Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
1988
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.
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.
Eh. Everyone is just annoyed at everything. "Freak Scene" is good. "Pond Song", "Budge" is decent. Mostly noise.
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
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 *****.
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.
good ol' j. mascis. i hadn't realized lou barlow and he started out together - neet!
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.
Loved it. Really raw and melancholic, at times angry, but always with a fun uplifting edge. So glad I've discovered this
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.
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.
Noise rock and out of key vocals. Dissonance isn't my thing, I guess. Less rock, more cringe for me.
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.
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.
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.
Još jedan album bez kojeg je nemoguće zamislit devedesete. Skoro bolji od youre living all over me
9/10 I’m a fan of indie and hard rock this was a nice fun album almost sounded like a pre-90s grunge
Great album of a band who brought the lead guitar back to the indie rock forefront, alongside The Pixies
So happy to see my favorite Dino Jr. album popping up here… just them this and album and them as a whole.
- 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
Dinpsaur Jr. - одна из влиятельнейших групп в истории инди-рока. Они взяли нойз-рок и хард-рок 70-х и добавили туда мелодичности и тяжелые гитарные соло, будто вылетающие из горящих энтузиазмом рук музыканта. Не как на дебюте The Jesus And Mary Chain, более гранжево и энергично. Рассматривая именно этот альбом нельзя сказать, что он сильно отличается от You're Living All Over Me (по крайней мере в музыкальном плане). Здесь можно заметить многие приемы предыдущего, но использованы они здесь менее выразительно, чем на предшественнике. Особенно хотелось бы выделить трек "Don't". Он крайне выделяется на фоне всего альбома из-за переполняющей его грязи. Его нахождение в треклисте вызывает удивление скорее негативное, чем восхваляющее разнообразие, но тут момент спорный. Обобщая все выше сказанное, могу сказать одно: Определенно, этот альбом хорош, но знакомится с ним следует только если вам понравился You're Living All Over Me, места в списке он не стоит, это не мастерпис и даже не близко. 7.5/10
Dinosaur Jr:aa, hyvässä ja pahassa. Pidän kovasti bändin levyjen äänimaailmasta, mutta toisaalta biisit eivät juurikaan eroa toisistaan tai jää mieleen samankaltaisen kitaramuurin takia. Nämä vanhemmat bändin levyt ovat itselleni hieman uusia vieraampia, mutta ihan samaltahan tämä kuulostaa kuin 30v myöhemminkin. Kolmosen ja nelosen välimaastossa keikutaan, mutta vertaamalla tätä muihin viime aikoina antamiini kolmosiin on pakko tehdä pyöristys ylöspäin.
Real nice low fi dad rock, hits nice and hard at points. Verging on fat riffs if it wasn't for all the fuzz (not a bad thing). The Post is an absolute track but Don't can probably calm down a bit
Otra de esas bandas de las que únicamente había oído el nombre pero nunca el disco. Fuera de "Don't", que está un poco intragable, el resto del disco me gustó mucho: los riffs y solos de guitarra están divertidos y aunque podría ser considerado "noise" no deja de ser armónico y cada canción tiene su estructura y su propio sonido.
progressively screamier. the penultimate song scared the shit out of me. but still some good stuff 3.5
Ihan okei rokkia. Tuntui freesimmältä kuin ZZ Topit jne., mutta ei kuitenkaan ihan keveintä mahdollista höttöä. Tämän voisi kuvitella jonnekin Szigetiin tai muualle lämpimään kesäfestari-iltaan. Hyvää fiilistä, mutta ei erityisen mieleen painuvaa. 3.5 pyöristyy neloseen.
High school Dani would have loved this band. Kinda punk, emo, but great guitar and melodies; the change in tempo, even going to 2/3 (which very much reminds me of Brand New). I can't put my finger on who was influenced by this band, but I think a lot of my formative music years had been listening to these guys. Maybe a bit of Brand New, Jimmy Eat World, Nirvana, Radiohead...
I can’t place who this sounds like, but very reminiscent of other bands that were popular among my circle in the early-mid 2000s. I wish I had known about them during my vaguely emo teen years!
Really enjoyed this album! Was kinda surprised by how much I enjoyed it actually!
I don't know how I missed this band in the 80's - they are from my home state and were popular in my college years; I heard their name a lot but didn't listen to them - so I'm glad I heard this. Hard-driving and thrashy, so not my usual listening fare, and really solid.
Nice rocking little album. Not the dinosaur Jr i remember. Until the last song.
Weird but cool to hear a wah pedal in a grunge type setting but it works. Raw emotion and an imperfect mix is refreshing to hear compared to today's over produced stuff.
This album had some bangers, definitely ahead of its time with its sound. The vocals weren't my cup of tea, but the instrumentation and progressions were really cool. Enjoyable listen (besides Don't). Favourite Tracks: No Bones, They Always Come, Yeah We Know
Just flat enjoyed a lot of this. Very early alternative...sounds like Local H 10 years earlier.
Rentre chez toi, Cobain! Prefs: FREAK SCENE, Let It Ride, Pond Song, Budge Moins pref: Don't
Is it punk? Is it grunge? Is it metal? Yes. Yes it is, and it is great.
I liked the sound but it didn't feel novel. Felt like a superchunk album. Or maybe wilco? Or maybe something else? But I think the sound is novel for the time so... 4 stars.
Not having a lot of exposure to Dinosaur Jr I wasn't sure what to expect with this album so I was surprised how much I enjoyed it! This is a really good album and I can see it's influence on Alt Rock moving forward and also on some Grunge Music, Pond Song (Neil Yong), and a hint of Pavement. The album features great guitar work and drumming which are brought out by the clean production. Lyrically the album seems a bit weak, and repetitive, but that seems to work out okay as the focus seems to be more on the music and less on the vocals on this particular album. The one song on here that I had a tough time getting through was Don't, the screaming gets a bit much and drones on. Other than that really good album and it opens me up to listening to more Dinosaur Jr work. Favorite Songs: Freak Song, Pond Song, Yeah We Know. I give this one a 3.5 - 4.
For 88 this is pretty good stuff considering how much I dislike hairbands. A band before their time
I was struggling with the vocals at times, but the guitar tones are great. Strong album.
Freak Scene brilliant song, rest of the album good, but really found the song don’t hard to listen to.
I think this is a solid followup to their earlier masterpiece; it still delivers that amazing sound, even if it doesn't reach quite the heights of You're Living All Over Me.
Way cooler than the last Dinosuar Jr we saw. Feels cool alt rock / punk with some nice growls. I can dig it.
J Mascis did a good job on this one. Definitely a classic indie record, and for good reason. Favorite track: They Always Come.
reminds me of my childhood. 90's grunge, Nirvana and Fugazi. I love how sounds take me back. It's also amazing how the 90's created the space for average singers to excel in the grunge space.
Watch the movie Singles this week, so I was definitely in the mood for some Grunge
One of the more notable ”slacker rock” bands. Although, with guitar playing such as this you could hardly call them slackers
Few bands hit me in quite the same way as Dinosaur Jr. As noisy, screeching and hysterical as it may be - the amazingly tumultuous “Don’t” being the prime example - there’s always raw emotions and a feeling of honesty hiding just beneath the surface; most often in the form of Mascis’ delicate and bare vocal and brutally beautiful guitar. While I love their older material there’s a special vibe about their post-reunion albums that isn’t quite present here. Maybe it’s because they matured along the way or maybe it’s the heavier focus on their punk aesthetic on the early records? I nevertheless enjoy the ride every bit of the way!
Great noise/alternative rock. Do I hear a bit of early emo/pop punk on here?
Awesome album to listen to. Dino Jr is a favourite band of mine. No one sounds like them.
Love this record. Love this band. J Mascis is maybe my favorite guitar player of all time. I mentioned the shared cross-section between grunge and shoegaze when we did Siamese Dream. Well Dino Jr is another band that fits into that hole. But they do it whilst maintaining a sound so entirely unique to them as to not really fit into either scene. I LOVE the sound this band achieves. I love their explorations in sound and distortion and fuzz. Such a powerful sound for a weirdo, three-piece band. And they achieve some wonderful melodies to boot. And fun explorations with time too. Seeing them play live is incredibly wonderful and impressive. Still the loudest concert I've ever been to and more amazing still that it’s just 3 guys making all that sound. Gonna give this one a 4. I assume we'll be doing their debut effort You're Living All Over Me and want to save the 5 for that. This is a great follow up. But doesn't necessarily do anything that first album doesn't. Although it is tighter, more conventional, and more melodic than that first album, which contributes to the band's success. But it’s not too significant an evolution and I prefer the purity of those initial experiments in sound from the Amherst band. Perhaps, Mascis was a bit green as producer here? He's produced every album since himself and done some amazing work but Wharton Tiers produced that first album which might have given its tone a bit more depth, idk. In any event this is still a very good record and important for breaking an all-time band to the college rock world.
One of better US guitarbands with Freak Show and Don't as best songs. 4 stars easily
Surprisingly enjoyable alternative rock album with lots of influences. Little bit classic rock here, little bit pop here, little bit punk or metal here. Bonus points for the catchy harmonies
It's a good album. I could probably listen to it again. Lots of energy.
Pretty good.It’s what I hoped sonic youth and all those other noise rock bands I’ve listened to would sound like.You know noisy but melodic
Un autre album de Dinosaur Jr dont j'ai été agréablement surpris. Ce groupe est vraiment solide et était vraiment un pilier de la scène alternative.
i do love dino jr, but cant say this is a 5 star album. there are other bands of their ilk with catchier more memorable songs, and bands with noisier more chaotic guitar. i personally prefer their post 2007 comeback albums over their earlier stuff.
Loved this album. Nothing but huge fuzzy riff after huge fuzzy riff. I also knew Dino Jr were “good” but totally slept on them. Bug kills it!
Dinosaur Jr. never miss. Solid slice of early alt-rock that foreshadows many later trends
This is weird because a lot of modern alternative (and punk in the case of Don’t) sounds a lot like this, but of course this is from the 80’s so it feels like an early swing at the sounds that would run those genres going into the 90’s/00’s. For that reason it is perhaps on the tame side of those sounds but still very listenable and good.
Luke loves these and I'd heard a little. Thought this was great! Really enjoyed it
This album was flirting with a 5 for me until Don't. Pure cacophony on that track. Otherwise really enjoyed it. Favorite track: Yeah We Know
Pretty good noisy rock. Tracklist seemed pretty loosely ordered especially with the last two songs. Overall 7.5/10 (an extra .5 because of the cover)
- the guitar is the star of the show - perfect DIY, slightly whiny voice for the music - high quality grungy indie rock - really enjoyed the listen, would give it a 4.5 if I could
Never really listened to these. Not as goofy American as I thought. Good listen!
Pra mim todo rock era pra ser de certa forma "Noise", mas essa banda me apresenta esse subtipo de rock que eu até então não conhecia. "Don't" faz jus ao tipo de rock.
Musicalmente se me hicieron muy, muy buenos. Se escucha una batería de happy punk por aquí, unos guitarrazos muy grunge por acá. Musicalmente en serio me parecen una delicia. Las letras embrolladas no estorban. La métrica de la lírica me parece muy cuestionable pero al combinarla con la voz, no sé si fea por naturaleza o producida así para que suene mal, generan una combinación terrible. No me gusta el chillido desafinado que pasa en este disco por voz sobre una ejecución musical tan buena. Si no tuviera voz, le ponía 4 estrellas al disco y por culpa de cómo las partes cantadas me perforan el oído, se queda con 3 estrellas. Los gritos y atasque de Don't me parecen mucho más agradables que su manera de cantar. Me duele poner esta calificación pero no pude con la voz. Songs: Yeah We Know, Budge, Don't, Keep The Glove
No tenía conocimiento ni del nombre Dinosaur Jr. Un rock alternativo bonito, ruidosito, a gusto, 10 canciones en 38 minutos. Las canciones cuidadas, el bajo fuerte fuerte sonando bien. Si hubiera escuchado el disco en blanco y sin conocimiento hubiera firmado que era Sonic Youth pero con otra voz. No diría que fue espectacular, quizá pesa un poco que haya tocado tan pegado a algo similar como los Pixies, pero si fue bastante agradable. No se si lo pondría en rotación pero es como para si haces una playlist de alternativo/grunge meter algunas canciones. Cumple y suena bien a pesar de no resaltar muy por encima de las bandas similares.