Bug

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.

calm down sir

The album was not that good and progressively got worse.

Noise rock and out of key vocals. Dissonance isn't my thing, I guess. Less rock, more cringe for me.

Consistently sloppy with a particularly abrasive end.

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.

didn't enjoy this, it just sounded like noise to me

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.

freak scene go hard

The peak of the mountain of "smoking weed out of an apple" music. I don't think there will ever be another record label as cool as early-mid 80s SST.

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!

Loved it. Really raw and melancholic, at times angry, but always with a fun uplifting edge. So glad I've discovered this

This album was fucking good. I need to listen to more Dinosaur Jr.

Well. How the hell were they supposed to follow up You're Living All Over Us? This isnt as good, but its damn close to a 5.

Yeah, that's some noise alright.

Not a good album, and not a good representation of dinosaur jr or the genre. Begs the question - Who the fuck is making this list? 1/5

Please. We've been through this. Dino Jr AGAIN?

Eh. Everyone is just annoyed at everything. "Freak Scene" is good. "Pond Song", "Budge" is decent. Mostly noise.

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 read the previous reviews and lol at how people don't get dinosaur jr

Every review of this complaining about how noisy sloppy and out of tune it is - yeah it is, and that's why it's good. Stop being such nerds.

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.

good ol' j. mascis. i hadn't realized lou barlow and he started out together - neet!

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

Really nice riffy noise rock, what I wish Husker Du was.

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.

Who let the 12 year old with a limited exposure to real music put an album on this list?

Well that was an unremarkable but acceptable 2 until the final song. Dinosaur Sr I think you should give this kid a hug.

This is so good. Angsty, full of emotion and vigor.

J Mascis shreds so hard all the time. Love this.

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.

HELL YES

This shit freakin slapped

Noisy punk grunge hybrid.

J Mascis's vocals and screaming guitar tone have been a singular force in rock music for decades, and this ranks among their best works.

One of the goats

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

Dinosaur Jr. has sick guitar lines, fun vocal hooks and explosive parts. In other words, it’s music to play LOUD.

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.

Love this album. One of my favourite bands.

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.

Maybe the best record they ever produced. No bad track here.

Lowkey

Dinosaur Jr. are so freaking good and this is one of their best. I love their mix of noise and melody. No one else really does it as well as them.

Noisy as fuck. Love it.

I do like you

I love dinosaurs

Love it. Biggest regret is only having You're Living All Over Me scored at 4/5 here instead of 5/5, it's become one of my favorite albums. 4.5/5

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.

If the Nirvana available isn't enough Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr.

The sound is so good I don't even care about the voice. Amazing sound, such diversity of song writing, genius.

Another Dinosaur Jr album, another 5 stars. Freak Scene is just brilliant.

Really nice noisy album for waiting for my parents to arrive

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.

Amazing album!

Know it, love it. Like a more tender and vulnerable sounding Sonic Youth in a way. Just a warm and lovely listen IMHO.

Never really listened to Dinosaur Jr. but this is an excellent rock album.

One of my favorite albums of all time. So happy to see it on the list. Great rock album

Love this album and the contrasts from songs like Freak Scene and Don’t

Perfection.

Noisy indie rock. I'd never gone deep on Dinosaur Jr. I really liked this album.

I really like Dinosaur Jr. and this is one of their best albums. Really good stuff and I was glad to listen to it again!

9/10. I liked this a lot better than the other Dino Jr album we've had

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.

I really dug this, cracking alt rock album. I know it's 80s but it has that early 90s proto-grunge feel to it. Great stuff

This one was GREAT!!! Added.

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

Duh. No brainer

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.

- Sick garage rock sound - Sounds very modern for an 80s record - Immaculate vibes - 4.5- rounded up yolo - Favorite songs: Budge, No Bones, Pond Song

So happy to see my favorite Dino Jr. album popping up here… just them this and album and them as a whole.

9/10 I’m a fan of indie and hard rock this was a nice fun album almost sounded like a pre-90s grunge

Još jedan album bez kojeg je nemoguće zamislit devedesete. Skoro bolji od youre living all over me

I am a big fan of this band throughout the many stages of their long career. This is something interesting for anyone who likes rock.

the best!

When looking up for photos of Dinosaur Jr., I thought they would be a 'dad rock' type of act. Damn I was mistaken. This is some really cool noise rock and it sounded kind of familiar. It feels like a combination of the noise rock of Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth, the very powerful energy of Nirvana and the smoothness and wall of noise of My Bloody Valentine. The instrumentation is incredibly distorted and loud, to the point that sometimes the vocals get buried underneath it; but I love how this sound adds so much power to the riffs. What is not distorted is the voice. I found it to be very pleasant to listen to, regardless of being a bit out of tune at times. Well, there's actually an exception in which the vocals are not smooth at all. That will be in the closer song "Don't". Nothing prepared me to how raw and emotional is the performance on that track coming from how grotesque the screams from the singer are. It is undoubtedly the most distorted song of them all, and it can be quite disturbing. If we ignore the last track, which I must say is one of my favourites, this album is very fun to listen to.

I misread what year this came out and when I first started listening I thought "Yeah, this is good but it sounds exactly like a dozen other bands from that time" then I realized it came out a full decade earlier than those bands and I realized this was UR text.

Really enjoyed this. I can definitely see myself listening to this band a lot.

Not as great as some of their other releases, but this is great stuff!!

Good nineties rock

I have no idea how I slid past Dinosaur Jr. for so long. I love Neil Young, and Lou Barlow/Sebadohh, and Built to Spill...there is no reason I wouldn't like this. And yet, every time I had heard a Dinosaur Jr. song I was just "meh" about it. Sitting down and listening to this album from 1987, it obvious how far ahead of their time they were. Loved it.

Guitar heavy dynamite. Sounds fresh as hell despite being close to 40 years old.

One time I saw them at barricade at Riot Fest in front of J without earplugs. It was the second loudest show of my life behind the time I saw them at barricade at First Avenue in front of J without earplugs. I prefer the sludge on the prior record but this also slaps.

noisy and raw, just the way I like it