling asleep, and it's not just me; I have a friend who went to see him and she fell asleep at the concert.

In summary: BORING

I've always pronounced it (and heard it pronounced) Mass-Kiss, but I have no idea if that is correct.

Of course, you could also say that Neil Young was doing the same damn thing twenty years earlier, so forget everything I just said.

I've never heard such great suburban-basement teenage four-track rickety-proggy music (even if it wasn't really recorded under those conditions). The songs are just fantastic; each one has four or five distinct, individual instrumental parts that just kill. And wonderful melodies, lyrics, atmosphere - the works.

If anyone can suggest any other albums that approach the "feel" of this one in any way, please, lay 'em on me!

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.

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!)

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??

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.

Spencer, I will take a listen tonight.

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

I've been listening to Dinosaur Jr. quite a bit lately. They were sort of a second tier interest to me when I was a teenager, but for some reason I've been enjoying returning to them more than many other bands from that era.

the P4k article still says "Nobody knows why! The answer isn't obvious at all!"

The world is a very confusing country

"They Always Come" is such a great song... but then around halfway through it morphs into this even better song. Feel like Bug is so much better than I remember everytime I throw it on.

yeah that's my favorite one

Heh I wouldn't say I like it more than YLAOM, but Bug feels super-slept on in comparison. The highs on Bug (for me: "They Always Come" & "No Bones" esp.) are as high as any of their albums. Not sure how dictator-y J was by this point but both Lou & Murph's performances are incredible.

My wife gave me a print with "sometimes I don't thrill you sometimes I think I'll kill you just don't let me fuck up will you cos when I need a friend it's still you" for my birthday a couple of years ago

I put that song on at her memorial last Saturday

beautiful

xps no I meant that's my fave Dino Jr song!!! so perfect. as an album yeah Living... is better

Ahhh, yeah I'm with you haha.

(Col. Poo, extremely sorry to hear of your loss, not trying to glance over that...)

awww & \m/ Col. Poo

Brilliant

<3 Col Poo. Freak Scene is such an immense, personal song

yeah CP I shoulda commented on that as well, so excellent

Was kinda hoping this revive was for some concrete news on the new album. But glad to see it nonetheless.

I was listening to the Day of the Dead comp last night and the Kurt Vile cover of "Box of Rain" that features a Mascis solo came on and I realize that I can't think of many rock songs that wouldn't be immediately improved by a J solo. Hell, if Aerosmith wanted to re-record Just Push Play with Mascis playing every solo I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

if they hadn't stopped playing 'i don't wanna go there' i'd still be listening to it

^^^

woooo! https://www.dinosaurjr.com/news-blog/2021/1/15/custom-dinosaur-jr-collaboration-with-j-skis

That is rad.

That is awesome. I remember Head coming out with Motorhead skis a while ago, I'm still kicking myself I didn't get those. Bands should do this a lot more.

still such an amazing lead guitarist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_IS9RUpv40

This is their best LP in a few.

Can't think of another band who phone in their best music like they do

I like the new album but fuck this wasn't I thread I expected to open and burst out crying.

It's still on the wall though:

https://i.ibb.co/JmmLsfv/IMG-20210424-030210461.jpg

I love this damn band so much, this new one is great.

what can i say besides this is the perfect rock band and everything they do kicks ass, new album no exception

otm

I was inspired enough to finally pick up those 2019 Cherry Red reissues of the post-Jayloumurph lineup albums, mainly for all the B-side cleaning up and live shows.

i like this band whenever i hear them but do they have more than one song

that's not an insult the consistency is impressive & inspiring but do they ever go proggy or anything

they don't go "proggy" per se, but they do loosen up and jam a lot on farm. the early albums have a fair amount of weirdness, especially in the lou barlow contributions. recent albums have a few barlow contributions but his sensibility has grown closer to j's.

thx i remember enjoying farm when it came out but i only listened to it once i think. amazing cover

that's not an insult the consistency is impressive & inspiring but do they ever go proggy or anything

lol, I was going to say, that's not fair, between 1985 and 1988 and since 2007 they've had two, with the Lou songs

I heard “Little Fury Things” on my return commute today, and I was reminded of how beautiful and wistful it is. Also, nothing on their post-reunion albums approach its greatness or the highs on You’re Living/Bug/Green Mind

they just became a more conventional rock band, an excellent one but not quite the same i agree

Seems crazy that the beginning of this thread was 20 years ago!

J’s guitar tone may be the most comforting sound I know.

I saw them in a small club in 1987. You're Living All Over Me held up well last time I checked, but I don't know much after that except "Freak Scene." I think I'd see this, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5w28bJKmxY

I hope Dave Grohl's in it lots.

Nice. Will definitely seek this out. They're *still* strangely enigmatic to me.

Jamming the 1991 Hollywood show that came with the Green Mind reissue from a few years back, I love this band.

Mascis does some stellar guitar work on Sunburned Hand of Man's "Prix Fixe" from this year that's definitely worth seeking out.

+ Kevin Shields last night in London doing "Just Like Heaven" and "Tarpit:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=130nIZQ1iXA

Wow

Didn’t like as much as I expected to though

Nope. Sounds like Guitar Center.

Agree, it was just sort of cool they played a MBV song and then the Cure cover but the performance was just sort of there.

I read about Richard Aoyade guesting with the band this morning. But not sure when was that the same London show.
Hadn't known he played guitar before that. Think it was Lou's feed on FB.

They should have got Graham Linehan to sing Don't

Nope. Sounds like Guitar Center.

His new single is pretty much out there. Music that makes me happy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOgibRJxp8g