Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I've never gone deep into Dinosaur Jr. Was exposed to You're Living All Over Me in college, and remember enjoying it just fine, but that was the extent. Opens on Freak Scene, which features a deadpan vocalist over some alt-rockness with a super rough mix. Could be intentional, but I think it sort of sounds like shit. Really enjoyed They Always come. Also really enjoying Pond Song and the way they play with tempo. As I get deeper into the heart of this album, the roughness of the mix is growing on me. Actually found The Post to be one of the strongest on here. Sludgy as it may be, it is pretty tight and self contained. Don't is a bit of a surprise. Opens similar to National Anthem (radiohead) and gives way to a warbly echo followed by reverb + feedback + screaming with guitar noodling in the background. Oddly enough, I love this. Makes me think of some Modest Mouse B-sides from when they were actually good. This album was alright, but I can see why I didn't fall into the Dinosaur Jr. vice-grip from the first album of theirs I listened to. While I don't necessarily mind the lo-fi production, I didn't find many tracks to really stand out from the sludgy atmosphere it creates. This is a middling 3 for me. I may or may not ever be back.
The Wikipedia scared me when it said this was noise rock. Even though I have listened to Dinosaur Jr before, I wasn't sure if in their early years they wanted to sound like Kollaps. Really like the distortion guitar throughout the whole thing it gives it a really raw sound. Started turning into some noise rock at the end and I really hated the song Don't. But minus that song this was a pretty cool album
Really digging this first song. Pretty sick guitar work at the end there. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here but it gets a bit too noise-rockish at some points, especially "Don't." I think the voice throws me off some of these songs. Unfortunate because I love most of the instrumentals. Works sometimes though giving it a solid grunge sound.
3.5 - appropriate fuzz levels, a couple bangers, a couple duds. If I ever got into dino jr. i might feel different.
They are quite raw, but I like that, after a wile it does become a bit draining
Cool alt rock a la Pixies.
Dinosaur Jr. is a band I really like in small-to-medium doses. I love the overdriven sound but this whole album in one sitting starts to feel a bit stodgy.
Lets rip the bandaid off, Don't was some of the worst shit I've ever heard in my life holy shit. The rest was okay but I do think the sound changed a bit too much throughout the album for my personal tastes. Felt very alt rock at the start then started going more grunge towards the later tracks. 5/10
Skater music to skate to. I really enjoyed the music when the singer wasn’t purposefully singing badly. He has an interesting voice, kind of in the same vein as Smashing Pumpkins but sometimes hit a note so badly it made me cringe. Don’t listen to “Don’t”. Overall there were bits a liked a lot and bits I didn’t like a lot. 6/10
nope
Classic Dr Jr. Def their best album.
+вайб - уши + динозавры?? алкоальбом: ну балтика 9
Nope
Etwas langsam
Very good hard rock album. The quality of the recording leaves a lot to be desired but i guess 1988 is unforgiving. Still sounds pretty ahead of its time
Enjoyably noisy indie rock album, with grungy vocals (although predating actual grunge by several years). True confession - I avoided this for ages because I thought that Dinosaur Jr were a novelty kids band or something. Doh.
Mediocre songs and J Mascis sings out of tune. But I like the sound in general.
okiii. 7/10
Wish they had spread the energy of "Don't" to the rest of the album. Still quite good. 🐞🐞🐞
Me gusta el sonido, me gustan las guitarras, pero no hay ninguna canción que me flipe especialmente. 3
Decent head banging rock. Not a huge fan of singers voice
Just ok
Not a remarkable album, but I don’t think it’s bad! There are some really nice moments in the guitar parts and the album has a cohesive sound to it. I’m not in love with it, but it’s certainly not as bad as some of the reviews I read made it seem!
Я где-то с неделю откладывал этот альбом и вот я до него добрался. Есть и хардкор запилы, и мелодика и вокал. По обложке не скажешь. Хотя некоторые элементы очень угадываются по обложке -- он весь такой.. сырой, жесткий, гаражный. На троечку пойдёт.
I liked it but I did skip a song so 3
Got a little scary at the end
Decent. Just didn't hold my attention too much. It all pretty much blended together, except "Don't." I liked that one. The only song with some passion behind it.
Brings me back to my 90s college days. The angry teenager years. A palatable collection of sounds from the time, the unnecessary screaming near the end of the album takes away any pluses it earned from me. Low 3.
Sounds like the precursor to pop punk. I think highschool me would have loved it. Would have been a solid 4 stars if they hadn't spent the penultimate song screaming at me.
Standard 90s feel, makes me wanna play rock and
Not my favorite Dino Jr. album
Yeah i liked this one, it had some pretty cool riffs on it. That one song near the end was pretty fked up.
This was okay.
pretty good, like proto-grunge/indie or something. Not too dated sounding honestly, probably because its mostly just good old guitar/drums/bass for the most part. I can dig it, don't love it or anything but it's good especially for 1988. 3.6.
Encore un comportement odieux de la part du Dinosaur Jr. qui va venir charger et donner des coups de tête à ses proies pour ensuite les achever puis les dévorer. Vraiment inacceptable.
Rock alternativo, así como indie. Ni fu ni fa.
People are a bit harsh, I mean this was 1988 in the middle of wedges and flares and these guys were doing this kind of thing. I initially hated this band but now realise they're worth exploring.
Never heard of this band, but I really liked this project. Freak Scene and They Always Come were my favorites. Feels like this album influenced a ton of 90's alternative artists and has a lot of elements that were used in 2010's pop-punk. Unfortunately the songs fell off in the second half of the album.
Melancholy 90s rock. Thin mastering.
Not my favorite album or group but wasn’t awful listening.
Fine
Not a bad album, not great. 2.5/5
I like Dinosaur Jr. in general, but I think I’m more of a fan of “You’re Living All Over Me” more, still good though.
Freak Scene - 3/5 w/ the vocals No Bones - 2/5 They Always Come - 3/5 Yeah We Know - 3/5 Let it Ride - 3/5 Pond Song - 3/5 Budge - 3/5 The Post - 4/5 Don't - 0.25/6 Please, don't. Keep the Glove - 3/5
Not my bag
i'm sure we've already had a dinosaur jr album. no idea how they could have two. some good, some bad.
Big
Kinda vibed with this. I should give them more of a chance.
Pretty solid, sounds like pixies
Heard a lot about this band from the whole Seattle grunge scene but still haven’t listened to or really want to listen to them. Good on them though for putting themselves out there
This is something I would have listened to when it first came out. Today it doesn't do much for me, but its impact on 90s grunge is fully evident here. 3/5
Interesting album.
Ikke dårlig, ikke super bra. 3.5
Nothing new to say about this band from a couple weeks ago's review of You're Living All Over Me... kind of wore this sound out for myself in the 90s. The penultimate (and longest) track's descent into full screamo distortion cacophany tested the limits of my tolerance: the kind of thing that might be righteous in a live show but just grates blasting through the headphones.
Some of it excellent and some is dodgy
I feel like I should like this more than I do. There are some definite highlights like Freak Scene and Pond Song, but overall I don't love the album. I think it's too sludgy and suffers from the same lo-fi production issues as a lot of 80s indie rock. I like Dinosaur Jr in general and J Mascis is a great guitarist, especially in a scene not necessarily known for musical chops, but I tend to prefer their 90s and later albums.
Badass. Hard. Nasty toward the end. But musically prescient and tasteful and a good time for all.
Not really my atyle
Ok
I had low expectations for Bug but it’s much less shoegazey and more grunge than I thought it would be. The Post is a stand out, here you can most hear the influence Dinosaur Jr had on the moody alt rock of the 90s. Don’t is terrifying closer. Pure screaming with the band fading in and out. 6.7/10
This is like the store brand cereal equivalent of grunge. That being said it was surprisingly okay after listening to the first song but theres a lot of aged cringe. So it was decent, I'm never listening to this again.
like pretty basic and then the before last song was made heavy for like no reason
Aikamoista meininkiä. Onhan tämä tällaista kunnianhimoisempaa grungea. Vitun villit soundit. 3/5
Kuten näiden edellinen levy, niin ymmärrän merkityksen ja tosi siisti meininki, mutta jotain tarttuvia koukkuja jäin kaipaamaan. Silti helppo 3.
Menevää kitarasurinaa, loppupuolella vähän meni kiinnostus. 3/5
Freak Scene was the anthem of my high school career and also is, by far, the best song on Bug. Budge is good too, but the rest of this album is trashy garbage. Why is this album even on here? Whatever's Cool with Me, Green Mind and even Where You Been are great. But DJr., is famous for releasing albums where most of it is garbage but there's a diamond or two hanging out on the top of the track list. Stop this album now and go listen to some Ear Bleeding Country.
Man, "Don't" kill my vibe! I was digging this fossil of the early grunge/indie rock era...until they went and blew it with the song "Don't". One star deduction for that monstrosity of a song and making it the longest song on the album was just adding insult to injury.
I really don't like the vocals. Whiny 90's alt rock. That said, the music is pretty good. Don't think I'd go back though
Other than playing along to "Feel the Pain" in Rock Band (or was it Guitar Hero?), I've never listened to Dinosaur Jr. before. I figured there was a good chance that I'd like this album, but I only enjoyed about half the songs. I liked the guitar-forward sound, and the heavy distortion, but some of the songs felt like they weren't very distinct from one another. "Don't" was easily the lowest point for me on this album; I wasn't into the screaming at all. As lukewarm as I was on this album, I can appreciate how influential Dinosaur Jr. was on alternative rock. I can't imagine how different rock music in the nineties would have been without these guys paving the way.
Some good parts
Love his guitar, less excited about the shoegaze slacker singing
Ambivalence abounds. 3.
They sounded a lot like what Nirvana was on "Bleach". Makes sense, since Nirvana opened for them a bunch of times. The second to last song "Don't" just got annoying, though. But I probably would have said the same about Nirvana listening to it for the first time now. I remember seeing the "Without a Sound" album all over the place, so I was surprised that THAT is not on the list, but the first two albums are. I mean, I guess those 2 albums helped to make that alternative sound in the early 90s. But still...? Ultimately, the songs to me started to sound very much the same except for the last 2. I couldn't give you titles after a while and that's never a good thing about an album. The songs just didn't have anything that was like "whoa." Granted they were there first, but others did it well and (arguably) did it better.
I still think they have better albums.
There's always room for two-fisted, brutish, antisocial noise rawk of this flavour. I generally approve, even if I'd not wish to subject my delicate ears to its tender ministrations too often. Wot a racket.
Well, alright.
Loved Freak Scene when it came out, but was always disappointed when I listened to the whole album. Still the same today
A good alt-rock record. The songs on this are the good kind of sloppy, but I can’t help but feel I won’t remember this as well as other records of the same genre on the list. Actually, ‘Don’t’ is the most memorable song here because of how out of left field it is. I don’t know how to end this review, so I’ll just say that ‘Feel the Pain’ is the only song from them I knew beforehand and it’s way better than the songs on this.
I was digging that late 80's early 90's indie rock vibe... until Don't. WTF was that? 3.5
Alternated between being right up my alley and losing me completely—I do like a lot of the instrumentation, but I just find J Mascis as a singer to not be very engaging. I also found a lot of the attempts of being more “experimental” to feel like more lackluster versions of much better artists (specifically the track Don’t). Still some great tracks here, and it’s pretty engaging throughout—just nothing to write home about.
C'est bon, ca représente bien sa période et je comprend l'attratit pour ce type de musique. C'est difficile de noter ce genre d'album inconnue pour moi quand il y en a beaucoup du meme genre dans cete liste. Celui-ci ce démarque un peu pour moi. C'est peut etre l'ambiance ou l'état d'esprit qu eje l'écvoute en ce moemnt. 3.75
listened
I like this album but I feel like J got way better in his next few albums. He's still developing as a songwriter here.
Very loud.
Grunge, noise-rock isn’t normally thing, but this album scored points with the guitar playing and how modern it sounds for being released in 1988 (I would’ve believed it was released in the early 00s). The vocals lost points. 3/5.
Bug is the third album by American alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. This popular indie/alt rock album has everything you love about noisy rock music. It's a favorite among fans of the band, but J Mascis - singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the band - says it's his least favorite. Overall, this was a great folksy and punk sounding alternative rock album that the average listener should enjoy.
A bit too similar but a style that was copied later again and again. I respect this album for what it is in music history.
Grunge tendrils. 🦖 Vines? Roots? 🫡 Pretty cool given the time that it sounds so far ahead. Gritty and fun!
Noise rock. Will need more time with it.
Pretty okay rock album. 3/5
forerunner to Emo, with grunge undertones. Niche music.
Freak Scene and Don’t almost make this album worth it. But, still not sure why this is one of Dinosaur Jr’s most highly regarded albums…
uuuoouu
Grunge before grunge
Quite liked it, didn't love it. I know the name but don't think I've ever had a proper listen. Was a bit repetitive but not bad
To me it seems like more noise rock like Sonic Youth but apparently they are not. Not sure what the difference is. There’s something to appreciate in noise rock. Unusual song structure, a wall of sound that drowns you. On an intellectual level I think it’s pretty cool but I just can’t connect with it emotionally. Feels a bit calculated, eschewing conventional rules just because you want to rebel. I guess it’s a teenage instinct that I don’t relate to anymore. The texture of noise is actually quite nice and visceral. Unfortunately the whiny mopey lead vocals don’t really do it for me and it takes away from the experience. Most of the album feels like a blur of noise but the stand out song for me it’s Don’t. I couldn’t help comparing it with Nirvana’a Territorial Pissings but much more raw and cathartic (which is an awesome thing).
Could be good but sounds like it was recorded through 2 tin cans and some string
Wasn't expecting much from this, though obviously knew Freak Scene is a banger. I can see why many recoil from his vocals - because he can't actually hold a tune. Weirdly though I didn't mind. It was some pretty good rock and roll indie from the time when guitars ruled the world and for 35 minutes of pure noise enjoyment it was pretty good. Singer aside it was quite tuneful too. Obviously apart from the last track, Don't. Which was a load of noise.
Very average album No song really just out Sounds like a cheesy school band trying to sound "different"
3.5
aight
Nice & chill background listen
My jam right until the end
This was a bit weird but I enjoyed it.
I was ready to write the whole thing off as not really my thing based on the first couple of tracks but found myself really enjoying They Always Come, Yeah We Know, and Let It Ride. Still not really my thing but not terrible.
This album has some catchy tunes with that alt-80s vibe. I liked it ok until the last half or so. Sort of started to feel like a slog.
Basically felt like I was listening to ioe long grungey mildy interesting but not outstanding song for a whole album. 3/5
Rock alternativo, así como indie. Ni fu ni fa.
Ok so first thing’s first. I’m writing this review full of pizza and Prosecco so I’m not of sound mind (the Prosecco wasn’t actually technically Prosecco, but I’ll let them off). Anyway, for some reason I always thought Dinosaur Jr and Dinosaur Pile-Up were the same band. Obviously, I was wrong. This can be blamed on the fact that I’m an idiot. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: No Bones Alright so this music was pretty good. the singer is a little bit whiny so he could probably do with a bit of pizza and Prosecco to be honest. The sound of the music is fun though. I think the rest of the band were probably having fun even if the singer was a little bit sad. I liked this album, but I’m not exactly feeling like I’ve missed anything by not hearing it before today. Hello mum, if you’re reading this.
Van ser de les bandes que millor van predir, o modelar, el que havia de ser la revolució rock que sobrevindria als '90s. Juntament amb bandes com Pixies, Jane's Addiction o Sonic Youth, es van avançar a la seva época i des dels '80s ja creaven les bases de tot el que hauria de venir. Aquí encara abusen del soroll, emborronament de guitarres que fan de temes com 'Don't' simplement un acumulament d'acoblaments més aviat insoportable. Però també hi ha temes com 'Freak Scene', 'Pond Song' o 'They Always Come', que mereixen el seu lloc a la història del rock alternatiu dels '80s
Was actually a little surprised when this came up as I always thought of You’re Living All Over Me and Green Mind as the classics in the Dino Jr. catalogue. This album is also strong, but does tail off towards the end, especially the somewhat unlistenable track Don’t. Still, this holds up very well and barely sounds aged at all considering it came out 35 years ago. This is borderline 3/4 for me, I think if I spin again I’d get to a 4, but 3 for now.
This felt a little bit like grunge before grunge I thought it was fine.
It was fine, early indie alternative IMO
Pretty interesting. Not everything is very approachable... much of the time, both lyrics and music feel pretty noisy/messy... not really a clear melody with background falling into the background and the aggressive music takes over. It has it's hard noise element that reminds me of the Pixies. Still, a worthwhile listen.
very grungy and dirty the first couple songs are cool but the later ones go off the deep end
It was all going so well until 'Don't', suddenly turning a pleasing rock album into a screech.. anyway apart from that it's pleasant and almost melodic.
The album had potential as a pop punk album. The guitar parts are melodic and go well with the intended vocals. However, the lack of a proper singer took away immensely from the songwriting potential and leaves you ultimately unimpressed with a forgettable listen.
"Don't " was fucking awful. The rest was ok.
I wasn't able to give this album the listen it deserves. My impressions are that this reminds me a ton of garage rock bands from my hometown in MA, and sure enough, they're from Amherst! It's really endearing. But I have to dock points for the mixes! Some of the recording and mixing on these records (especially the first few ones) are so, so bad! And not bad in an endearing kind of way... they just feel pulled right off the board, or like they were referenced in a really bad room. So I'm feeling a safe 3. I'll definitely return to this, and it feels buzzy and creative, reminds me of my hometown. But could be so much more listenable.
I didn't finish. Don't know, kind of generic.
Ik vind punk-rock leuk. Het mag van mij iets sneller en energieker, maar deze is prima te luisteren. ***
My first exposure to this album was seeing Dinosaur Jr. perform it live at the Ally Pally in 2011. That night they rocked quite hard in a grumpy kind of way. It turns out is an accurate representation of this record. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Freak Scene Date listened: 23/11/22
Noisy
Not very interesting
It's just boring. There's nothing here that stands out or makes a case for its inclusion in the list. Just... meh.
I enjoyed this, and I do like Dinosaur Jr. - but do we need two albums from them? I think one was enough.
This is seems like grungy angst to me. It's amusing that someone who can't sing on key is the lead singer of a relatively popular band but that's probably the point. If I was asked to guess the year that this came out, I would have guessed early 90s, so this might be a bit ahead of the curve. but more likely I just don't know what I'm talking about. eat me.
When Dinosaur Jr. works, it works so well. On 'No Bones' and 'The Post', the desperation in Mascis' vocals just connects with me somehow. Other times Mascis' singing gets very very very off-tune ('Let It Ride', 'Pond Song'), but it somehow never truly falls in on itself, and the distorted guitar and bass accompanies the rough vocals perfectly. But, I am really not a fan of the NU-metal-ish guitar sound on 'Yeah We Know' and 'Don't' simply becomes too lo-fi and noisy for me, making it impossible for me to enjoy (despise Murph's excellent smashing behind the drums). Had to give my ears a break after this one.
I used to be heavy into grunge rock but most of it has dated poorly
Seems kind of ahead of it's time, very grunge. I think I would like it more if I was in the mood for it, but now I'm trying to work
Very much carried by the opening track but not a bad album
I'm into the grittiness, but it got repetitive. And rough vocals.
Mostly really liked this but they lost me with Don't. It was too much.
Ok, well “Don’t” scared the shit out of me. The rest was a cool fuzzy rocking groove.
blir litt mykje
"Don't" was actually pretty interesting compared to the rest of the album. The only song I liked. You can hear the influence Dinosaur Jr. had on grunge bands that came after
Okay
3.8
They all blended together
Shorter album under forty minutes. I'm a fan of Dinosaur Jr. but this isn't my favorite album of theirs. Still enjoyable just not their best imo.
Well this isn’t the band I thought it would be… The album opens with freak scene, its a well written well performed song with mid level vocals. Something I like but doesn’t scream must listen. It slows down a bit with the sludgier no bones, it all feels just very home done it’s a good sonic but the production ruins it and unlike bands like the white stripes this doesn’t feel intentional. They always come feels like dinosaur jr are going pop punk I love it honestly, fine some tweaks could be made to their production and singing but it’s well written and well performed so what do you want. Yeah you know what I am going to say for yeah I know. Let it ride feels like the point a fun yet messy album gets boring; the other raw American bands like nirvana, pixies and the white stripes have much more charm than this band being able to stretch their talents throughout a whole album but this band doesn’t seem like they can. Pond song is a nice enough change with the acoustic guitars being used more frequently making a fast paced but dreamier track. But it’s just another poor sounding song put into this machine of an album. I don’t like the use of multiple singers at the chorus of Budge it just doesn’t work for a band like this. The post reminds me of songs just like talking heads the overload and joy division’s I remember nothing for the verses ( so just morbidly depressed sounding) but the chorus is just generic dinosaur jr so I don’t know that I like this much. I love the attempt to make an interesting noise in the scarily heavy don’t but I hate it it’s near unlistenable revolution 9 tier. The album closes on keep the glove an actually rather happy acoustic note yeah this is the album’s best song! This is like a bug more specifically a lingering fly it’s a short thing that won’t go away getting progressively more annoying as it goes along. But I can’t hate them animals you know!
Enjoyed this one though some of the tracks later on were a bit iffy. Cool bridge between 80s and grunge.
Zeker niet m'n favoriete Dinosaur Jr. album - de beste kwamen een aantal jaar later. En deze is eigenlijk qua productie wel een best taaie dobber. Omdat ik ten tijde van de latere jaren 90 albums vond dat ik het oude werk ook moest checken, heb ik deze plaat al best vaak gehoord. En ik kon het ook nu nog zeker wel waarderen. Maar ook wel een beetje een bijsmaakje....
Grungy as
Good noise. The album art here really captures the aesthetic of the album well.
Rating: 6/10
Don't was a bit much for me. Overall the album was ok.
Scrappy lofi indie rock. Starts strongly but drops. Not my favourite of them.
Pretty rockin'!
Pretty cool but also a loooot of noise.
Alright with a couple of really good songs
Great sounding layers of guitars, and emotive lyrics about the disenfranchised. I can see how this dude had a big influence on the guitar rock styles that emerged in the early 90s.
A standard Dinosaur Jr. outing, save for some younger J. Mascis vocals that help the LP evoke an almost heavier Pavement-like sound. No tracks that really leap out, but this band has undeniable chops which mean the album is an enjoyable listen.
Too trashy
Some decent points but some really low ones. Interesting though.
This album opens with such an excellent statement of purpose that the rest suffers by comparison. The guitar work throughout is uproarious and distinctive, but this is a vibes album more than a songs album for me, in general, barring a few exceptional tunes. I get it, but I could live without "Don't" making the album. I associate Dinosaur Jr. with the 90s, and I think it's telling that they were so ahead of the curve with their mid- to late-80s output. A strong album that cast a long shadow over future indie guitar heroes. A worthy inclusion on this list and a lot of fun to listen to 35 years on! Fave tracks: Freak Scene, They Always Come, Budge, Keep the Glove
Some of the loud experiments bordered on irritating but most of it was OK.
I was looking forward to the noisy guitar-centric assault on the ears that they delivered on the last album, but it looks like they dialed it back, taking a more melodic approach this time round. They sound more like a run-of-the-mill grunge band here, but the song-writing is good. I liked Budge and Yeah We Know especially. I had to wait 9 songs to get the assault on the ears I was looking for with "Don't"!
Someone mentioned that this is like Pavement meets the Pixies and that is a very apt description. I must say I like their later albums better, eg Feel the pain is probably my fave Dinosaur jr song, and I’m a huge fan of J Mascis’ solo work which is very different from their early noise rock sound. Don’t could be traumatizing to listen to.
I'm not sure if this is good, but it's certainly fun. I love their sound, shaky vocals notwithstanding. Best track: Freak Scene
J'hésitais entre 2 et 4 donc je mets 3.
I liked it.
I have not heard any of DINOSAUR JR.’s music before, although I am aware of them because I am a fan of alternative and indie music. Just never had the exposure or opportunity to listen to them. They seem to be well regarded band. After listening to BUG, on first impression, the vocals reminds me of or has the vibe of PANSY DIVISION, not lyrically, of course. That PANSY DIVISION vibe gets lost upon multiple listening. I must say the album is pretty good and pleasant, but I don’t see it worthy of being in the 1001 Album selection maybe after multiple listens, it will grow on me even more. If I were to make a replacement for DINOSAUR JR. - BUG, for inclusion in the book I would choose THE GUN - CLUB MIAMI (1982) instead. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, there is another prior release selected, YOU’RE LIVING ALL OVER ME (1987) in the book. Rate Artist: DINOSAUR JR. (3) Rate Album (Year): BUG (1988 Original) (3) Rate Album (Year): BUG (2005 US Merge Records – MRG245 Reissue) (3)
Mixed bag. Some great choons like Freak Scene but some average ones. This album could be better with a few more good songs
I get the feeling that had I discovered Dinosaur Jr at a younger age I would have fallen madly in love with them. As it is, I already have so many bands like them that I love I couldn't be bothered to make room (I will never betray you Steven Malkmus). Freak Scene and Let it Ride are great. Don't is hilarious, and I think it's meant to be? A lot of the rest depends on your appetite for slightly bored sounding but very fun slacker rock. An important album.
So THAT'S where grunge came from
Dinosaur Jr. were considered innovative because they fused hardcore punk noise onslaughts with hard rock staples of guitar solos and the sort. But this leads to two queries: does this leave them unsatisfying two groups rather than contenting one, and was this development that wholesome? Frankly, I'm currently not in a position to answer just yet. Give me time to explore Dinosaur Jr. more. However, I can tell you this album slightly suffers from the attempt to placate the straightforward rockers and indie kids. Yes, individual moments and tracks shine, but the sum is hesitant rather than inclusive. As proof, consider that the best, most alive song on the album is Don't, the most outré and punky. I wish they had focused on their strengths. A decent album, but aggrieved at the hinted potential for more.
Heard better not gonna lie
6/10
Will pobably not be be back for further listens
Late 80s LP hailing new 90s sounds and the prescient shoegazey voice of J Mascis. Varied and subdued, this kicks in its own subdued fashion.
Eh ok. Not a very memorable album to me, good rock and roll, good music. Just doesn't get me going.
Serious, heavy rock, without being annoyingly serious about itself. The guitar tone is excellent, and when it locks in with the bass on some driving riffs, it sounds goddamn fantastic. The singing doesn't do a whole lot for me, and sometimes it gets lost in the chaotic energy of it all, but that energy is kind of the point. A solid 3
Not very accessible. Would probably benefit from a few more repeats. Not my favorite Dinosaur Jr (on a first listen)
Ok! Freak Scene. Good song. They Always Come sounds like an indie J-rock song. Don't is five minutes of feedback, which I could do without. Though its the better closer. The bonus track is kind of slapped on the back.
kinda whiney but I'm on that wave post-punky dig it
It’s like Pixies meets Pavement. Which in theory is cool but in actuality I’d rather just listen to Pixies or Pavement. Couple standout songs, the rest is fine.
Started off strong but got bored pretty quickly
Indie Rock is a genre I enjoy on both sides of the spectrum, whether it is more quiet and compressed, or noisy and explosive. Dinosaur Jr's Bug falls under the latter, and their effort is mostly enjoyable. Highlights for me are "No Bones", "They Always come", "Yeah We Know" and "The Post". The other tracks are not in any way horrible, except for the annoyingly screamy "Don't", but either drag on for too long or are too repetitive. 3/5.
Chestnut Ok a little rocker
Average alt rock sound to me.
Nao sabia que esses caras eram tao velhos assim! Maneirinho mas eu gosto de uma musica ou outra, nada muito especial.
New to me. Quite good, excepting"Don't".
Wicked indie distortion. Best Tracks: Freak Scene, They Always Come, Budge
Can appreciate it, but not really for me. The guitar is pretty impressive, Vocals... not my favourite. Yeah We know and The Post were highlights
Love dinosaur jr, not my favourite of theirs
A very inconsistent alt rock/noise rock album. The downtempo tracks are by far the worst, but "Don't" is easily the best and noisiest song. 5/10
I've heard of this band, and I know I've at least seen J Mascis in Portlandia, but never listened to them. Right away, I'm digging this. Kind of a noisy, garage-rock style but with good melody. The promise of the first two tracks fades a little, as the album begins to sound redundant, and then it finishes with a couple very abrasive noise rock tunes that I enjoyed more than I thought I would (but still not very much). This was a decent album. I won't return to much, but I respect it for sounding about 5-10 years ahead of its time. Favorite tracks: Freak Scene, No Bones, Pond Song. Album art: I like this one. Somewhat inscrutable. At first I thought I was looking at some deformed Ratatouille freak, but then I finally saw the bug. This is cool though, like the whole thing was finger-drawn in mud. 3/5
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.
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
Wat meer alternatieve rock, wel redelijk
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.
A very underrated grunge band.
The nicer side of okay.
Never really listened to these. Not as goofy American as I thought. Good listen!
Not grabbing me. DJR are ok but...
4/10… noise rock / 80s indie / *1988
Eh... Chaotic and not very interesting
no real stand outs for me
01) Freak Scene - 7,0 02) No Bones - 6,0 03) They Always Come - 6,0 04) Yeah We Know - 6,5 05) Let It Ride - 6,0 06) Pond Song - 6,5 07) Budge - 6,0 08) The Post - 5,5 09) Don't - 3,0 TOTAL: 5,83 (58/100)
2.2/5 Mediocre Garage band rock for most of it. Last two songs were horrible.
Some nice proficient indie rock, I wanted more melody out of it but that's a personal problem. Highlights: "Yeah We Know", "Let It Ride"
Throwing a tantrum about why I don’t like you isn’t the way to make me like you. Some points for the guitar tone on all the other tracks though.
i didn’t give a shit about this honestly, have already forgotten about it
I don't think hard rock or noise rock is my thing
Don’t was the only track that stands out. Not because it’s so different from the rest of the album but because it was actually a good song. Everything else was boring and generic.
This was a pretty boring experience. A wall of fuzz does not an album make! Vocals felt like a parody of Sonic Youth. Another band that is better at making songs for mixtapes that for albums.
I saw them play in a small space in 92 or 93. (I think I owe some of my tinnitus to that show.) Back then, as now, my reaction was, “this is mildly interesting but I want it to stop.” This period of all solid state processing and amplification produced objectively shitty guitar sounds. The timid vocal warbling is irritating. And Sonic Youth did the wall-of-cacophony with SO much more musical substance. There are brief moments when this music is engaging; but too few of them. It just never amounts to something I want to listen to more of. And on that note - I'll allow that Dinosaur Jr. was interesting and beloved enough to warrant a place on the list. But, including two of their albums is preposterous; particularly in light of the amazing acts who aren’t represented at all.
Genre = Noise Rock That about sums it up. Two of the tracks (Let it ride/Don’t) were so unlistenable I had to skip them. The kind of American indie that bores me to death. Unimaginative, and very repetitive. It’s a hard pass for me.
Definitely not as good as Living All Over Me, there's still the alt rock 90s rawness, but it just washed over me this time and the out of tune lyrics eventually got annoying. Maybe a 2.5?
Bem meh
Exhibit no. 347,012,966: why bad vocals can bring down an album. The instrumentation is seriously on point here... except for the singing. It's untrained, quavery, generally out-of-tune. The guy also sounds wholly unconvinced of what he's singing. Not exactly qualities you want for your frontman. Do better, J Mascis. Additionally, a lot of these songs sound extremely similar. Typically it's bands like Dinosaur Jr. that require a couple of front-to-back listens before you can recall (and anticipate) the hooks, and enjoy the album more as a result. But on a first listen? The tracks seem pretty indistinguishable. Except the song Don't. Which is noticeably worse than the rest. Freak Scene is a pretty solid opener. Great roaring energy, a nice punk-esque lead guitar tone, good jelling between bass and rhythm guitar, and a marketably positive atmosphere. Can't really go wrong there. Obviously the singing is bad (as per above), but fortunately the guy's not singing for much of the song's runtime. No Bones can be described in much the same way. A seriously driving energy that doesn't let up at all. Which, realistically, might be considered part of its downfall. In fact, I found myself searching for moments of silence, and the song Yeah We Know said "Yeah, we know", pausing somewhat on the relentless uptempo onslaught. I consider Budge a key track because it avoids the "bad singing" pitfall by adding another vocal line, an octave apart from the first. Octave harmonies are hit-or-miss, and I'm not exactly convinced here, but it's so much better than just the solo vocalist that I'm (comparatively) having a blast. This would almost be a 3-star record. Almost. But then Don't comes barging in, like a knock-off Endless, Nameless, destroying your eardrums and several of the nearest windows in the process. Stupid faux-death metal is stupid. What the heck is happening here? These albums are meant to be enjoyable, my guy. 2/5 Key tracks: Freak Scene, No Bones, Budge
Oh, they sound just like Ash. Not sure if that's a compliment yet, I liked Ash back in the day but I find them a bit whiny now. I didn't dig this. Too noisy for my taste.
Honestly, given my enjoyment of raucous bands, and general appreciation of noise and chaos, I expected to like this more.
Too much noise!!
Sounds like they're trying to do the Sonic Youth/Pavement thing where they're trying to make their music sound like shit on purpose but J Mascis is too good of a guitar player to keep up the facade for too long. More frustrating than anything.
This is kind of a weird one. The front half of the album is all guitar and vocals. The bass finally emerges out of the wall of fuzz on track seven, but it's too little too late. (perhaps Lou Barlow was better off getting fired?). Then they really lost me on the final track, which is very screamy. And coming in at almost six minutes— well, that is 15% of the album right there, out the window.
I was looking forward to this one because I like some other Dinosaur Jr. songs, but this just did not land for me. Too much of just noise; not enough distinct instruments for my taste.
la verdad que no me interesó, me aburrió.
I owned this, and it was cool for a few months, and then I never got into it again. the first track is cool, but the rest is a lot of the same with diminishing results. Also, the production is pretty bad.
Sara - 2 Marko - 2.5
Most of this was fine. Just don’t don’t. Awful song.
moui bon
bad grunge music for dorks Best Song: Freak Scene Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2
At first I was thinking ok and then it tricked me and started the scream-o stuff. DNF album.
Not my music
This isn't bad. I dont love how the vocals sound and I think it is kinda poorly mixed. The guitar sounds incoherent at times. When it comes through it sounds good and there are good instrumental parts here, but it isn't great. Liked Songs: "Freak Scene" , "They Always Come" , "Yeah We Know" , "Let It Ride" , "Keep the Glove"
beste J Mascis... als je er zelf geen zin in hebt, hoe wil je dan dat ik zin krijg om hier naar te luisteren... dit plaatje is slechts marginaal beter dan eender welke Coldplay
wow the lead singer of this band fucking SUCKS lmao
Dinosaur Jr. Not extinct, but often stinks.
Not a whole lot going on here with this LP and group. Mostly noise. Although the lead singer has a nice soothing voice.
It started out ok, but it got really loud at the end. I didn’t like that. This is the second album I’ve had by this band and I don’t hate either of them. The other album was better though.
Half the album sounds like it accidentally time-traveled from 1993 and landed in 1988 wearing ripped jeans and emotional baggage. Then J Mascis starts shrieking like someone stepped on his favorite fuzz pedal, and the mood gets too complicated for me.
Such an overrated band
This was fine.
War schlecht
It's ok. I just don't really get it though. What is it?
Bug by Dinosaur Jr. is a mixed bag that leans heavily on its signature distorted guitar sound and the laid-back vocal style, but doesn’t fully capitalize on its strengths. While there are flashes of energy and melodic hooks, much of the record feels repetitive and lacks standout moments. The production and songwriting don’t evolve enough across the tracklist, which makes the album blur together over time. It’s not without charm, especially if you already like their sound, but overall it comes off as fairly average and somewhat forgettable. 5/10
"Noise rock". Without any rock. (It didn't help that I had a hangover today, but this isn't very good)
A relic of that alt/indie scene of the late 80s that is just so boring and bland. The noise elements add some flair but overall this is super forgettable. 2/5
an okay album until it just completely shoot's it's foot at the final mile. it's alt rock.
Having lots of loud guitar riffs doesn't make something good. There are decent moments, but the end of the album really buries everything decent about it.
both the album title and artist's name makes me biased to give this a high rating. However, when listening through the album, I didn't enjoy it very much. It's a good indie rock album, with some good drum beats, but overall didn't find it very special. The lyrics are a little hard to decipher, so maybe they hold more value that I'm not attributing to this album. I consider it good background music, it holds that tricky balance of being interesting enough to not put me to sleep, bug generic enough to not take over all my attention. Maybe listening to it without doing anything else would affect my review, but I really don't have the time, and this is personal review so it's solely based on my opinion, so if you disagree, then you disagree and I'm not arguing about this.
A light 6/10. I like the energy—the guitars and drums hit hard, and I’m into that old-school punk feel… but I just didn’t connect with this one.
This is one of those in-between albums. It didn't quite fit in with college radio staples, hair metal, or progressive/new wave of the 80's. But it was also pre-grunge. Hard to see where these guys fit in. The singer was a little too Violent Femmes for my liking. The songwriting wasn't that creative and I lost interest after about two songs.
It was pretty run of the mill rock, until the wall of screaming metal in “Don’t”. Screaming is a personal turnoff for me. ( hence the one star Sepultura album rating). Then they follow that with a pop-ish song, almost in apology. Or in pandering… suffice it to say the last two songs felt like a departure from the rest in a very calculated let’s try to expand our marketing kind of way. Knocks it from a three to a 2.5 for me.
I wasn’t sure what to do with this record. The songs all melt together into a mess of distorted guitars, and they all sounded the same. I was relieved when the album was over.
The further I got into it, the more upset I got that I had to keep listening to it. It's mostly just noise.
Kinda annoying. 2 is generous but its semi listenable
I mean, yeah, this rocks, but it really made me want to listen to the early Smashing Pumpkins records instead…
- dinosaur sr when - similar sound to pavement which i like - this is another one where i was just a little bored the whole time. give me more funk please - favorites: freak scene - rating: 2/5
Well. That was...something! (And not something good!) Was this recorded in an underwater basement studio? The quality is so poor, I think it was. I'm taking a cue from the band and their song "Don't" which should've served as my warning; the first lyric is a strangled, yelled "WHYYYYYYY?" Exactly. Questioning "WHYYYYYYY?" this album made the list in the first place.
Doesn't really grab me, but not terrible
Wasn’t vibing with this album but started to with their album you’re living all over me.
This sounded like an album that I'd like, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it (Monday morning, tired...). It just sounded so muddy to me.
The aesthetic is cool, the songs were dross.
Not a fan, honestly not for me. Some parts were fine, but then others were just hard for me to get through. Not for me overall
Sehr schrabbelig. Hab’s beim Roller fahren in leise gehört. Aber geil war es nicht. Nicht meine Musik und dieses verzerrte finde ich ganz schlimm.
Dinosaur Jr. – Bug (1988) On Day 88, I found Bug to be another example of the production trying to carry the whole show. While "Freak Scene" started off promising and gave me a taste of their melodic grunge style, the experience got worse as I moved deeper into the tracklist. The vocals were consistently off and lacked the energy needed to match the "loud as hell" guitar work. While the musicianship is clearly there, the vocal performance felt lazy and detached, making the project feel pretty passable rather than a true body of work. It’s not the worst thing I’ve heard, but it’s a mid-level listen that earns a 2/5 primarily because the production kept it from falling apart although most of it was noise.
Way too much yelling for a Monday morning.
The drums and guitar have a pretty good energy, but the vocal really turns me off from this album. It honestly sounds like he doesn't care at all and couldn't be bothered to put in any effort. He sounds bored and tired, and that makes me bored of listening. The only track where he's really invested is 'Don't' which is kinda cool. Unfortunately the guitar on that track ends up a bit grating to my ears after a little bit Standouts Don't 2/5
Well, 9/10 of these songs was just silly indie music that should be in the background of some teen film or Gavin and Stacey. Nice guitars I guess. However the song called "Don't" was fab, just screaming over and over again. Not enough to raise it into a pass I'm afraid x
This week I’vebeen haunted by bands my 20’s self tried to endure/ discover. I’m at the end of the tether, let’s give this album a try. Nope, still not a Dinosaur Jr fan. Unsure why I love Sonic Youth but the buzzy guitars of DJ don’t do it for me.
Noisy.
ehh 2.5 stars for now
One song played slightly differently with different lyrics stretched out to 9 songs. 'Don't' was the exception and although pretty basic on all fronts, it landed...but not as heavily as the others bombed.
Bored now
Potentially the most unnecessary inclusion on this list yet. Nobody needs to listen to this before or after death
it was fine i got kinda bored
This is not as bad as its predecessor, but still...
To me, this album sounded like something between punk rock and Shoegaze, not as drone as something like my bloody valentine, but it still has that quality of the vocals sneaking through a wall of guitar distortion. The last track was an unexpected change of pace, it sounded more heartfelt like a Beatles song, so I appreciated the versatility. Overall, this was decent 5/10
Not really my cup of tea. Track 9, in particular: who needs that? (lol) So, between a 2 and a 3 for me, and I guess I lean slightly toward 2. (As an aside, I like band member Lou Barlow's spin-off band, Sebadoh, somewhat better.) Trying to think of something else to say about this one. Was kind of a fresh sound, I guess, at the time. If they'd had a better Track 9, might have been a 3, but, as is, I'm sticking with a 2.
Track #9 "Don't" was my favorite for leaning into the mess, and the transition to Track #10 is a funny contrast. While I appreciate some of the guitar work, and I imagine it was pretty cool in '88, once you've heard a few high school bands it's hard to be impressed by this sound. There isn't enough contrast. My ears get lost in the wash of guitar distortion
That was something
Hit me like discount Green Day. And then discount Incubus. Or discount Nirvana. It might have preceded all of those. But a lesser iteration, in my opinion. Didn't like the screamo track.
Not sure why this is on the list, there's not much to it though it does feel like a precursor to emo rock (I never had an emo phase). The compositions are fine but nothing stand out here. Also seems like at the end they remembered they were meant to be a screamo band.
Hard rock bruyant saturé
Pfff… je me suis fait chier honnêtement ça va dans tous les sens J’aurais sans doute apprécié à une époque ou alors mieux en concert
2.5
I do like a bit of grunge, and I also like Dinosaur Jr. maybe I just wasn’t into it today but nothing really stuck out for me. The Dynamics are really flat. They got better after this album in my opinion.
Kinda generic rock, kinda not my genre. Quite forgettable.
might just be me but it feels too forced, lyrics and sound and singing overall sound like they are trynna be different
More English punk
Borderline un-listenable in parts but I made it to the end somehow
I'm from a time a place where I'm supposed to like Dinosaur Jr. But I don't really.
2.5/5. Didn’t do a lot for me especially when thinking of other Dinosaur Jr. albums such as “you’re living all over me.” Which is a shame because I typically quite like late 80’s/early 90’s indie rock.
#245/1001. A band that is angrier than Nirvana for one song and less angry in 9 songs.
I liked Freak Scene and Pond Song, but the rest of the album I found either just okay or annoying, with Don't being physically painful to listen to.
Generally a D Jr fan, but this one didn’t do it for me. 2.5
I thought this was just fine, a bit generic, but by no means terrible. But then Don't came on and I really struggled with making it through that song.
It’s a very generic, noisy indie rock album. I feel like I've already heard it 10 times during this challenge because it lacks any real uniqueness. It reminds me of 1977 by Ash. I only enjoyed the first track and nothing more. Looking back, I don’t remember anything from the album except the opening song. I’ll be generous and rate it… 2/5 —————————————— Liked: — Freak Scene
2.5/5
Clearly an influence for some of the modern day punk/grunge/emo I listen to outside of this challenge, but doesn’t connect for me. I could do without the full song of incomprehensible yelling. I appreciate what they were doing, but I won’t be listening again
Hard to get through, the vocals are oppressively bad.
The whiniest lead singer voice I’ve encountered since being forced to listen to Simple Plan as a teenager. This album is not for me.
i think if i’d listened to this at a different time in my life i would’ve really enjoyed it
Ok to pretty ok at times. But Don’t is a terrible track. That and a few other noise sections might drop this to a 2 for me.
Songs mostly sounded the same to me; too scream-y
When you want to be in a rock band but not appear like you care about being in a rock band
Meh