Bug

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 love this 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!

Hitting my weakness

Used to like this album more but still great - their earlier one is better though

Noisy stoner rock that can absolutely infect your neck muscles and get them bobbing your head. Flirts that find line of garage junk and Picasso. Not saying every song is excellent, maybe some filler here and there, in the in between we strike some majesty.

You know, a month is not a very long amount of time for an opinion to change. With that knowledge, it's no wonder that Dinosaur Jr. still appeals to me. That other album of theirs that I got about a month ago, You're Living All Over Me? Great album. Easy 8/10 for me. Now that I've heard its followup, Bug, I still feel rather positively about this band, though I do prefer that other album. Bug does have a fair amount of similarities to its predecessor. They were released less than a year apart. I'd be surprised if this album was drastically different from the other one. Fortunately, I enjoyed that album, so this one was also good. The guitar riffs are still great and the writing is thoughtful. The band seemed to have a bit of tension between the band members around this time, so the album's lyrics have a bit of a focus on that. I can respect that. The songs this time around aren't quite as great overall as the ones on You're Living All Over Me, though "Freak Scene" is definitely one of the band's best songs. This album also continues the trend of ending on weird songs, with this album's "Don't" being just as "not for me" as "Poledo" from the other album. Other than that, the album's a good time. I will say give "Don't" a piece of praise though, even if it is one that appeals to the rest of the album as well. This thing is pretty ahead of its time. This album almost feels like a precursor to grunge at times, Nirvana in particular. That's pretty cool. This album's pretty cool. Good band. Decent 4/5.

I've been told I don't like to rock out by several people so it's taken me awhile to get through several hard rocking albums. Dino Jr is a band that I actually like to rock out to when the situation calls for it. The songs move along pretty quickly and they don't take themselves too seriously. Hell yeah.

Love a bit of Mr Mascis. Even his showing off with his guitar doesn't seem to annoy me as much as when other artists do it. Not quite as up there as Where You Been? but worth the entrance money alone for Freak Scene and Don't

Originally got this about 20 years ago the same day as I got the band’s previous album You’re Living All Over Me. That record blew me away while this one left me a little cold (“Freak Scene” notwithstanding). Now on revisit I have a new appreciation for the low-slung bass lines, the morphing rhythms and the absolute overwhelm of this record that verges on sludge metal. Some songs still feel a little overlong with melodies that don’t quite connect, but overall this is a really interesting development for Dinosaur Jr. in terms of song craft and texture.

Go larm!

Kæft noget larm (positivt)

Noisy AF!

Lotta influence. Too noisy

Never been a massive D-Jr fan - even though I grew up through the grunge era... Loved this though.

4 out of 5. Great album!

gibt mir komischerweise 2020 indie rock/ "grunge"/ midwest emo vibes... und es heißt sogar bug wie ein großteil der non binary teenager zu der zeit🤩 ist aber eigl aus den 80ern... gibt auch ein bisschen vibes von einer teenager band die sich sehr von verschiedenen künstlern inspirieren lässt, deswegen gibts mittendrin auch ein metal artiges lied??? aber ziemlich gut

Bug never sounded like a late-1980s album to me. I could easily have assumed it was recorded much later. Listening to it, I could hear many of the ideas that would later become part of the alternative rock and grunge sound. What stood out most was the contrast between the heavy, often almost metal-like guitar work and J Mascis’s seemingly indifferent vocals. It feels familiar now, but imagining this combination in 1988 made the album seem far ahead of its time. My favorite tracks were Yeah We Know, The Post, and Don’t. All three made it easy to hear a connection to Nirvana.

pretty dang good i kept it in the background and i liked the sound

Another band that has been perpetually recommended to me by both man and machine. They were all correct; it turns out I do enjoy a lil Dinosaur Jr. and Bug was a great entry point. Now, I'll be the one recommending Dino Jr.

If you know Dinosaur Jr, you know they have one mode, and that was fully established in 1988 (!!) with this album. Their blend of noisy garage rock even feels like it influenced Nirvana to a degree. The album sounds much newer than it is, maybe because it’s so similar to their 90s output. That nose song at the end is sure to off put some but not enough to detract from the overall product. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yum yum. These folks can really wail (complimentary). I saw them play at a summer festival a few years ago and they were great. Their set was about 80% guitar solo, but man oh man, what a great solo.

ME gusta la distorsión, lo sucio. Bien bien.

Fuzzy as fuzzy can be. Noisy as noisy can be. The soaring leads soar. I love the garage-rock distortion and the high-school feelings of the lyrics. I don't mind in fact I love that the album seems like one song played relentlessly aggressively loudly. "Don't" rips the scab off of the rest of the songs.

I think this album is great, but they are no Weezer.

one of my first time really connecting with a dino jr album!

This was awesome. Another one of those bands that I know well by name, but never really listened to. It had a nice raw-ness to it that I really enjoyed. 6/1/26

freak scen, budge, and dont are amazing.

Nice loud fuzzy headbath 3.5

I can’t believe this is from 1988. It sounds like it was made in a Brooklyn apartment or some teen’s suburban basement in 2008. Clearly a blueprint for a lot of modern indie rock and pop. “Don’t” is an obvious highlight and such an awesome song for multiple reasons, and also is evidently an early emo/screamo song with the combined irony and earnestness that the genre would embody.

Opening track is great! The rest was pretty good too, but nothing grabbed me quite as much as Freak Scene. Overall though, just sneaks into a four for me.

Right up my street, let down a bit by the cheap production, I know that's part of the whole thing but I do find it harder to listen to

Enjoyed this. Kinda know what you’re gonna get with these but in a good way. Scuzzy, messy, indie rock. Clearly influential on the likes of Pixies, Deerhunter, maybe later Sonic Youth (or more likely the other way round). Either way, right up my street. Probably preferred You’re Living All Over Me, but this is still great and will be back

I really like dinosaur jrs sound, it's much more melodic than other bands of the time and must have been a big influence on ash, Weezer and the like. Like the previous album we had I just think the production is a bit too amateurish, by design I assume but Id prefer if everything sounded bigger. If not for this it could be a 5 but it really dampens things for me.

Impressive how they've made noise rock enjoyable. They Always Come, Yeah We Know, and Let It Ride were my favourites, a pretty amazing 3 song run. Really good, solid indie album.

Really enjoyed the previous dinosaur jr album we had so was looking forward to this. Could've sworn we've had more than 1 previous album of theirs. Nearly 3 and a half years ago we had that album! Started really well, but I did think it tailed off a bit towards the end. Still got that early grunge sound. Still good though. 3.5 but closer to 4.

Great rocking out album

Good but I think I've aged out of this type of angry, crunchy rock. I enjoyed listening to it but can't help but feel like I'm listening to the same stuff I was listening to in college. Sometimes it's time to move on.

Yes it's noisy and messy but I hear so many foundations of influence for 90s punk bands. Very akin to Nirvana in some places too.

This is my favorite Dinosaur jr album so far. This is also probably the heaviest I’ve heard them so far. I think I said in one of my reviews for the last album of their to come up that I don’t love the singers voice. Which is still true, he has a very whiny and monotone vocal delivery a good majority of the time, but on this album there’s also alittle more variety. There are songs on this album that are shockingly heavy, “don’t” specifically is probably the heaviest but I also think “budge” fits that description as well. The other songs I really liked were “freak scene” “yeah we know” and “the post”. I also really liked the opening guitar riff of pond song. There’s still a small disconnect for me with the band just because as a whole their music is alittle, for lack of a better term, whiny. But seriously this is probably my favorite album by them despite it not being a “no skip” album for me.

BALLER

A classical Dinosaur Jr. album mixing simple melody noise rock which is a prefiguration of what is to come. It's more approachable than Sonic Youth and yet sufficiently edgy / sloppy to trigger all the good signals in me. And as all thing Dinosaur Jr, I really like the vocals of J. Masics it has this laid back / "idgf how I sing" vibe which makes every song a statement to coolness (I recommend the cover of "Show me the way" for an excellent example). Favorite songs: Freak Scene

Wild!

look i don't wanna stir up controversy or willingly offend anyone but i must say it. J Mascis should be president.

I understand it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed this quite a lot. After having to listen to Radiohead again it is nice to hear something with some life and movement and colour to it. It's like a tapestry of noise. I only knew Dinosaur Jr. by reputation before now but I think I will be investigating further.

Entertaining album. Loved the noisier bits and the guitar tone generally. Vocals weren't great, but nothing out of the ordinary for the genre. 4.0/5.0: Great

Saw these guys live once. People moshed. Saw a flipped car on my way home. Helluva night.

8/10 Dinosaur Jr. are a band that somehow manages to gather the noisy, cacophonous sonic oppression of Sonic Youth, tame it into something with a tad more musical separation and clarity, and then sprinkle it with the melodic sensibility of R.E.M.. For some, J Mascis’ vocal style will be a turn off, but for me it’s the perfect fit for the band’s music, in the same way that Thom Yorke would be a crap singer for Queen, but he’s the perfect one for Radiohead. He delivers a lazy, almost folksy drawl that imbues the music with a level of charm and earthiness that a more traditional singer wouldn’t be able to provide. It also helps the melodic work to settle more comfortably in with the tone and vibe of the rest of the music. Across this album, I found myself becoming more and more engaged with the deft blend of pop-music hook writing and art-rock noise, with the quality and intensity of the playing only helping to endear the work to me. You can definitely hear the influence that Dinosaur Jr. had on the grunge bands that emerged around this time, and there’s more than a hint of their sound in some of Nirvana’s output, with Kurt Cobain being a big fan of their work. There’s a good flow to this record too, with moments of almost-calm appearing here and there, and moments where the melodic focus takes more of a centre stage, while in others the relentless fiery drive takes over and the weight and force of the band come into full effect. The band are great musicians too, with shining moments from each member popping up in various places across the record, from the drumming in They Always Come to the guitar solos in Let It Ride and the pulsing bass in The Post. But they never overplay or push their performances ahead of the focus of the song. I do feel like there is a slight lull towards the end and the final song is definitely not an every day listen, but I did enjoy them bowing out with something that allowed them to unshackle themselves from the melodic constraints that they largely adhered to elsewhere and give us something with undeniable intensity. This one floats close to a 9 and will definitely be one to revisit and possibly reappraise the more I listen. Freak Scene - The lazy, conversational melodic style of J Mascis’ vocal lends a charming air to Dinosaur Jr.’s work, and the album kicks off well in that regard. Musically, it threads that needle between the almost jangle-pop and the proto-grunge sound, feeling grimy and DIY, but still maintaining a slight edge of pop music sensibility with the structural and melodic direction they take. A lovely little opener that’s got me in the mood for more. No Bones - This is a bit slower-paced and less melodically focused, but there’s still something about it that’s drawing me in. I think the blend of rhythms across the instruments are really engaging and there are some pretty cool riffs in there too. The descent into noise while the little melodic motifs carry on punching their way through the wash towards the end is pretty cool. It’s messy, but in an endearing and interesting way. They Always Come - I love the full band rhythmic stops they use here. The general groove is great anyway, but those stops give it extra punch and feel. This has ramped up the tempo again, and demonstrates some more flickers of those pop-melodic moments that I like. It’s a full and weighty sound, but again bridges a clattering, punky edge with something more harmonically complex and almost tender. It’s such a cool blend. And there’s some great drumming in this one too. Yeah We Know - Some of the riffs in here are top notch, as is the drumming. There’s a lot of feel to the way the band plays, which could easily be missed in amongst the washes of distortion, but I feel like the production presents everything with just the right amount of clarity to get that feel and nuance to shine through. The vocal melodies are subtle, but with the slightly brighter lead guitar parts give this a slight edge of airiness that’s pretty musically engaging. I don’t think they’ve really missed a beat so far, and this was another solid track. Let It Ride - God, this whips along so well. Loads of pace and drive, It’s incredibly insistent and forceful, but really tight. They manage to transition really well into sections that sonically differ, but never lose the momentum and intensity of the song. The vocal is great too; simple, but really effective. And then the guitar solos just give it an extra bit of spice to round things off. More quality stuff. Pond Song - We’re back to something more melodically focused here, but it’s still got great power and pace to it too. The band are super controlled again and it’s a brilliant blend of light and airy with gritty intensity. J Mascis just drifts over the top giving another great vocal performance that feels somehow earthy and ethereal at the same time, but in such an atypical way, it’s kind of hard to explain. The tempo drop half way through is so smoothly done, I had to skip back a couple of times to enjoy it. Budge - This album is a tiny bit relentless, but it’s still getting ahold of me. There are some great melodic moments across this and the general vibe is so impressive. It’s super noisy in places, but there’s also a great deal of clarity and definition that allows you to appreciate the composition, and it retains that slightly poppy edge to it that makes it approachable. The Post - This is a bit more swampy, and a little less focused, but there are still some good elements at play here. The throbbing bass is particularly cool and the noisy washes of guitar create an interesting sonic palette. It doesn’t manage to quite find the level of melodic engagement to raise it up to the level of the better tracks on the album, but it’s a decent album track nonetheless. Don't - You can definitely hear influence from this type of track in Nirvana’s more extreme experimentations. It’s a lot, certainly, but It’s quite a cool way to end the album, with the overlapping washes of feedback and noise all clashing together against the intense vocal. The different phases of the track also offer different sonic experiences, all equally aggressive and unapproachable. It’s destructively cool. Perhaps not an every day listen, mind.

#919. Like I said in my review for their other one, I know it's bad, but that's not going to stop me from liking it anyway. 4/5: great

This was great. I’d give it 9 out of 10 if I could.

Enjoyable indie rock outing from DJr. Freak Show is a big sound which sets the tone for the rest of the album. Good fun this one and hard to believe it's nearly 38 yrs old

It's a good album. I liked it. I bet if I listened to it as a youth it would have hit way harder, and it's an impressively forward-thinking sound for 1988. It predates those post-punk noisy guys who would come later, surprisingly - it feels tonally similar to something like Spiderland by Splint, or Pavement. It scrapes up to a four I think. Fav tracks: Freak Scene, No Bones, They Always Come, Don't

Good

j mascis when j femmeis walks in:

My dismissal of bands in the days of my youth has become a pattern in this project. Dinosaur Jr. Is one of those bands. I guess I just felt that they weren’t heavy enough. A mark of a great person is admitting when they’re wrong. I think I was too focused on them not being heavy enough that I never payed attention to how much they rock. This record kicks ass! The Black Album just got bitch slapped.

I really enjoyed the grunge style of the album — reminded me of Nirvana.

Harsh noisy rock music, they keep a relatively consistent sound so this album serves mostly as a bonus-pack for people who already liked their other earlier album on the list I am of this grouping

Another Dinosaur Jr. album that’s super rad except the vocals leave me cold.

Relisten Love Dinosaur Jr. a lot, especially their earlier, noiser stuff like this. It's not quite on the level of You're Living All Over Me, but I do really like this album and found myself enjoying it a lot more on this relisten. The rough around the edges production is a big appeal, and I love the vocals and lyrics - they sound very intentionally immature, like a child throwing a tantrum at times (especially Don't, with its wailing "Why don't you like me" almost sounding creepy coming from a grown man's voice.) Glad to get a really good album after a couple consecutive duds Favorite tracks: Freak Scene, Yeah We Know, Don't Least favorite: didn't really have one 4.5/5

A really good album from a band I’ve been meaning to check out for ages. Starts with an absolute banger in Freak Scene and for the most part I enjoyed everything afterwards. The only thing stopping it from getting the full 5 stars was I didn’t like Don’t. Top Track - Freak Scene

Hits a nostalgic chord for me. Cool, simple tunes with driving guitar and rhythm section. Awash in rock that you don’t have to think on or try too hard with.

Honestly a lot more chill than I was expecting these guys to be, also I didn't realize these guys were 80s. I thought they'd be late 90s, but I can definitely see the influence in 90s stuff like grunge or Filter. Great record overall, just not quite what I expected. Favorites: Freak Scene, Pond Song, Don't

loved this album in college, The Post, Budge, and Freak Scene, which I saw them play live (apparently a rarity) are my favs

A Pleasant surprise, and a new band to dive into! "Don't" RIPS

Listened driving to and from work. There's something about late 80s, early 90s alt and indie rock that just tickles the happy parts of my lizard brain. Absolutely loved it, until it got to Don't and it really spoiled the whole thing for me. I genuinely have no idea what they were thinking with that track, and to have it as the original closer. Just baffling to me and cost this album a 5 start rating. Excited to hear more from them!

Album Review 082 Bug by Dinosaur Jr. (1988) Rating 4/5 Lovely warm fuzzy fuzzy muffness. Yum.

globally a good album, some songs can be a bit quite annoying but there's some nice guitar, nice pedal effects and melodies. Yeah we know 3.5

Before: This is a decent album. I used to listen to it some back then. One of my roommates' had it. I have 3 tracks on my best of 1988 list which consists of 80 songs altogether. I'll probably give it a 4. During: It's between 3 an 4. After: Leaning towards a 4, I'll be generous and give it a 4.

le tengo más cariño al you're living all over me y como sí está en la lista le guardo el cinco pero brutal. y lindo. decíamos el otro día, todxs queremos ser j mascis

Despite my typical aversion to songs that feature screaming, I really like this album! This'll show my age, but I had never heard of Dinosaur Jr. before getting this album, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the album. It's not my favorite album I've been assigned on this list, but it's certainly up there!

this album caught me at the right time because i loved it. the guitars were great. 4 / 5 stars

I like old Dinosaur Jr quite a bit. J Mascis is probably not actually one of my guitar heroes, but he’s not far off. Anyway, I saw Dinosaur Jr in the probably late 2000’s with the original lineup. No lie, it was the absolute most boring show I’ve ever sat through, which is crazy cause I like the band. I’m still not sure how they managed to pull that off. I don’t have super high standards either. Like, play your songs and just show the bare minimum of interest in being there, and we’re good. But I’ve never seen someone look so bored and pissed that they had a platform to play their own songs. It felt like the audience had annoyed him with their presence. It was honestly impressive how bad that show was, and I will never willingly sit through a Dinosaur Jr show again. All that is to say that this is a pretty great record. Very Dinosaur Jr-y. It will never be recreated live, unfortunately. But I do like j mascis when he gets over his butthurt long enough to put something down on record. He can fuck off in real time though. 7/10

My first thought was that there was a very cool contrast between the noisy loud guitars and clean vocals. Then the last song comes in with the vocalist screaming and it's just so powerful! Awesome album.

guter indie-rock, melodiös mit gitarre, bass und schlagzeug. schon der erste song Freak Scene gefällt.

good album length and cool instrumentals highlights: No Bones, They Always Come

4/5 Roque como meio para expressar sentimento. Visceral.

70/100. A solid alt and noise rock record. I still prefer You’re Living All Over Me, but this works well as a follow up and keeps that same raw energy intact. Rough around the edges in a good way.

I’m surprised by how much i enjoyed this

It is crazy to find comfort in so much noise. "Bug" shows Dinosaur Jr. leaning further in to more wild studio decisions than their previous two records, all atop songs that are just catchy enough (save for "Freak Scene", which is structurally over-simple but wholly infectious). Part of the comfort buried in "Bug" comes from J. Mascis's meandering-folk inspired songwriting. The repetition in agile lick-studded strumming gives plenty of harmonic weight, while not falling apart under the greasy patina of distortion, flanger, wah, and spring reverb. The electricity is piled on high. The last rounds of "They Always Come" has an overt inclusion of a slow rhythmic sweeping clang that might be just hitting a spring reverb equipped amp. The effect is jarring, but the commitment to the bit ends up being one of the album's many, hilarious, "what in the actual fuck?" moments. There's also an unlikely comfort in J.'s "I don't really care but I'll do it anyways" vocals. He carries the melodies. They are warm. "Let it Ride", in particular evokes Peter Frampton pop, with rapid fire major-seventh chords and a chorus repeated return to a breezy bent-note vocal inflection. Even the sludgefest "Don't", in an attempt at being the most boneheaded Troggs-like heavy rock ever, comes off with enough good-nature humor that you might actually stick around for the whole six minute pounding to get to the punchline at the end. In a head-scratching cry-laughing climax, the sonic wailing drops out and the drums recede to sounding like they are suddenly in the back of a kitchen cupboard. I could have taken my reward for simply being done with this dumb-macho demonstration, except the band kicks back in, full force, with the songs repeated refrain. Instead of pleading for approval, "Why don't you like me?", I'm now being mocked by the band for liking this punishment enough to stick around. I've been a Dinosaur Jr. fan for a long time. Aside from the easy access of "Freak Scene" and the walled up boulder of "Don't" the album has been one of the less memorable ones for me, and far from being among my favorites. There was a renewal in yesterday's close listening that showed me the daring humor and tenderness in the album that hadn't landed on me before. "Bug" is a classic of indie rock for being a watershed moment of noise rock. It is polished insanity that's just inviting enough to trap you in some very spicy honey.

Feral and unscripted genius

As much as I see this as a step down from You're Living All Over Me, it's still a good record. Jay Mascis' vocals are no longer hidden by walls of sound, which can be a good thing and a bad thing, but for the most part, the quality is still high on Bug. I enjoy that the band is still noisy, and not too much has changed, but a certain charm is definitely missing. Regardless, a great record.

Thumbs up. I've been listening to Dinosaur Jr (and J. Mascis's solo work) since the 90s. This one was new to me, being before I first heard them. Maybe could have done without "Don't", but otherwise a great album.

Enjoyed this more than You're Living All Over Me, felt more fleshed out and the drumming on this album was fantastic. Feels like an album that I should have listened to long ago.

J Mascis is one of those artists who seems to have been releasing the same record for 30+ years, but because that record is so good, it really doesn’t matter. Freak Scene was my introduction to the band back in the late 80s - it still sounds magnificent, and like something that could’ve come out last week. Alongside bands like Pixies, Buffalo Tom, etc this is the stuff that helped shape my tastes in my late teens and continues to resonate.

Good noise. Enjoyed it as a nice change of pace from the mediocre albums we've been getting hit with.

The sad boy vocals might not be for everyone or every day but that sound it's built on. It's got intricate layers, dynamic range and so much movement. A good influence on the emo-rock to follow.

Paraphrasing, but I read somewhere, can't remember where now, that Dinosaur Jr. were the grim reapers of '80s music. I'd say even moreso than groups like The Pixies and Fugazi, this album was the '90s and early '2000s indie and alternative rock sounds way before the fact; it's nothing short of impressive. And a messy presentation with glimmers of beauty in these walls of distorted guitars goes a long way in making this feel more warm than abrasive. And there's nothing more '90s alt than the lead vocals here, courtesy of J Masics, who does this mumbled, whiny thing that'll go on to become a staple in the genre. I hear a lot of Pavement and Built to Spill, specifically in these vocals. There are some genuinely incredible songs here, 'Freak Scene', 'No Bones', and 'Pond Song' specifically. And 'The Post' had some really neat guitar work, especially in that screechy solo halfway through, and 'Don't' was such a harrowing turn for the album - an utterly insane tsunami of feedback and cacophony that still manages to work so well in the generally fuzzy mix here. I do think a good chunk of the songs here ultimately feel like a rudimentary take on the alt-rock sounds that would go on to get fleshed out in the '90s. But still, all that considered, this was pretty damn good.

Nice sounding 80s Alt Rock

Pretty good, up there with silverchair, pumpkins, nirvana, etc. Missed them in my youth.

4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/dinosaur-jr/bug/ Banger solos, kinda awful singing, yet it works!

Lou Barlow's vocals take Dino Jr from good to great. This lineup of the band is the only one I'm interested in listening to.

Very enjoyable. I listened to their first two albums before checking this one out. At the beginning of this album I was starting to get a bit disappointed because it felt like Bug was _not_ going to be as adventurous as You're Living All Over Me. However, before finishing my listening session, I saw the-bright-spots-of-2025's review of this album where they mentioned "Don't came on and I really struggled with making it through that song" and that's when I got really excited. I've found that if bright-spots explicitly mentions something they disliked in their review, there will be a 90% chance I abslutely love that specific aspect. In this case, that was (brightly) spot on - the song Don't is the magnum opus of the album. Chaotically evil, distorted noise that conveys raw emotions that I felt was lacking on the rest of the album. It was the adventure that I was seeking after listening to their other albums, that specific flavor of noise rock that aims to annihilate anything and everything.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I find that sometimes I enjoy the crunchy guitars and buzziness and I can't fully explain why

If the only song you heard on here was Don't, you did not get a representation of what they are but what they can do. That song is a ball of anger, noise & angst. The rest is Noise rock but it's incredibly melodic. I can't put my finger on whom the lead singer sounds like. I was thinking Scott Lukas of Local H. I was just bopping and rocking out to this amazing album. 4

Classic Dino Jr, if you love it, you love it. If you hate it, you probably won't ever not hate it. Personally I love the big chunky riffs, and J Mascis' voice brings such a unique element that makes them immediately distinguishable from any other comparable music. The fact this came out in the late 80s is wild, these guys definitely had an early inside track on the music of the next decade. I had never listened to Bug before outside of maybe hearing Freak Scene once or twice. It's a good album, definitely not quite to the level of better albums like Without a Sound, Where You Been, and You're Living All Over Me, but this is a consistently good listen. Some highlights for me were Freak Scene, Let it Ride, and Pond Song. Only song I didn't care for as much was Don't, never loved their screamier songs. Definitely worth a listen if you love killer rhythm guitar work and a dirtier grungy overall sound, but I'd recommend some of their other work first.

Nonii täähän ol ilonen ylläri. Aikanaan tullut kuunneltua ja livenäkin nähnyt pariin otteeseen. Varmaan se tätä edeltävä levy on omaan mieleen viel parempi. Sillai tää pumppu toi tohon altsuernuskeneen omanlaistaan ilmettä kasarilla ja innotti sitten myöhempiä pändejä. Hyvää kitaransuristusta ja eksoottisen laiskaa narinalaulua. Suurimmassa osassa biiseistäkin semmosta orastavaa poppishenkee, ettei oo pelkkää puuronsyöntiä. Virallinen päätösraita kuulostaa samalta kun mitä ite ois voinut nauhotella jossain reeniksen nurkassa niin ei vihti täysii antaa ja jos sielt se edeltävä viel paukahtaa kuunteluun (todnäk suurimman osan kauhuks) niin säästää sille vitkua.

Very good arrangement of songs in the album.

Look they’re a good band and I suppose they belong here. Should have given the Isley brothers 5. Now I don’t about these guys. 3 .5

I feel its still an underrated band even after influencing a whole generation. This album in particular is wierd cause it has some real hardcore punk as well as some commercial crappy pop punk. I guess a fan base gets a record deal and a record deal comes commercial middle ground which is understanable.

About time I listened to some more Dinosaur Jr. Favorite track: They Always Come 3.5/5

4.5 stars Man this shit rocks! I knew Dinorsaur Jr. I’ve listened to You’re Living All Over Me. But I’ll admit that I was been crazy about them. Like they’re good but they’re not my favorite. And they are the framework for some of my favorite music and bands of all time. But anyway, Bug is good. It’s not perfect. First time threw it kind of washed over me. The last song is a dud. Reminded me of Sebadoh… which I didn’t like. But it’s good shit I’ll blast for sure.

At first I was a bit perplexed, to me it sounded much like other bands and nothing that special. But I spent the day with it, and gave multiple listen, and I came out with a changed mind. I don't think it's revolutionary still, but it is so well made that it is hard to really dislike. I also love that it covers multiple genres and style of music, it has legs. So yes not ground breaking still, but so damn solid there isn't anything I dislike about it anymore.

I like Dinosaur Jr. but have never been able to fully get into them. I have seen them live and listened to a few albums but they just don't do it for me. I definitely appreciate all they have done for modern indie rock. Although, my favorite J Mascis band is Witch and he plays drums in that band. Great band and great album but just not for me.

7/10 Top slacker rock, apart from Don't, which I didn't enjoy

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".

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

i got 2 dinosaur.jr albums back to back what are the chances my complaint about the last album carries over to this one. MAKE. THE. VOCALS. WORSE.

Great indie band. Again I like other albums more but JMascis is a great guitarist and songwriter. The last song is kinda of a let down

Dinosaur Jr. is just great - I have enjoyed listening to them since starting this 1001 project.

Rating: 8/10 Good noisy grungy shit from the late 80’s when alternative rock really started to take root, and bands like Dinosaur were part of growing non-commericial scenes of punk, DIY, distortion and fuzz and raw sounds. I love the bookends of the big standout Freak Scene and the pure noise rock closer Don’t. Lead vocalist isn’t always the best but it’s part of the charm that makes this album

Несмотря на множество негативных рецензий, данный альбом мне скорее понравился, чем нет. Нойз-гранж, как-то так я бы описал альбом, наверное. Мне затруднительно выбрать оценку, скорее всего это просто "хорошо", ничего здесь не вызвало эмоции "вау, это же просто невозможно" или в таком ключе, пожалуй, кроме 1 песни "No bones", в ней реально что-то интересное есть, что даёт эффект "вау", но я не знаю что это конкретно... в общем - твёрдая 4.

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.

I actually dig this.

An absolute blast. I really enjoyed the energy and the talent on show. I read a little more about D Jr's place in the scene and I think I could see myself getting very into them with some more repeated listens. It's a tiny bit indelicate for me to go into the really high marks, but it's still a lot of fun and quite ferocious.

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

This is gonna be tough to review. Dinosaur Jr. are one of my most favorite bands. Thing is I already had You’re Living All Over Me here which is their definitive work so I’m not sure if this kind of list needs any more. This is the last album of the classic Dinosaur Jr. lineup, before Mascis made it a solo before they got older and wiser and reformed (and remained awesome just in a new way). Anyway this is the classic Dinosaur Jr. sound. Hardcore punk aesthetic, Neil Youngesque blazing fuzzy soloes and lead lines, Mascis’s acquired taste vocals and a general hollow atmosphere. I love it. In this album Mascis’s singing actually improves (his singing on “Yeah We Know” is not half bad) and we get one of their few hits in Freak Scene. Compared to their previous album I think the band also ventures out a bit more rhythmically. Anyway great album personal fav listen if you like the band.

Before Dinosaur Jr, you got to choose between a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, or a cheap classical guitar when you wanted to learn guitar. After Dinosaur Jr, the Jazzmaster became one of the most popular choices for a first guitar. Maybe you’d even luck out and your parents could find you a J Mascis signature Squire Jazzmaster. Although, I doubt it because those things get flipped for way too much now. Anyways, this album is just full of fuzzed out, jangly, noisy, early indie rock. Solid album through and through.

Feels pretty ahead of its time. I would guess this had a home in the mid 90s at least but im a decade off. It has such a wonderful harshness to it that just rules. Just plain goodness. Amd rhe vocals are beautifully edgy as well. As in has an edgy not like Eminem edgy. Ive always liked this band. Out there was the song and then i had the album with the sick bowl cut guy on it. Its all just solid. Not the best or biggest but just consistently good for at this point almost 40 years. I saw them live opening for I belive the offspring, and they blew my socks off. I haven't really strayed too far away since. Always coming back for a bit of the small Dino.

(drei bis) vier

Groupe inconnu. Rock dynamique et très accrocheur. La section rythmique est remarquable, j'aime certaines lignes et le son de basse, et la batterie est vraiment très créative et variée. Quelques chorus de guitare viennent agrémenter l'ensemble. Par contre le chant est plutôt en dessous. En tout cas excellente découverte qui va rejoindre ma collection. =>4/5

holy grunge whiny vocals that occasionally turn into tortured screams more distortion than there is guitar at points but the tone is still rich and fuzzy Song picks: No Bones, They Always Come, Budge, and The Post.

It just freaking rips.

Nice album, noisy and harmonic, vocals balance it all.

Had no idea what to expect, but came out pleasantly surprised.

Not terrible, very rock like jam band feel. I don't like but every dude and their dude friend seems to enjoy dudes playing guitar and whiny singing

Pour de vrai surpris et bien aimé

Sweet record from an absolutely fantastic time in rock music history. To be included in this era was both a blessing and a curse. So many other bands that didn't get their just due, but made great pieces of art. Kicking off with FREAK SCENE and other gut punchingly catchy tracks is an example of what makes J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. so special to alt rock's wonderful family.

This album fuckin rocks.

𝘉𝘶𝘨 captures Dinosaur Jr. at their raw, noisy best — hooky riffs buried under fuzz, J Mascis’ unmistakable drawl, and a sound that bridges indie rock with the coming wave of grunge. Tracks like 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 prove how effortlessly they balanced chaos and melody. The one misstep is 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵: Lou Barlow’s sole vocal turn, buried in abrasive noise that feels more punishing than powerful. Still, despite that closer, 𝘉𝘶𝘨 remains one of Dinosaur Jr.’s strongest records.

Fave Track: Yeah We Know 3.7/5

Wow, never heard about this band. But really nice. Good solid (indie) rock and even a bit punky. Really liked it.

They probably have at least two albums I'd have chosen over this one, but damn that sound is so great.

Lovely album

(77/100)

More quality indie/slacker/college/alternative rock. Maybe their 2nd best album?

Hard to tell how innovative it was for the time. It's good. 8 year old hated it.

Noisy, but feels like an influence to mid 90's alt rock like Gin Blossoms. Also has some punk beats and vibe at times. Dig it!

Det va da maken til brøling på nestsiste sporet, men fram til da va det ikke så ille. Ikke helt min greie, men på ingen måte fornærmanes eller slitsomt, bare ikke så interessant sammenligna med de musikalske sfæran æ ellers befinn mæ innafor. Men den her ropinga, for nokka mas.

Solid rock that build up crescendo

sounds a bit like ash. i like ash

This is great

Commence comme une valeur sûre du rock, vivant et impertinent, pour finir complètement déjanté

not gonna knock this album cause it is quite good, but what the actual fuck is the song Don't cause it don't belong on this album

Kind of bangin. I vibe with the insanity of some of the songs, especially Don't

They were cooking hard, so hard that they might've overcooked it a little bit. Favourite Song: Freak Scene Honourable Mention: Don't, Keep the Glove

I kept thinking this was pavement bc the main vocalist sounds just like stephen malkmus

dope

Worth a listen.

My husband has significantly more conventional music taste than I do, and if he was doing this project he'd be giving this album a one star rating. He's made me turn off a Squid album before for being too much shouty noise. I still listen to "shouty noise" music, I just use my headphones so I'm not annoying the Gen Xer with conventional taste and no urge to explore new sounds. So here we are. For the most part, I vibed with this album - notable exception being Don't, which sounds like someone recorded the sensation of screaming into the void - and I'd definitely be willing to listen to more Dinosaur Jr. going forward.

I'll agree with J, it's not their best, but I don't think it's their worst effort either. And, it's way better than a lot if garbage that was circulating in 1988

Indie rock origins, you can hear 90s grunge all they way to 2010s indie rock in various aspects of this album. I adore the guitar tone throughout it, it's warm in a way and the solos are great. I think a couple times the overdrive is a bit much but I love it's use overall. Vocals are very indie esque, in their own odd unique way. Glad to be introduced to this band

This was a really good album! I really enjoyed the whole thing and I like Dinosaur Jr lol such a cool band!

Nirvana’s brother! Maybe a bit less angry and on edge 3.8

A lovely fuzzy sprawl, barely contained

This is not just some 'noise' album as the comments would have you believe; this is raw, energetic rock. And honestly, that's good enough for me.

A bridge between the post hardcore indie rock of the 80s and the slacker post grunge alt rock of the 90s, Dinosaur Jr combine hard driving aggressive sound with shy introspective vocals. The album's sound is all sludgy noise, shaggy riffs, muffled production, explosive dynamics, off the wall guitar parts. It's a thick impenetrable noise that obscures lots of surprisingly catchy hooks and big choruses that stumble out of the feedback and fuzz. On paper they should be a favorite band, but I've never liked them quite as much as I feel I should - but even so, this album rips. Favorites: Budge, they always come, freak scene,

Really cool sounds. First track had me a little bit scared it was going to be violent femmes style nonchalant indie singing, but the guitars already reassured me. I'm guessing this is argued as the start of emo by some people? Love just about all of the guitar sounds. They are so bright and yet all of the potential jangle is caught up in fuzz and screaming overtones. I will look up their guitar setups.

Decent album. Would listen to again

17/1001 Dinosaur Jr - Bug Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Dinosaur Jr really work for me as a band, from the distorted guitar sound to the play with the soft and loud nature of the compositions. Also the monster guitar solos in a couple of tracks here. It took me a while when I first heard Dinosaur Jr to get used to Mascis's vocals, but when the penny dropped, everything just clicked. Hard to ignore just how influential this was for the alternative/grunge scene at the time.

OK

4/5

New one on me but love the grunge vibe

J Mascis is a helluva guitar player (even if he wears orthopedic shoes these days).

This was a fun college rock lp. Just long enough. The mixing is what it is, but it adds to the vibe. Loved it.

I guess this week for me is the week of not great vocalists. This sounds like something from a local band in high school, and I loved that nostalgia feeling.

I like the noise palette. Active tempo throughout. A bit of attitude. Really like this.

Freak Scene!!!!

Sweaty milan times

Never heard this before, really liked it

I really like music like this!

Listened to it twice. At times, I thought it would be a 4. Something missing. Could be vocals. Could be that Don’t is really terrible.

This was the only Dinosaur Jr album I ever owned, bought because someone mentioned they were a bit like the Pixies. I really only ever played the first track, Freak Scene, then flipped it to listen to Don't. The rest of the album was okay, but only got played rarely. Having not listened to this album in over 30 years, it's pretty much as I remembered, two great songs and a sack full of meh. The guitarist sounds like the Bevis Frond, which is kind of cool, so I'm giving it four stars.

🧥

I first heard Dinosaur Jr last year opening for The Flaming Lips and Weezer. I was all the way in the back most row. They did not sound very good. Fortunately this album was more pleasant than that experience. Really similar to that 90s Flaming Lips sound of grungey, slightly off kilter vocals, noise rock that I really enjoy. Good stuff, glad they redeemed themselves.

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

These boys must have been mad as hell when the grunge stuff took off a couple years later. Goes a little harder than living I think.

Not enough time for notes, but I love this garage, noise rock.

we got some real hardcore alt rock here today from dinosaur jr again. it's very noisy and emotionally jagged throughout; even with the fuzz however there's a lot of beauty in between it. it has a very similar sound to the last one i've listened to. more of that sludgy awesomeness, really. if it ain't broke, you can't really fix it, right? it's a captivating little mess, and that's why i always at least appreciate listening to these guys all the way through, emotive poetry poking through the grime.

I’m glad I took my time with this one because it’s definitely one that takes a couple listens. Don’t is a crazy way to end the album. Very much reminded me of Pavement and in parts like The Flaming Lips. Favorite songs were Freak Scene, Yeah We Know, Let It Ride, and Budge.

Overall: 8/10 My friends and I will listen to Dinosaur Jr. and see who can do the best J. Mascis impression. It's a lot of fun and has led to some serious laughing fits. This is such a great album. I can understand people not enjoying it due to the vocals and excessively distorted guitars, but the songwriting here is awesome. The songs are catchy (almost pop rock in places) and the lyrics are raw and real. I prefer some of their albums more but this is a solid addition to a list that is hit or miss. Fav Song: Yeah We Know Least Fav Song: The Post

a bit monotone but enjoyable

Fantastic album 4.5/10, beautiful guitar riffs and drumming, catchy vibes and honestly something worth coming back to. Not enough substance to be a 10 though, just a feel good vibes album

fire

for as much noise as Dinosaur Jr. can create, they have a really keen sense of structure, dynamics and timbre manipulation. plus, they write really catchy stuff! frontman J Mascis is apparently compared to Neil Young no less than all the time, so I hate to relitigate this finished business, but there's an uncanny resemblance between the two and a clear path that leads from one to the other through musical time. Young's raw, unbridled rock 'n' roll spirit is very much alive on songs like "Freak Scene" and "They Always Come," as well as songs like the confrontational "Don't" which offer a lens into this trio's interpersonal struggles. the transition from one decade into another can often be rocky, as the old one bows out while the new one is still trying to find itself. a band like The Black Crowes, whose 1990 debut LP I listened to and reviewed just a few days ago, was looking pretty solidly to recreate the past in their work. Dinosaur Jr. did the same, but also had a keen sense of how they might push things forward. in some ways, their work is as important to the development of alternative rock (perhaps the last major advancement in rock's mainstream) as that of the Pixies from around the same time. in fact, Dinosaur Jr. was even there slightly earlier! their eighties presence on the SST label (alongside similarly forward-thinking punk and proto-alt stalwarts like Black Flag, the Minutemen, Hüsker Dü and Sonic Youth) hardly seems like a coincidence. decent 8/10.

I’ve long respected J Mascis much more than I’ve enjoyed his singing. This is the first time an album of his has been enjoyable to me enough beyond the guitar work to keep me listening.

4/5

When it started, I was ready to give the good old 3 stars for a good job as an indie band doing a correct job with some rock songs. When I listened to "Don't," it changed my mind a bit. There is more on Dinosaur Jr. Maybe not much more, but at least something to pay attention to and search for in the future.

Fílaðetta.

It's sweet that this album is on this list. I have not listened to it in a long time, but holy hell it rocks. Had a blast listening to this a couple times today.

Ah Dinosaur Jr. the brainchild of J. Mascis, as one of the key pioneering forces of the 1980’s underground SST indie punk & emerging alt-rock movement. I highly recommend checking out the book “This Band Could Be Your Life” as Dinosaur Jr. are one of the bands profiled and linking the tremendous influence they had on crafting the sound more household names Pixies & Nirvana would become legendary for. This album hits all the right notes, a welcomed mix of aggressive guitar, melodic and shoegazy pop textures with Lo-fi production. If this is ‘slacker rock’ then call me a slacker McFly! 🎧 Classic Track- Freak Scene 🎧 Hidden Gem- Yeah We Know 🎧 Personal Favourite- Let it Ride 🚫 Skip Track- Don’t (Mascis screaming vocals are a bit over the top here!) It is difficult to pinpoint which Dinosaur Jr. album rises above all others, especially given they’ve had three distinct eras across their career. Bug is a worthy addition to this list nonetheless! 🖼️ Album Artwork: Perfect fit 💿 Add to vinyl collection! Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

could i write poetry to this? y

I'm a big Dinosaur Jr. fan, but this is not the album of theirs that I would choose for this list. It has all the elements that make a typical Dino Jr. record, but lacks the knockout track to put it over the top. I can understand wanting to include an album with original/returning bassist Lou Barlow. Somewhat unfortunately, the biggest and most accessible hits happened without him. If I were Mr. Dimery, I would solve this problem by replacing this with either "Where You Been" or "Without a Sound" from their Barlow-less period. Then I would make it up to Lou by including "Bakesale" or "Harmacy" from his band, Sebadoh.

Dinosaur Jr. further establish themselves in the indie scene with Bug, an impressive mash-up of pop sensibilities and harsh aesthetics, thus continuing to refine the blueprint that would serve as a beacon for plenty of bands in their wake. Favorites: Freak Scene, No Bones, They Always Come, Let It Ride, Pond Song, The Post.

A worth follow up to their amazing 'You're Living All Over Me'. Similarly noisy and wild, maybe just missing some of the strong songwriting, but a great listen.

I like dinosaur jr, they have some good songs. This album wasn’t amazing, but I liked parts of it. The end was pretty ass unfortunately

I've heard their last album prior to this one. Enjoyed it, but never retuned to it. Generally a fan of the genre. Freak Scene. Energy of the track contrasts with the downturned attitude of the vocals. Guitar sounds crunchy with a nice distortion effect. Good solo. Shoegazy. Strong opener 4.5/5 No Bones Flat drums. Interesting riff. Slightly whiny vocals, works fine. Acustic guitar is a nice addition. Noisy. Vocals disappear a bit at the end. 4/5 They Always Come I really can't hear what the vocalist is singing on the first verse. Subtly solid drum performance. Great distortion, the droning guitars are beautiful to listen to. Solid. 4/5 Yeah we Know Loud. Low energy. Structured well into the instrumental bit. Overstays its welcome. Lacking in variation. 3/5 Let it right Punky opening riff. Ambivalent about the writing on the track, the repetitiveness doesn't impress. The really loud pair of guitars at the end marks an exlosive final third elevating the song. 3.5/5 Pond Song An entirely different vibe to start. The guitars contrast well against each other. The serene guitar playing cut by the agressive riffing of the other guitar makes for a pretty cool effect. Decent. 3.5/5 Budge Getting straight into it with some great layering of the distorted guitars. The bass is more prevalent here, almost post-punky in its execution. Strong chorus. Good. 3.8/5 The Post Dark, gothic to start. Great chorus. Post chorus breakdown bookmarks it well. Ebbs and flows. Explosive. Muted drums again. Good. 3.8/5 Don't Great guitar effects. Screaming vocals add a lot to the distortion of the track. Some different energy to the vocals is welcome. Noisy. Some nice melodies buried beneath. I'm enjoying the aggression here. Ends in an explosion of sound. All round great track. 4.2/5 Keep the Glove Vocals start a bit rough. A bit more upbeat instrumentation. Shoegazey loud guitars close the album well. Decent closer. 3.5/5 Liked it quite a bit. Think there were some rough parts but overall enjoyable. Did a great job of making each song sound different from each other with a limited spectrum of sonic ideas. Fave track. Freak Scene Least fave track. Yeah we Know

Like it, just not enough to love it. Very 90s alter rock scene vibe, with some classic effects. It's the type of music that I like to hear. Riffs are sick. No miss (yet no unexpectedly stunning track either, which is a bit weird to me). I enjoy listening to this album, that's for sure. Love "No Bones", the guitar a bit more messy, almost shoegazing. A clear 4/5. It's good.

February 8, 2025 Me during most of Bug: :) Me during "Don't": 😨 Me during bonus track, "Keep the Glove": :) Dinosaur Jr. is one of those bands I've flip-flopped on the most. You're Living All Over Me (1987) was one of the earlier albums on the list, first heard in June of 2022. I was indifferent on its low-fi experiments and intense distortion then, but about a year later I put it on for a lark and was surprised how *good* it sounded. It was like finally seeing the Magic Eye picture, whereas before it was just colour and noise. In February 2023, I listened to Sebadoh for the first time, a band that found its origins in Dinosaur Jr. through former bassist Lou Barlow. Once again I had mixed feelings on its brand of alt-rock, though roughly a year after THAT, I clearly thought fondly enough of Bubble and Scrape (1993) to buy it when I found it in a used music shop. And now, Bug (1988) falls into my lap, and I don't have to work to appreciate it anymore :0 The downside is, I don’t expect a year-delayed revelation; the slightly cleaner guitars compared to the previous 🦖 means I could put this on in more general situations, but I haven’t really learned anything about the band that I didn’t already realize. Except that they were perhaps gunning for a real hit (“Freak Scene”) HL: “Freak Scene”, “No Bones”, “Let it Ride”

I genuinely think if they didn't include "Don't" on this album, the average rating would go up an entire star. I was surprised to see all the hate until I got there, and I did skip it. Not a good final impression for the album. The rest of the album is like a 4.5/5 though. It was really good

Not their best album, in my opinion, but such a great band that even a lesser album ranks a **** in my book.

Enjoyed

pretty solid rock, feels like a more metal midwest emo style.

3.5/5 This is a chill enjoyable listen, if not groundbreaking. I don't think I'm going to return to Don't, even if I can respect it. Freak Scene 4.5/5 No Bones 3.5/5 They Always Come 5/5 (FAV) Yeah We Know 3/5 Let It Ride 4/5 Pond Song 4/5 Budge 3.5/5 The Post 3/5 (LEAST FAV) Don't 3.5/5

This album is at least 8 or 10 years ahead of its time. If I would have had to guess what year without knowing I think I would’ve said at least 1996. Great alternative sound on most of the tracks except a couple that are a little harder and more punky. Most songs remind me of Our Lady Peace mixed with Foo Fighters or something similar. If I would’ve found this album and band in the early 2000s when I was listening to this type stuff it would’ve been on repeat for a while.

Some elements of Pixies, lots of cool solos, Favourite songs: freak scene, they always come, yeah we know, let it ride, budge, the post. Overall around 8/10

This is the alternative 80s/90s rock that I love! Guitar was absolutely shredding throughout, sometimes to a fault, overshadowing the vocals. But not to point where any song wasn't fun to listen to. Was not familiar with Dinosaur Jr. before, although I have come to realize "Feel the Pain" was on Rock Band 2! Funny this album is not a favorite of theirs, I'm curious to see how their sound changes.

4.5 stars. Sounds ahead of it's time (1988). Driving lead guitar, punchy/catchy drumming. Fairly noisy/grungy, but not overly so. Standouts are "Freak Scene", "They Always Come", "Budge", "The Post" good. Only letdown is "Don't", screaming vocals too much.

Este disco lo tengo en vinilo comprado cuando salió a la venta. Había escuchado alguna canción en la radio y con eso me bastó. Cuando se lo presté o lo escuchaban en mi casa no le gustaba a nadie. A los heavies el cantante no les convencía, a los poperos las guitarras les superaban. Este disco y el Dr. Doolittle para mi son la puerta de entrada adelantada al grunge que luego vino y tanto disfruté. El comienzo con Freak Scene es toda una declaración de principios. Hoy en día el disco puede no significar mucho, pero en 1988!!! Apuntaos al menos "Freak Scene", "They Always Come", "Let It Ride" y "Pond Song".

This was another one of those albums that feels like the lesser know influencer of a genre. You can hear a lot of inspiration for future Alt Rock bands throughout the run of the this album. I had a good time listening to it, and I will likely try giving it another listen at some point in the future.

Freak Scene is better than any song on You’re Living All Over Me, but after hearing both in the same week I think Bug falls short. It’s still great but doesn’t do quite as much. And “Don’t” is really unpleasant. But man, what an opener.

Good alternative/indie rock. Some screaming guitar work.

Another raucous offering from Dinosaur Jr., this time with a quite surprising amount of hooks poking their heads out of the sludge. It’s still lo-fi and noisy but feels a bit more structured in terms of the songwriting and more considered about when and when not to lean into the noisiness than their earlier work. That being said, I really appreciate J. Mascis’ commitment to vibes over ego, as there is some genuinely fantastic guitar soloing on here (especially in closing track Don’t) that is almost incomprehensible through the harsh vocals and droning feedback

A more poished sounding album than the raw energy of When You're Living All Over Me. But still plenty of stinging guitar bits that are Mascis' trademark. The songs are a little more melodic, a little more refined. All makes for a more accessible album that reveals plenty ofnuances with each listen. About as good as indie-guitar rock gets. 4 stars

Very enjoyable plinky vibes

Doesn’t have the same indie guitar heroics of the later Dinosaur albums but still a great record.

That's a jam for sure. Does it stand out? I guess in 1988 it did.

it's noisy and loud and brash and loud. i love it, your honor.

I expect that this isn’t to everyone’s liking, but I really enjoy that late 80s lofi/college rock sound. Along with Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr were one of the biggest influences on the 90s alt rock explosion. It’s worth your time to give it multiple listens, especially through a decent pair of headphones.

Very Sonic Youth-y, and maybe a bit too Sonic Youth-y listless noise rock in places. But it's easy to forget that this kind of music was bubbling under until Nirvana brought it to a boil.

i've had a hard time getting into j mascis in the past, most likely because this one dude i knew in college, who was both a complete tool AND pretty unavoidable (we worked at the same radio station and had some of the same classes) was soooooper into him & every one of his projects. but really, i like his music, almost without exception. this album might not have the same appeal to me as some of jr's others, but it was still pretty damn solid

Another solid entry from these. Like the first one, gives 4 or so tracks are really solid, after which it wobbles down a bit. Very similar to the previous release, whilst not necessarily a bad thing I guess one criticism is they could have branched out more. Still, an enjoyable listen.

I remember enjoying a Dinosaur Jr. album in the late 00s or early 2010s. I had no idea that band had already been around for 25 years by that point. Funnily enough, the sound was instantly recognizable even though I never got super into the band. All in all, I enjoyed this one. The wall of sound noise rock, the garbled/lofi vocals, the shredding guitar. It was pretty good. There were definitely a couple of tracks I didn't like as much (the penultimate song was way too screamo for me and very hard on the ears) but overall this is a solid album. Is it a "must hear"? Probably not. 3.5

I remember hearing Dinosaur Jr. mentioned as an influence by bands I listened to in High School - and I definitely hear that influence on this record. This probably would have changed my life if I had listened to it back then. I still really liked the album, "Freak Scene" and "No Bones" are killer opening tracks, and the rest of the album is enjoyable (except for maybe the last track).

I quite liked this one. It lacks a massive Feel the Pain-esque single, though the opening track is clearly the winner here. Dinosaur Jr. are really in their groove here, with solid, powerful music and curious lyrics to bring everything together. They sound rough around the edges (in a good way) and like a bit stew of grungy, indie, lo-fi emotion. I dig it. favorites: freak scene, no bones, yeah we know, let it ride, budge

T Rox. B fly. Didn’t always hold my attention, but when it did I liked it

Have seen the name and given these guys a chance a few times, but never clicked. Still found this pretty challenging on the first listen, but liked it more after listening a bit more closely to J’s guitar work. Agree that it feels like the bones are there for an even better band if they would take the foot off the gas every now and then. Way better than Sonic Youth but not as good as The Replacements. Wouldn’t put this in my top tier, just based on listenability, but happy I dug a little deeper on them and would be interested to hear more. The spinoff band Sebadoh, is much more my speed. More melodic, better dynamics and song structure, though doesn’t have the same guitar power. Their Album Bakesale was on my regular rotation more than 10 years ago - had forgot about them until now - time for a revisit.

I’d like to imagine my introduction to Dinosaur Jr. was similar to many people my age. Playing Skate 3, cycling through the music player and deciding which songs I wanted to keep and which to omit. I’m sure at that age when Almost Ready, the opening track to their 2007 album Beyond, came on, I probably turned it off. I don’t know if I was really capable of handling something that blown out. But I also enjoyed the Pixies song they had and most of the heavy metal tracks, so who really knows my reasoning? Only as I’ve gotten older have I gone back to that soundtrack and realized who that band was. And I’m glad their presence is on this list, no matter how much they get shit on by the average person. I guess I can understand that to the ears of the unaccustomed, this sounds horrible. Just plain noise with no real purpose. But considering the year this released, this album is huge. Few bands have made such a massive impact on the growth of alternative rock like my bloody valentine has. But Dinosaur Jr. is one of them. If there is anyone who loves his guitar pedals more than Kevin Shields, it’s J Mascis. Such an interesting frontman too. I saw it described by someone as “singing from your heart despite not being able to sing at all.” Which I love. It’s incredibly endearing. And any sane, non-biased fan of this band will tell you that admittedly Mascis can’t really sing. But I like his voice, no matter how much dissonance it really creates. Since this is Dinosaur Jr. though, what I really came here for is the guitars. And man, they are way more kick-ass than I ever could have imagined. All that I’ve heard about Mascis and his songwriting capabilities make sense to me now. The man is an expert at writing incredibly wild and captivating lead bits and solos that make every song a unique experience. As far as I’m concerned, the first four songs on the A-side is some of the most flawless sounding noise rock I’ve ever heard in my life. The rest of the album is solid too. Aside from maybe the closing track, which is almost alarmingly loud, and really puts the noise in “noise rock”. I’m really happy I enjoyed this as much as I did, because it makes me considerably more excited to hear what their previous album has to offer. Rating: 8/10

7.5/10. There is a really dreamy vibe to the guitars. The vocals are tender, but a little bit irritating at times. The drums are cool. I enjoy the overall dissonance. However, I wish that there was more deviation between songs. :)

They have a great sound

4.0 Are we only here for the j. Mascis solos? I really think his playing as a certain amount of charisma and its not just noodling around. Really fun to listen to and the production and band behind is solid and interesting. I went and listened to the farm album (released 15 years ago, crazy) after this. I thought I like farm the best but this was very very solid

A great album to play loud! I've dipped in and out on Dino Jr over the years so it's hard to say this is better or worse than some of their other output but I do like it.

Believe it or not, I actually thought this was OK until "Don't" - which was too noisy even for me.

Nice

**Album Overview** *Bug*, the third studio album by Dinosaur Jr., was released in 1988 and is often regarded as one of the band's defining works. The album showcases the band's signature sound—a fusion of heavy guitar distortion, melodic hooks, and introspective lyrics. Consisting of J Mascis on guitar and vocals, Lou Barlow on bass, and Murph on drums, *Bug* further solidified the band’s role in shaping the alternative rock and grunge movements of the late '80s and early '90s. **Music** The music on *Bug* is characterized by its dense guitar layers, melodic riffs, and dynamic shifts between loud and soft passages. Mascis’ distinctive guitar style is the backbone of the album, featuring feedback-drenched solos, fuzz-laden power chords, and intricate fingerpicking that balances noise and melody. The album's opener, "Freak Scene," epitomizes this approach, delivering one of the band's most enduring songs, with a simple yet infectious riff and a powerful blend of raw and polished elements. "Freak Scene" sets the tone with an accessible melody that contrasts with the band's characteristic abrasive sound, showcasing Mascis' skill in crafting memorable guitar lines. The following track, "No Bones," continues in a similar vein, featuring heavy guitar distortion with a catchy, almost pop-like structure. Meanwhile, "Budge" offers a mid-tempo groove, with a thick wall of guitar textures providing a backdrop for Mascis' languid vocal delivery. The album's quieter moments, such as "Pond Song," feature a more restrained use of distortion, allowing the melodies to take center stage. The track's jangly guitar tones and softer dynamics provide a refreshing contrast to the more aggressive songs. Similarly, "The Post" employs clean guitar tones and builds to a crescendo, with Mascis' emotionally charged solo adding depth to the song's otherwise straightforward structure. However, *Bug* is not without its chaotic side. "Don't" is a noisy, dissonant track with Barlow taking on the vocal duties, screaming the repeated phrase "Why don't you like me?" The track is abrasive and confrontational, contrasting sharply with the album's more melodic moments and showcasing the band's willingness to experiment with noise and unconventional song structures. The inclusion of this track adds a visceral edge to the album, though it may not appeal to all listeners. **Lyrics** The lyrics on *Bug* largely reflect feelings of alienation, introspection, and frustration. Mascis’ writing style is often vague and impressionistic, conveying emotion more through tone than narrative clarity. In "Freak Scene," for example, the lyrics explore the complexities of relationships and the anxiety that comes with them, with lines like "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." This sense of personal struggle and ambivalence is a recurring theme throughout the album. In "They Always Come," Mascis touches on feelings of inadequacy and unfulfilled desires, though the lyrics remain cryptic enough to allow for multiple interpretations. This open-endedness is a strength of the album, as it invites listeners to project their own experiences onto the songs. The lyrics often complement the music's rough-hewn textures, creating a cohesive aesthetic that merges the personal with the visceral. Mascis' deadpan vocal delivery can make the lyrics difficult to decipher at times, but this adds to the overall sense of distance and detachment that permeates the album. While this approach may not resonate with listeners seeking clear, direct storytelling, it fits well within the broader context of the alternative rock genre of the time. **Production** The production of *Bug* is raw and unpolished, retaining a lo-fi quality that gives the album an authentic, gritty feel. The decision to avoid overproducing the album works in its favor, as the rough edges contribute to the band's identity and the album's overall atmosphere. The heavy use of guitar distortion and feedback is integral to the album's sound, with Mascis often allowing the noise to bleed into the mix, creating a thick sonic texture. However, the album’s rawness sometimes comes at the cost of clarity. The drums, for instance, can sound buried in the mix, and the bass is not always as prominent as it could be. This may detract from the overall listening experience for those who prefer a more polished sound. The vocal mixing also leaves Mascis' voice somewhat obscured, which may be frustrating for listeners trying to decipher the lyrics. Nonetheless, these production choices are intentional and contribute to the album's unique character. **Themes** Thematically, *Bug* deals with themes of alienation, personal conflict, and introspection, common in alternative and punk music. The sense of being an outsider runs through the lyrics, particularly in tracks like "Freak Scene" and "They Always Come." Mascis’ detached vocal style enhances the feeling of isolation, giving the impression of a narrator who is emotionally disconnected from his surroundings. The theme of frustration is prominent as well, notably in "Don't," where the repetitive shouting of "Why don't you like me?" reflects a raw and unfiltered expression of insecurity. The album’s blend of melodic and abrasive elements mirrors the inner conflict conveyed in the lyrics, with the loud-quiet dynamics symbolizing the tension between emotional turmoil and the desire for resolution. *Bug* also touches on the theme of resignation, with several tracks featuring a languid vocal delivery that suggests an acceptance of life's struggles rather than a fight against them. This sense of surrender, coupled with the band's signature slacker aesthetic, became influential in shaping the sound of the '90s alternative scene. **Influence** *Bug* had a significant impact on the evolution of alternative rock and the emerging grunge movement. The album's blend of noise, melody, and introspective lyrics resonated with many musicians who would go on to shape the sound of the '90s. Bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth cited Dinosaur Jr. as a major influence, with Kurt Cobain frequently mentioning *Bug* as a favorite. The album’s approach to guitar work, in particular, left a lasting mark on the genre. Mascis' ability to combine melodic solos with aggressive, noisy textures helped to redefine the role of the guitar in alternative music. His use of dynamics, alternating between quiet verses and explosive choruses, became a staple of the grunge sound. This influence extended beyond just guitar work, as the album's raw production and emotionally detached lyrics also resonated with a generation of artists seeking to break away from the polished mainstream rock of the '80s. **Pros of the Album** 1. **Distinctive Guitar Work:** J Mascis’ guitar playing is a highlight, with its unique blend of noise, melody, and virtuosity. The guitar solos are emotionally expressive, while the rhythm sections provide a compelling mixture of crunch and clarity. 2. **Emotional Depth:** The lyrics, while often cryptic, evoke feelings of alienation, frustration, and introspection. This emotional rawness adds to the album's authenticity and has resonated with many listeners. 3. **Influence on Alternative Rock:** *Bug* played a crucial role in shaping the alternative rock and grunge scenes, leaving a lasting legacy that can be heard in the music of countless bands. 4. **Dynamic Sound:** The album features a compelling mix of loud and soft dynamics, enhancing the emotional impact of the songs and keeping the listener engaged. 5. **Authentic Production:** The lo-fi, unpolished production gives the album a gritty, organic feel that suits the band’s style and adds to its character. **Cons of the Album** 1. **Inconsistent Quality:** Not all tracks on the album reach the same level of excellence as "Freak Scene" or "Pond Song." For instance, "Don’t" may be too abrasive or repetitive for some listeners, disrupting the flow of the album. 2. **Buried Instrumentation:** The production sometimes obscures elements like the drums and bass, which can detract from the overall impact. A more balanced mix might have enhanced the listening experience. 3. **Vague Lyrics:** While some may appreciate the ambiguity of the lyrics, others may find them lacking in substance or clarity. The emotional tone is often more significant than the words themselves. 4. **Mascis’ Vocal Style:** Mascis’ vocal delivery is not conventionally strong, often coming across as disengaged or monotonous. This may not appeal to those who prefer more expressive or varied singing styles. 5. **Not Accessible to All:** The album’s noisy, distorted aesthetic and raw production might be off-putting to those who are unaccustomed to alternative or lo-fi music. **Conclusion** *Bug* stands as a significant album in Dinosaur Jr.'s discography and the broader alternative rock canon. Its combination of abrasive guitar work, introspective lyrics, and raw production encapsulates the spirit of late-'80s alternative music. While not perfect, the album's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and it remains influential to this day. For listeners interested in exploring the roots of the alternative rock and grunge movements, *Bug* offers a compelling snapshot of a band at the height of its creative powers. Ultimately, *Bug* captures a moment in time when music was shifting away from the polished mainstream rock of the '80s, paving the way for a new wave of artists who valued authenticity, emotional depth, and musical experimentation.

It's a nice new discovery for me

Noisey jangly ballsy rock with hooks.

4/5

Jesus a lot of low ratings are popular for this. It’s not that bad? Like it sounds like a very competent pre-grunge indie album with a few standout tracks.

A bit noisy but ok

Dropped the ball again, younger self. What a disappointment.

I really like Dinosaur Jr. But as an album, I can't really say this is over a 4/5.

This was such a pleasant surprise! I actually put this album off by a few days, because I wasn’t in the mood for rock the day this album was generated. But it was right in my genre wheelhouse! Reminds me of Counting Crowe but a little less pop-y.

Doesn’t have the state legendary status that You’re Livinng All Over Me does, but song for song is probably my fav Dino Jr album. Really appreciate the improved production it just lets Js guitar and Lous thick bass to shine. Freak Scene is an all time opener

the slacker thing still bugs me but there’s no denying these guys created a whole world that was unique to them

This was good. Kinda punk. Fun

can pick it out as Dinosaur Jr from the sound right away, fairly easy listen, loved "Don't"

Dinosaur Jr. do one thing, play it loud, and they do that well. Proto-shoegazing grunge, my jam.

Fav: They Always Come Least Fav: Don’t Vocals didn’t bug me as much as I expected going into this. This album was almost going to bee a 5/5 but the last 2 tracks were not fly, and they brought it down. Other than that, I was buzzing when the other songs were playing

Dinosaur Jr. layers their songs with feedback and noise but there are strong melodies and catchy riffs underneath all the noise. I enjoyed this album, mostly in the background. The energy is great and I could see myself really liking it with more listens. I was gonna rate this a 3 but then “Don’t” came on and I was blown away by the sheer power and pain of it. Those screamed vocals are intense. Excellent song, really strong album. Bumping it up a rating because I’m starting to see that Dinosaur Jr. are capable of some incredible highs.

Dang I restarted my computer and lost what I wrote! (this has happened like 4x now on this project). Long story short, I have appreciated this band from afar without ever really diving into them. I have some friends who have done a songwriting masterclass/camp with J. Mascis and reported that they learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it, which is cool! I think this record is a solid noisy indie rock release that is also admirably dynamic, and is really approachable for me in that regard. It's not all noisy loudness, and it's not all quiet acoustic and clean guitars. Many of the songs have interesting sections and you can tell there's a lot of the band writing parts together going on, which I appreciate. It's not just J. Mascis coming to them with songs already written and them just playing the backing music, there's a lot of song breaks for the drums / other instruments to shine, and it makes for a handful of cool rock moments. It's a high 3, like a 3.8 for me, enough to round to a 4. My only wish is that I want more pronounced vocal parts, like more hooks or memorable melodies.

I enjoyed this a lot more than the other Dinosaur Jr. album. Well until the penultimate song in which case.. no. None of that. But the rest of the album was great indie rock.

Alt rock Sounds like old Radiohead at parts Varied throughout Did not get bored

Bros bugging

I liked it but I listened to one of their other albums and liked that one a lot more

Really solid noise rock album.

OK FINE. I get it now. Happy Dave and Phil??

Western MA's finest! Freak Scene is possibly my favorite indie rock tune of the late 80's and the rest of the record is pretty good, too. I always appreciated how they were one of the first bands of hardcore kids to take a step in a new direction. They were definitely not a hardcore band but they always had that credibility.

I played this album at work once and I had forgotten about the song Don’t. I definitely got some looks when that came on. Yeah, that song does not fit the vibe of the rest of the album. It’s not a bad song, just pretty different from everything else on there. Anyways, obviously I’m a fan of this band/album. I love the dirty guitar sound, and J. Mascus’ quiet almost sweet vocals in juxtaposition to it. Just great all around, no complaints from me.

I was born in the wrong generation, and by that I mean I was meant to be driving around on a sultry summer day in 1989, fresh out of undergrad, cranking my window down to smoke a Camel, blasting college rock radio on my way to my new graphic design job, vocalizing fuzzed-out guitar solos and cursing out the old lady in front of me for driving so slow and making me late for my morning meeting. Bug is a close approximation to what that must’ve felt like, though, so I’ll take it.

3.7

It's like a grungy Nick Drake, sometimes Placebo Vibes... I like it, good vibes...

Great guitar work. Didn’t love the vocal style. Fun rock indie nonsense.

✅✅✅ fun noisy, incredible guitars, j mascis is one of the best guitarists alive

Great album.

Great album, didn't imagine I would enjoy it as much as I did. All hail the Dinosaur!

Classic dino jr.

Dinosaur Jr. always kicks so much ass. They were so far ahead of the curve. Don’t was the only rough patch on the album and the reason for 4 stars. Everything else was great

I love the indie grunge sound and I love that it truly comes through in their albums. No hyper clean production taking away the mess. Pond Song and of course Freak Scene are standouts. The album REALLY doesn't need "Don't" on there. Especially with how strong an end Keep the Glove is. I enjoy this album but "Without a Sound" is still my favourite.

4/5. An actually good dinosaur jr. album, is this possible? Normally the punk devolves to unlistenable grunge but this time, there is actual melody and good vocals, and the lyrics are interesting as well while still maintaining that heavy aesthetic and punk energy. This was a surprisingly enjoyable listen, would recommend. Plus the guitar work was excellent. Best Song: No Bones, Yeah We Know, Don't

Some great late 80s alternative rock action here. I like the music more than the vocals with Dinosaur Jr, but the album is really good overall. Very heavy, but with well-written songs 4/5