Bug is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., released in October 1988 through SST Records. Blast First and Au Go Go Records released the album in the United Kingdom and Australia, respectively. It was the last Dinosaur Jr. album with original bassist Lou Barlow until Beyond in 2007.
Despite it being a favorite of many Dinosaur Jr. fans, J Mascis has said it is his least favorite Dinosaur Jr. album. The version of 'Keep The Glove' included on the 2005 reissue is not the same as the version on the b-side of the 'Freakscene' single or the 'Fossils' compilation.
NME critic Jack Barron deemed Bug "the most comprehensive rock statement of the year so far" in a 1988 review for the magazine, noting Dinosaur Jr.'s predominantly "torpid" approach and commenting that the music "trepidates everyday reality away", while rating the album "8.999999" on a ten-point scale.
This is one of those times when my rating is probably going to be more generous than is warranted. J Mascis sometimes seems to have trouble carrying a tune, unless that's an affectation. Who knows? The hit of the album, Freak Scene, is so simple, there is almost nothing to it. But honestly, this album hits my critical blind spot. I enjoy the casual nature of Mascis' vocals--it doesn't sound like he's trying to convince you of anything--he's just sharing his thoughts. And I find his blend of noise, rock, and pop appealing. The music on Bug rocks, it has plenty of texture, and it has a warmth that is missing from a band like Sonic Youth. And a funny thing--Mascis also makes me appreciate Neil Young a little more. Mascis has taken Young's blundering experiments with guitar noise and refined them almost beyond recognition. Like Young, Mascis doesn't have a lot of technical ability, but unlike Young, he's very talented at coaxing out a wide palette of sounds from his guitar. It's also pretty clear that Mascis also served as inspiration (along with Young) for Built To Spill's Doug Marsch, another wonderful guitarist. Guys like Mascis and Doug Marsch make the pioneering nature of Neil Young's experiments with noise obvious, even if they kind of sucked (sorry, Brian). In that way, Young's a little like Lou Reed, in that he's inspired a ton of wonderful music. But I'm getting sidetracked. I'm 90% through Bug and beneath all the noise, it turns out that the songwriting is actually pretty sturdy. I've also got to put in a good word for the band, which matches the ferocity of Mascis' guitar work. How to rate? Well, occasionally, the noise elements are overwhelming, but overall, Bug is surprisingly strong and consistent.
They sound like a bad high school band. I like “sloppy” punk rock - but only when it’s intentional. This seems like just poor execution of mediocre songs.
In the genre list on Wikipedia, it lists noise rock. And that it is. Just noise. This album sounds like the singer is crying over loud and annoying instrumentals.
There's something just not right about late 80s alternative rock that doesn't come from Seattle. It's like while Nirvana and Mudhoney were based on punk, and Soundgarden/AIC metal, bands like this were rooted in whiny, jangly, shoegazey, cynical "nothing fucking matters anyway" garage nerd rock. It has its moments where it almost rocks, but still has that distinctly "not Seattle indie" vibe. I think the core problem is it hates itself, but can't channel it well. It's like a depressed kid's assignment. 2/5.
"Bug" is the third studio album by Massachusetts alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. Alternative rock, indie rock and indie rock are the named genres. It was the last album with bassist Lou Barlow until he came back to the band in 2007. Besides Barlow, other members of Dinosaur Jr. include lead singer/guitarist J Mascus and drummer Murph. The album received critical acclaim including a most interesting 8.9999999 rating out of 10 by NME.
A melodic guitar and then bam! The bass and guitar kick in and they're soaring with "Freak Scene." The song ebbs and flows with soft and loud dynamics. Two monster guitar solos by Mascis harkening Neil Young meets Sonic Youth meets Bob Mould. You do hear a lot of monster solos throughout this album. Mascis' vocals define "slacker" rock. I think this is simply about two friends who don't want a romantic relationship since it will ruin their current friendship. "No Bones" features some real melodic bass by Barlow. This is slower but again speeds up in spots. Distorted guitar. "They Always Come" brings the punk. This fast and hard. Some more fantastic bass and drumming along with Mascis' distorted and feedback-riddled guitar.
"Let It Ride" continues the fast and hard. You got to like the intensity these guys bring. And we get a bass solo along with a few guitar ones. They slow it up a bit on "Pond Song" and add an acoustic and layered guitars. Great drumming. The album ends with a wah-wah guitar going into "Don't." Barlow just screaming likes he's dying "Why Don't You Like Me" for five minutes. This song would not have been out of place on Hüsker Dü's "Zen Arcade."
This was a big album for me when it came out. I used to just play the hard/fast songs which seemed to alternate throughout the album. I guess I've mellowed since I found a lot to like in the"so-called" slower songs. I don't know what I was listening to at the time to think those "other'" songs soft? Mascis guitar is just fantastic with his distortion, feedback and multiple solos within each song. One of the other things I realized on this listen was how good the bass and drumming is. This is a band. They need to be to keep up with Mascis. This album and music is connected to the prior music of Neil Young, Hüsker Dü, and Sonic Youth to what the future music would be in shoegaze and grunge. Yes, I like this album and so should you!
Seen enough to eye you
But I've seen to much to try you
It's always weirdness while you
Dig it much too much to fry you
The weirdness flows between us
Anyone can tell to see us
Freak scene just can't believe us
Why can't it just be cool and free us?
Seen enough to eye you
But I've seen to much to try you
It's always weirdness while you
Dig it much too much to fry you
The weirdness flows between us
Anyone can tell to see us
Freak scene just can't believe us
Why can't it just be cool and leave us?
It's so fucked I can't believe it
If there's a way I wish we'd see it
How could it work just can't conceive it
Oh what a mess it's just to leave it
Sometimes I don't thrill you
Sometimes I think I'll kill you
Just don't let me fuck up will you
'cause when I need a friend it's still you
What a mess
Dinosaur Jr. were buddies with all my favourite bands growing up (Sonic Youth wrote ‘Teenage Riot’ about J Mascis) but I was never really a big fan of J Mascis’s voice back in the day. I found it a bit too whiny for my tastes. However, I stumbled across one of his solo albums about five years ago and it became my surprise album of the year. I’d not gone back to the Dinosaur stuff until now though. I enjoyed this album far more listening back to it with a bit of distance and also feeling like I can appreciate his voice a bit more after listening to his solo stuff. More variation than I’d remembered too.
On a slightly related note, I used to play bass (badly) in a band a few years back and we would end each gig with a different cover. By chance, the last song at the last gig we ever played was ‘Freakscene’ by Dinosaur Jr. so, as fate would have it, it’s a song from this album that will ring forever in the ears of the tiny handful of friends and relatives who were present. For that reason, I’m bumping this up from a three and a half to a four.
9. Bug - Dinosaur Jr. 10 tracks.
Not to my tastes at all. If you like a poor quality Foo Fighters meeting a tone-deaf Nirvana on a bad day with some background White Noise then this is definitely for you. Track 9 is called \"Don't\" which I assume stands for Don't listen
1/5.
Bug is not Dinosaur Jr.'s best, but it has all the hallmarks of the band that would influence 90s alternative and grunge. The overdriven guitars, driving drums, and forceful vocal delivery are all present, along with J Mascis's emphasis on the guitar solo. It's probably closer to a three, but due to the influence of this band and bridging classic and alternative rock, I think a four is in order.
I might need to reevaluate some things…
I always preferred I’m Living All Over You to Bug, but listening today, I’m not so sure I feel that way any more.
Sure, “I’m All Over You” is bombastic; a sonic kick in the teeth, if you will. There’s something about “Bug” today, though: it’s a little more cleanly produced and the production is layered, more in depth. It feels a little more in line with where Dinosaur Jr. would go in the following years.
Fuck it, I’ll just give them both 5 stars.
Five stars all the way. It's unfair, I guess, because it's an album I've listened to at least five million times and I love every part of. I remember buying this when I was visiting family in Leeds and they had a Virgin Megastore. It's pretty much calibrated for one side of me. Loud but fragile, often feeling ready to fall apart. It's beautiful. I still skip that last song though!
Feels like album from the mid-90's but yet it came out in 1988. These guys were definitely ahead of their time on what would be popular. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
This is a strong album from Dinosaur Jr. displaying everything that makes their sound unique: the noisy guitars in which you can drown, that come in contrast with nonchalant vocals from J Mascis and his insane solos. These guys seems to be totally laid back but they're actually technically quite good, but with no show off, they're just doing it casually. More than 35 years later, it does not sound out-dated.
I love this band. This is one of there best albums too, more straightforward rock than the previous albums but still a lotta noise. So happy to see it on the list.
Fantastic album! Nobody plays guitar like J Mascis. I love a record that can have a melodic indie pop-like tune like Freak Scene and an equally great angry-emo screamer like Don’t.
Dinosaur Jr.'s album Bug, the last featuring original bassist Lou Barlow (until his reunion with J in the 00s) is a captivating journey into alternative rock. Freak Scene emerges as a masterpiece, setting the stage for the iconic guitar solos that define this record.
The band's chemistry is evident, and it's intriguing to learn that Lou thinks they were still figuring things out during the recording. If this is them in the process, it's exciting to imagine what they'll create once fully figured out.
J Mascis's guitar work is iconic, adding emotional layers to the album. Bug captures a band pushing boundaries and experimenting with their sound, creating a dynamic musical landscape.
NUMBER OF BANGERS - 7
STAND OUT TRACK - Freak Scene
Would be nice if the list contains a few more Dinosaur Jr albums, but otherwise this is an excellent choice. One of the best Dinosaur Jr albums: perfect songwriting (Let It Ride, Budge, etc) + perfect guitar playing + perfect sound = 5 *****.
I know of the band, don't listen to them enough. Pretty rocking. Pretty cool stuff. I dig this. One of the few albums/artists I had never heard from this list and enjoyed.
Had this one on cassette back when it was new. Freak Scene is one of the best songs of the 80s. The rest of this is good too. I've always had a soft spot for Don't.
Bug
Looking back I seem to have quite enjoyed You’re Living All Over Me, and I feel similarly about this.
J Mascis is not the strongest vocalist, but he has a laid back, slackery charm to his vocals that suit the songs and overall vibe. He also does interesting stuff on the guitar, and despite the noise there are plenty of nuanced variations and touches which pull this out of the morass of US noise/alt rock, like the wah on Yeah We Know, the spacey slide guitar on Let it Ride and the acoustic on Pond Song
There are some good songs, Freak Scene is great, you can see why it’s their most famous song, No Bones has a nice bit of swing to it, They Always Come is nicely plaintive, Budge has a nice chorus and Let it Ride. The less said about Don’t the better though.
Overall it’s a decent noisy guitar album, with some good songs, good drums and some great guitar moments. I’d happily give it a listen again if in the right mood, a solid 3.
🪲🪲🪲
Playlist submission: Freak Scene
Like the last Dinosaur Jr. album the list threw up, I find the overall style/sound agreeable, but it doesn't seem particularly memorable. If it came out 10 years later it certainly wouldn't warrant inclusion on the list, but was it remarkable in 1988? I don't know, though given it's not dissimilar to their 1987 album, probably not.
Still, it's a decent album with a nice drawing of a bug on the front. I'll live and let live.
I’m at a 5.
I think it's a really good follow-up to "You're Living All Over Me", which was already a pretty damn good album. I also think it’s a concept album. It’s certainly loose, and there’s not really characters by name or anything, but these all feel connected, telling a story about someone slowly losing a grip on their friendships, relationship, & reality until a total breakdown.
“Freak Scene” is about wanting a relationship, but just knowing it won’t work based on either an established friendship or an established reputation. It’s shockingly honest in its last verse, and I think the texturing of the guitar sets the instrumental tone for the album well. The nonchalant vocals to start the entire album here only make the vocals in the last track punch that much harder.
“No Bones” is just that – it’s the protagonist’s spinelessness coming through, with his inability to establish that relationship he really wants. The guitar here does a good job of showing that mental struggle, even if it overstates its point by going way too fucking loud. It bounced off of me on a first pass, but it does thematically fit with the album.
“They Always Come” is a little bit hard to parse, but I think it’s about a deeper, darker, more sinister self that comes out whenever the influence of alcohol comes to roost. The lines about “drying for it” & how a “mound of smack” won’t satiate something, along with “all the steps taken to hide me”... it sure reads like someone whose demons will fully consume them if allowed to come out. They sure seem like they’re out by the end of the album; they always come. The guitar work here does a really good job of showing the emotional push / pull.
“Yeah We Know” feels like it’s an effort to really make that relationship from earlier stick, given the line “got to find a way to mend”, whilst acknowledging that the longer it goes unreciprocated, the more those demons might come out, with lines like “Feel the skin begin to scar / Can't really pull it together / About to crack”. Instrumentally though, it’s just kind of a vibe.
“Let It Ride” strikes me as an attempt to get back in the good graces of someone after a lot of beef between them, asking them to let it slide & to let their friendship ride. Whether or not it’s about the primary romantic relationship at hand here or another friendship, I can’t say, but it’s a good conflicting emotion to showcase on a track. I’m not sure if it succeeded or not, but that ambiguity in the air lends itself to a sort of paranoia that helps the unhinged spiral continue. Instrumentally, I think it just sounded really good.
“Pond Song” feels like the full & proper rejection of the romantic relationship. He’s insistent about giving it “my last crack”, asking her to jump on the wave, and all of her hesitations about it lead him to realize her feelings are way more complex. When he says “needs a way to keep it simple”, he decides he has to turn down the relationship himself, rejecting that last “reach in”. The percussion gives the track a nice indie tone, and one that feels a little ahead of pace for 1988.
“Budge” is a drug song. They’re doing weed & speed and everything else; whether or not the two people in the track are him & the friend on “Let It Ride” or the “other self” from “They Always Come” is irrelevant – he’s doing drugs again. It’s only a matter of time. The stoner-y vibe to the vocals & the instrumental energy gives a weird sort of Malcolm in the Middle vibe that I just vibed with.
“The Post” is an alcohol song. He’s drinking again. He eyed it (the bottle), he dried it, he untied it, he chilled it, he spilled it, he refilled it, he paced around, he traced it (redid his drink), & he erased it (threw away the bottle). They always come. The overblown guitar really gives off a nice sense of the depression present at this point.
“Don’t” is visceral. It’s very discomforting, but in a way that’s super fascinating, with the sound design of the guitars & percussion & the underlying demonic growl in his voice releasing a frustration into the world that not even Trent Reznor was able to reach on “The Downward Spiral”. There’s a point at the 4:30 mark where all the guitars disappear, to just leave him to his own thoughts, before devolving into utter chaos for the finale. I think it works incredibly well. As an album closer, it feels depressing, yet inevitable. They always come.
“Keep The Glove”, however, feels like it could work as an ending all the same. It’s a bonus track, but I choose to interpret it as a dream that comes after the alcoholic events of “Don’t”, one in which the romance he was looking for is still about to end (probably through cheating), but at least he was able to experience it, & asking her to remember him. The last minute being a total cacophony though feels like the dream melting away, & it just feels like a heartbreaking ending. They ALWAYS come.
The thing that elevates this album even higher, at least from what I’ve read, is that these tracks are meant as an allegory for the band’s deteriorating relationship at the time. Dinosaur Jr.’s initial lineup would split apart by their next album, with their bassist, Lou Barlow, leaving the band. If this album is meant to be a sort of therapy session between the group, then it makes the ending tracks of the album hit even harder, knowing that the simple, vital question of “Why don’t you like me?” would stay unanswered.
I understand that my interpretation isn’t definitive, but it feels like a really strong framing device, & there’s certainly at least a loose connection between all of these tracks. I think the floor is a 3 if it just hurts the ears from an instrumental standpoint (entirely understandable), but I’m at a 5 because… I dunno, it just feels like an extremely cohesive album, written & created despite some kind of deep-seated pain, ala Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”. I might even be higher after writing all of this out, though I don’t think I’d get to a 10. I really enjoyed it, and I’m glad it’s on the list; they certainly shut me up after wondering why they had 2 albums here.
This gradually builds up and up into a really noisy album. The songs start out like normal alt rock noise and eventually turn into the wonderful noise that is Don't. I really like Dinosaur Jr, this isn't my favorite album by them but it's still really good.
I would place this alongside‘dog man star’ and ‘the white album’.
Mainly because they are each held in high regard in the band’s catalogue, but also because they are the sounds of bands falling apart.
Which is odd, because the songs on ‘bug’ are quite poppy, J’s voice isn’t as gravely as it would turn from 93’s ‘where you been?’ And the melodies are quite poppy and breezy ‘they always come’ / ‘freakscene’ etc.
The exception here is Lou Barlow’s ‘don’t’ which is the chuck norris of angst. It’s a horrifying listen.
‘wHY dOn’T yOU LiKe mEEEEE?!’ The distortion has distortion, J Mascis plays a solo from the 9th layer of the inferno where the liars and cheats reside, and the song drips with shame, self-pity and fury. It’s the darkest Dinosaur Jr have ever been, and it’s stunning.
Lou Barlow would leave the band after the albums completion and J is on record as saying he doesn’t rate it. For the rest of us, it’s a monumental listen 5/5
Dinosaur Jr. was right at that liminal space between punk and indie rock. Maybe even through in some lo-fi in there. I don't own any Dinosaur Jr but after listening to this I would be interested in getting some if the price was right. I looked this one album up on Disc Ogs and the first edition from SST is sitting at about 100 dollars and I've already got enough expensive habits don't need this one.
I appreciate this album a lot more than most people but I'm also really into that area of Indie Rock/Punk/Hardcore/Metal/Etc as this is the bit of music that fueled a lot of what I got into just a few years later. Regardless of what people say Don't is the best song on the album 5/5.
Alternative Rock comes in many forms and this is one of my favorites. The bands I listen to the most today absolutely were indirectly influenced by this band. I'm not the biggest fan of the vocals, but they absolutely work in this way. "Freak Scene" and "Let It Ride" are some amazing tracks and to end it all with "Don't" is vile in the best way. I can see why this album is rated quite low, but I do not agree one bit! Can't believe this is from the 80s
i spent years confusing this band with T. Rex, a group they share neither a genre nor even a Decade with but do share dinosaur-flavored names. anyway, this is kind of the cutest album ever! a lot of that comes down to j mascis' vocal style and presence, a surprisingly soft center considering he can work in the Rock Singer Idiom, but the whole sensation of extremely bright and immediate melodies cutting through all the fuzz is just a rly snug and comfy one. and the melodic sensibility rly is just often sweet....some jangles and sparkles bubble their way to the top of the guitars, and theres more bubblegum in some of the vocal melodies than some would expect (people who dont know the ramones, anyway). a personally vital image evoked by all this: staring at a pouring thunderstorm through the window. wonderful record!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! made me very happy
I'd give this 4.5 stars, as I think it is just a formative album, both for Dinosaur Jr. and so many genres from metal to grunge to "indie" to punk to emo and probably more. The guitar sounds are wonderfully captured and so raw but still controlled with great songwriting. And there are genuine hooks like with Freak Scene that are great, too.
Noise rock. Ja, zo zou je Dinosaur Jr prima kunnen omschrijven. Ik heb ze ooit een keer in Paradiso live gezien en sindsdien hoor ik bepaalde toonhoogtes minder goed gok ik. Man, wat stond dat hard. Voordeel is wel dat je dan minder goed hoort dat J Mascis niet kan zingen.
Verder is het een heerlijke bak gitaren, waar weer veel meer melodie in zit dan je op eerste gehoor kan ontwaren. Misschien is het net als whisky: het zet eerst je bek in lichterlaaie van de alcohol, maar als je daar doorheen bent, kun je (naar het schijnt) de subtiliteiten in de smaak ontwaren. Luister bij deze muziek door de muur van geluid heen en de gitaarriffs klinken als zuivere melodielijnen, de drums zijn fantastisch en zelfs J Mascis zingt zoetgevooisd.
Kortom, ik word hier blij van en zal zo te zien wat moeten compenseren, want er is al een zure broeder me voor geweest. Het scheelt weer, want ik heb nog heel veel bonuspunten over na al die verschrikkelijke hiphop van vorige week.
Dinosaur Jr is one of those 80s/90s indie bands i just never spent a lot of time with. Seen them live once and have always liked them. Anyway, this is good but not great album. I'm sure I'll revisit it though.
3.5/5
Album 66/1001
You're all wrong. This is an early masterpiece of a band finding their chops. The sound is exciting, those noisy Mascis solos keep me coming back for more. His imperfect voice is captivating. This is messy, moshy, head nodding, poppy, swaying, thrashing, sweaty, angsty music. I fucking love it.
Five stars.
Not their best, but even not their best is amazing and a solid example of why Dinosaur Jr is one of my favorite bands and J Mascis is one of my guitar idols. Glad this was included on this list. Hope more DJR is.
I've listened to Where You Been before and I liked it enough so going into this album I was expecting to give it a 3 or 4. But I don't know, I guess this was what I needed to listen to today, because I really enjoyed it. It is a lot more noisy than I expected (and I love noise rock). I also think that J Mascis' voice suits this album very well, and it provides a very interesting texture and emotion. The songs are pretty simple, but I think that it works in it's advantage. I absolutely understand why people don't like this album, but I think it is very good.
Heck yeah. Dinosaur Jr is great. I saw them at a Lollapalooza in '93 and again in '17 with my son. They've been a favourite for a long time. For me this album is about 4th or 5th best of theirs. But I really like most of their albums. I really like J's solo stuff too.
Between pavement and Nirvana, between lo-fi Blur and At the drive in. Great, tricky to see where it could be improved. Slightly odd to read that the band didn't really like it
More familiar with the later, Where You Been, which was a seminal CD for me in which I can remember when I first heard it, with who and the apartment we lived in at the time. Great music can take you back that way and keep it preserved there for eternity.
Not sure that I had ever heard this one in its entirety but it is wonderful in the same way. I’ve always thought sometimes too much Dinosaur Jr. all at once is more than most people can handle.
I’m sure in my consecutive plays if Where You Been, I could shut it down after two songs. DJr. can pack a lot into two songs.
Since listening to this album yesterday, I have become a Dinosaur Jr. fan.
"Bug" is up there with "Doolittle" as one of the best 80's alt-rock albums.
However, this album isn't as good as the albums I gave 5 stars to.
The opening track, "Freak Scene", is my favourite on "Bug".
What a great start to the week.
4 stars for "Bug".