Reviews (page 2 of 7)
By now, everyone probably knows that Sonic Youth wrote "Teen Age Riot" about a world where J Mascis was President. They became fans of the band after seeing the band play in NYC a few times; that's how Lee Ranaldo ended up singing backing vocals on the opening track. But I think it's worth pointing out that SY put out two albums after befriending Dinosaur Jr. It's the third album, however - the album written and recorded in the immediate aftermath of You're Living All Over Me - that features the iconic ode to J Mascis. That's because this album is a defining statement, where the band found their signature sound after an uneven, unimpressive debut album. YLAOM is an album so beloved, and so central to every Dinosaur Jr. album that came after, that when I saw the band perform a homecoming show in the Pioneer Valley in 2014, 7 of the final 9 songs of the set were selections from it. And who was ten feet to my right the entire show? Kim Gordon herself.
Absolute masterpiece of noise, rock, lo-fi (??!!!), scream..wow
The only other time I've listened to this band was when I got Bug on this generator. I don't remember much about it but I gave it 2* so can't have liked it much. This however is brilliant! Really really enjoyed it, obviously won't be for everyone but the whole thing is great. Will need to go back to their other stuff to see if any of it is as good as this. Fav tracks: Sludgefeast, Raisans, In a Jar
I really enjoyed this album. Early hardcore that might be better labeled as part of the transition from punk to grunge. And with a name like Dinosaur Jr, what’s not to like?
Loved the album. Shoegaze originals. For me it's a 9 out 10
The first time I listened to this album, I honestly left with the thought that, like ... there should have been more? Like, for what I was reading was such an important and "greatest of all time" album in alternative and indie rock, and for what was apparently such an important predecessor to grunge ... I'unno, I just felt like it didn't leave me with much I wanted to comment on. In fact, I didn't even try to write a review the day I heard it. What you're reading is something I'm writing during my **second** listen-through, some days later. And for this album, I honestly think it's a good thing I gave it a second chance. Whereas with my first listen I had such high, lofty expectations, this time ... well, I could appreciate it more for what it is. And what it is is that it's a damn rockin' album. Like, my first time through, I was expecting a lot more abrasiveness. And it certainly does pop up in spots — the noise at the end of "Tarpits" is a little, y'know, "hoo boy." But the rest? I mean, jeez, this thing came out in the 80's? And '87 at that — four years before the 90's started (with the release of the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single, of course)! This is some grunge-ass grunge for the 80's. With a little twist of R.E.M. in there, too, for good measure? It's not a combination I ever would've thought to hear on this album, but, yeah — it's great! Seriously, nearly my entire second listen I was just bopping my knee along to the music and feeling bad about the fact that I didn't give this album more credit. Seriously, "The Lung"? Oh, "The Lung" fuckin' **rocks**. And so does the song that opens up side two, "Raisans". I can't remember the last album my group's gotten that was tagged as "indie" (and, to be fair, this album is more alternative than indie), but seriously, this has got to be the most I've liked an indie rock album in a while. The guitars are, aaaahh, just so good and metal-adjacent and — woof, the solo on "Raisans" is **tasty**. Good shit! But if you wanna talk about expectations, then I needa quickly bring up the closer, "Poledo". At the same time, it's both closer to what I expected the album would sound like and not something I would've thought I'd hear on here. It's weird, experimental, abrasive at points ... and honestly kind of off-putting? A fellow group member of mine referred to this song as an audio creepypasta, and, yeah, that's exactly the vibe here. It's the track on here I'd say I'm honestly the most impressed by, though absolutely it'd be the one I'd skip on any future re-listens. It's just not something I'd wanna listen to on a regular basis — and I think in this case I mean that as a very good thing in this album's favor. But, yeah: that's this Dinosaur Jr. album. Once again, I'm glad I gave it a second shot, 'coz there really is a lot to love about it — and a pretty good simple reason, too. I guess I should take this album as a lesson in not letting my expectations get the better of me ... but I know I'd probably forget it by the next album I listen to. For the time, I'm just happy to know that this didn't meet mine.
Some damn good 80's alternative. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’m going to just bump up to a 5 on account of just how fascinating “Poledo” is as an album closer. The Wikipedia page for this album made it pretty apparent this would cover a whole slew of subgenres of rock & grunge (especially shoegaze), and for 1987, this thing feels like an incredibly strong preview of the trends that would make up the early 90s. When people talk about “80s songs that sound like 90s songs”, they need to point to this album immediately. I love the way this whole thing sounds, although there is the pretty obvious elephant in the room to address, and it’s why I’m at a 4.5 that I very nearly bumped down to a 4. This thing does way too much on two specific tracks: the opening/closing guitar of “Little Fury Things”, which is a great opener otherwise, and the ending of “Tarpit”, which feels like a fucking tornado hit the studio and they just happened to be recording. Tarpit is a good track too; it feels the most like a mid-90s grunge track for almost all of its runtime, and then the last minute just decides to make your ears feel some kind of torture. It’s harsh, it’s abrasive, and it rivals that one part from the final 2 minutes of “Seasick” off of “Penance Soiree” in terms of absolutely dreadful noise to fill your ears with. However, because it’s shorter and fades itself in, almost working hand-in-hand with the melting vocals, I think it’s not as bad. It’s just a bit overtweaked. When this thing isn’t too loud for my tastes, it’s REALLY good, especially once the album hits a peak by the 1-2 punch of “The Lung” & “Raisans”, which I think have infectious energy that you can only really feel while listening to it. So much of this album fits within the DNA of R.E.M.’s style, but with the extra kick & edge that would make grunge more prevalent by the early 90s. I’m not saying our lead vocalist here is Michael Stipe or anything; he’s very shaky at points, occasionally a little off-beat, and not as confident as he could be, but he gets the job done, and usually sounds pretty solid all the same. Since the instrumentation is the star here, his vocals are just texture work, and it’s a fine texture at worst, and a pretty damn good one at best. So, what’s the hype about “Poledo” that bumps this up to a 5 for me? It’s just a fascinating track for 1987 in terms of the overall sound design. The sudden static & harsher tones that interrupt the track evoke a genuine sense of unsettling eeriness. I’ve never been jumpscared by an album like that before, I think. It feels totally cinematic in a way that hasn’t been captured by any of the previous 603 albums we’ve gotten so far, and it’s just so thematically different from the rest of the album that I can’t help but admire it. It feels like a fucking creepypasta, in the best way, down to the abrupt cutoff at the end. It’s enough to bump the whole album up to a 5 for me; just *barely*, mind you, but there’s truly no bad tracks here to my ears, just some overly harsh parts that drag the experience down a bit. I think it’s a hell of a preview for 1987, and when I was really in the groove with the album, I felt the same sort of “in sync zen state” feeling I had with bands like Nirvana, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, and more, though not as potently throughout the whole thing. Regardless, I think it’s worth the bump up, and even if I didn’t bump it, I’d still highly recommend it as a progenitor to all the rock trends of the 90s, and just a fun time once you get past its harshest moments. I’m glad it’s on the list, and I enjoyed it a lot. A thumbs up from me, and a 4.5 bumped up to a 5.
You’re cumming all over me
Yes please!
I'm more of a Sonic Youth guy but nothing to complain about with these raucous noisy jams.
Now this is what this generator is for, albums that are innovative and influential. DJ are so ahead of their time it's crazy. This album rocks so fucking hard. This album holds up so well with its contemporaries (Daydream Nation, Surfer Rosa, Bleach, etc). Bonus points for being just the right amount of weird. 9/10 but I'm giving it a 5 star on here
Oh this is very much in my bag. Thank you 1001 albums for blessing me with this lo-fi classic.
10/10 Ill take any excuse to listen to more Dinosaur Jr haha
Well, I loved the shit out of this album. Never heard of Dinosaur Jr. but they seem right up my alley.
incredibly easy 5 stars. incredible guitar tone and diverse song writing. i’ve heard absolutely nothing like it
high-key sounds great, love the first track so far EPIC, PEAK ASF!!!!
Ok.
One of the goats
Nobody was doing what Dino did in the 80's and nobody's been able to do what Dino did in the 90's. They were really unique and even if they were influencial in the grunge scene, they never really fitted with the gang because J's such a shredder.
My introduction to Dinosaur Jr was in 1993 or 4, by way of the Wayne’s World 2 soundtrack, where the song “Out There” was included. As a 13 year old, it was mind blowing and might have been the greatest riff and guitar solo I had ever heard. It was like I had seen God…a total revelation. The things that J Mascis was doing with his guitar seemed like they were beyond the capabilities of any mere mortal and “Out There” was a veritable showcase of his talents. 30 plus years later, I still consider it one of the greatest songs of all time and maybe the most overlooked single of the alternative era. That song should be immensely popular. I didn’t really get into Your Living All Over Me or Bug until a few years down the line. I don’t think I was quite ready to appreciate the band that Dinosaur Jr started off as when I was 13. The noise, the reckless abandon…I wasn’t there yet. But when it clicked, it clicked hard. You’re Living All Over Me is an American indie classic. The noise, the aggression, the incredible guitar work from J Mascis…Dinosaur Jr helped lay the groundwork for the alternative explosion of the 90’s and influenced some of the biggest bands of the era. It’s a stone cold classic.
Noisy but musical, sludgy but coherent. I love this album
- Pure bangers from start to finish. A lush soundscape of guitars and pained vocals with occasional harsh but electrifying overtones. - Impossible to hear this and not see exactly where grunge would emerge. That entire movement sounds like it might as well just be this sound. - Hard for me to identify many "best of" tracks (which is usually a negative), but I am so engaged by the whole thing that I cannot complain. I would probably lean toward "Little Fury Things," "Sludgefest," "Tarpit", and "In a Jar." - "Poledo" is mesmerizing.
Majestic
Enjoying it way more than I remember liking this album. The guitars are great - superb really. I like the songs. The lyrics are a bunch of old nonsense. That sort of, “meh, there are some words and vowels and it sounds like I’m saying something… good enough”.
One of my all time favorites. Incredible album. Pure raw emotion. J Mascis’s guitar style is so unique, it’s like equal parts punk rock aggression and Neil Young meanderings. The songs are energetic but also somehow detached and disaffected. Screeching lead guitar lines just tear through your heart. Ah, and they do all of that while not really taking anything seriously and keeping sort of a slacker aesthetic. I’m honestly not sure what this sounds like to somebody who doesn’t know and love the band. For me it’s a personal top 50, maybe even top 20. Love this album to death. It’s also very influential on grunge and modern indie rock, the lo fi jazzmaster guitar sound is here, the vocal style is here, it’s all here. Five stars.
This album meant so much to me in my college years
Epic
This is my second Dinosaur Jr. album in the last couple weeks. "Bug" served as a reminder to a great band I hadn't listened to in far too long. This record is undeniably their best record and I love it so much, even the Lou Barlow bits to the close the record. It's a classic and an easy 5 stars for me.
This is one of those albums that I love and makes me want to sit down with my 15yo and explain to her how important it is to listen to all the influential bands around before she listens to more Nirvana.
Good music and lyrics.
Grown to love this a lot over the years and this listen it *really* clicked with me. Feels like proto-shoegaze in a lot of ways. Every song just has this grimy wall of sound that is so overwhelming yet works so perfectly. The Cure cover is obviously amazing, and was my first exposure to Dino Jr when my brother showed me the music video when I was 13 years old. Poledo is a notable weak point of the album, but it is very obviously influential to Lil Ugly Mane’s *Volcanic Enemy Bird…*, which is also one of the greatest albums of all time. Impossible to hate on it.
in terms of cover and title, one of the best ever. in terms of music, really freakin' awesome
Classic, love this one. I should listen to it more, but I guess it makes it hit even harder when it's been a while between listens, so 🤷
Didn't know what to expect - and then when I started listening, it turns out I still didn't! Lots of variation in this album, but all fitting. Really enjoyed it. Some heavy moments, some classical, and a lot of Spike vibes (90s grunge, ahead of its time). Would just like to know if so many tracks are actually meant to cut off so abruptly or if spotify has messed them up
It's like they knew exactly how to push my buttons on this album. Make the guitars all loud and fuzzy, don't care so much about making it sound perfect but instead make it sound like they're just going balls out on every song. It's full of energy.
So good
The start was a little rough for me, but thankfully the rest of the album was nothing like it. It's a little bit rougher than the music I usually listen to, but I really liked it. I'll be sure to check out more music like this. Fav song: The Lung
Amazing albulm. Some of the coolest lofi production ever. Favorite Song: In A Jar
my jam
This was a perfect execution of his kind of music. It's not my favorite thing in the world personally, but Dinosaur Jr. did a hell of a job here. I can recognize their influence in tons of bands including Nirvana and the Drive-By-Truckers. "Just Like Heaven" was a great cover and the guitar work on "The Lung" was exceptional as well. Gotta go with a five.
yes
- Bin grad bisschen geflashed und fands meeega interessant - Kannte Dinosaur Jr. nur vom Namen und wusste, dass die innerhalb der Alternative Szene als ziemlich einflussreich wahrgenommen werden. Ich verstehe jetzt warum. Die wirken sehr ahead of their Time. Wir reden hier von Mitte der 80er - die Songs könnten aber definitiv auch auf etlichen Alben der einschlägigen 90s Bands kommen. - Ehrlich gesagt klingen die wie die lo-fi Version der ersten Foo Fighters Platten. - Das ist auch mein größtes Dilemma mit der Platte. Ich finde dieser Lof-Fi Sound ist zum einen irgendwie charmant und auf jeden Fall ein Alleinstellungsmerkmal und ich mag sowas besonderes. Und ja, es ist schließlich auch Noiserock. Auf der anderen Seite denke ich mir: OMG wie guuuut wären die Songs in hoher Audioqualität und habe den Drang mein Kopfhörerkabel zu checken oder zu gucken, ob das AUX-Kabel richtig steckt... - Hätte es nicht diesen starken Lo-Fi Charakter, könnte es eine B-Seite vom Selftitled Foo Fighters Album sein. Und ich liiiiieeeeebe dieses Album über alles. Da wird Dave sicher eine ganze Menge seiner Inspiration hergezogen haben. U.a. haben auch Kurt Kobain, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Mudhoney und andere Dinosaur Jr. als großen Einfluss angeführt. - Wunderschöne Riffs, schöne Gesangsmelodien (wenn auch oft schief, aber stört mich hier null, ist roh), treibende Drums. - Finde fast jeden Song geil - Ich finde die ganzen Artworks von denen riiichtig geil!! Hat einfach was sehr eigenes. - Fühlt sich auf jeden Fall an wie ein richtig geiler Geheimtipp. So eine Band, wo man sich als Nerd in der Szene ein Shirt holen könnte. - Die Hi-Fi Version (so sehr sie sicher an Charakter verloren hätte), hätte ggf. eine 5/5 von mir bekommen. Bin ob der Pionierleistung beeindruckt, kenne einfach stilistisch nichts aus der Zeit, was so klingt - und ich meine wie gesagt nicht den Noise-Part, sondern Melodien, Drive, Riffs, Style. Die waren ihrer Zeit echt einige Jahre voraus. - Dann noch ein The Cure Cover als kleine Kirsche auf der Torte. Bam. Häppy. Rating: 4,5/5
A quintessential garage band, Dinosaur Jr is a little heavier than I expected them to be, only knowing Feel the Pain before this. The music takes many unexpected turns that make this album standout amongst so many similar albums that I've been given and I like it significantly more for that. My favorite is by far SludgeFeast, this song rocked. The whiney chorus sandwhiches an awesome solo and bridge that might be one of my favorite in this whole list so far. I was thinking of giving this 4 stars, but listening to SludgeFeast again while writing this is going to bump it up.
This album was a blueprint for what was to come in the '90s. Not all groundbreaking records are truly amazing, but this one absolutely is. I just love it!
Love J. Marcus melodic riffs / grungy / fuzzy wah wah guitar and plaintive vocals. Just Like Heaven cover is perfect.
Another great album from Dinosaur Jr
Deserves to be played as loud as you can stand. And enjoy every minute of the noise. Great album
This was great. Honestly hard to believe this is from late 80s
Yes! I love this album. Probably in my top 10 of all time.
Amazon
Though often intertwined in the foundations and underpinnings of successful movements, slacker laziness is never appreciated. I struggle to think of musicians less ambitious than J. Mascis. Music from Dinosaur Jr. only got better from here and in 2025, was the highlight of a recent show despite being the opening act.
Albumi #33, 30.08.2024 Dinosaur Jr.:n toinen albumi vuodelta 1987. Ehdotonta parhautta. Dinosaurin diskografiassa on muutama helmi ja tämä levy menee ehdottamisti noiden joukkoon. Tämä on vaihtoehtorockin kulmakiviä ja poikkeuksellisen kova suoritus tuohon aikakauteen.
I just love it so much Dino Jr. 4eva ✌🏻
never knew about this, but it was awesome!
One of my favourite albums, sludgy petty noises.
Like an undiscovered Nirvana album. Where was this my whole life?
No where to collapse the lung Breathes a doubt in everyone
Very noisy, very energetic. Setting the blueprint for other influential bands that followed
Fun!
Dinosaurier Jr
I was obsessed with Dinosaur Jr. - when I was pregnant I went to see them and I knew every word- they meant so much to me - I was coming of age during the time before Nirvana and loved all the American hardcore bands - then got into the Pixies and stuff - I can’t stand the Pixies now- it sounds so contrived and I hate the lyrics but I’ll never stop loving Dinosaur Jr
A banger of an album, notwithstanding the slightly unneccesary cover of Cure perfection at the end.
This was honestly better than I thought I’d be. Kinda wanna give it a 5. Fuck it.
J Mascis is a guitar god. Love the noise on this record too. Also gotta love those abrupt endings and the funny cover of Just Like Heaven. Great fucking album
Dinosaur Jr. is one of those bands I never paid much attention to until the last few years. For some reason, I always thought they sounded much different than what I discovered once I finally gave them a chance. When I started listening, I was shocked by all the distortion and feedback that define their trademark sound, and the raw punk energy in some of their tracks really caught me off guard. Overall, their format features melodic, prominent bass lines with a wall of distorted feedback and noise layered on top, giving it a raw and gritty edge. Despite this, I also view Dinosaur Jr. as a good beginner’s guide to noise rock. Even though they’re raw, noisy, gritty, and filled with feedback, they balance it out with an element of refinement.
Wow. The only song I had heard in the 90s was “Feel the Pain” so I hadn’t heard their other material. I instantly connected to this anlbum after the first three. The group vocals on track 1 were a nice feel, the fuzz guitar on Kracked was SO good. They’re fantastic at the fuzz. The noise at the end on Tarpit, the exploding solo on Kracked at 1ish.
Lol whoa, is that really how Just Like Heaven ends?? Just learned this wasn't a The Cure song! Loved this album. I'd only ever heard Kracked prior from a Toy Machine video. I was born in 1987. Getting lost in a daydream of what life would be like if my folks were Dino Jr fans
The only thing I hate about this album is how late it arrived in my life. It is perfect. Can you imagine listening to it when it was released around the late 80s? You'd be the coolest person in your city.
It's like being smothered by a blanket made of psychedelic concrete. I think my love for this album is multifaceted. Without this, we don't get My Bloody Valentine and shoegaze. We don't get a band like Nirvana, and most of the nineties more than likely. It's also just... beautifully noisy. It sounds so loose, but every note feels like it is where it needs to be. Bite me. I've seen Dinosaur Jr. before and enjoyed them, but man, maybe I should've just listened to them before. Favorite tracks: "Sludgefeast", "Tarpit"
Grunge at its finest.
Never saw the appeal here as a mid 90s teen. Amazing how prospective changes. I'm a big noise rock fan now and this is nothing less than a seminal entry in to grunge catalog. This is super melodic and filthy at the same time.
When I heard this album all those years back, I couldn't do too much with it (that voice!) and it started to feel a bit boring after the 4th song. So where I followed bands like The Melvins, this band never stayed really with me. But I'm glad I now gave it a second listen. And then a third. And at the time of writing this, now my fifth. And I'm completely converted. The lo-fi wall of rock noise jumps straight into your living room, the unpolished but virtuoso solos are making you sit up and an immense creativity in the songwriting just adds to it. Even the voice adds to the sound. What a landmark in rock history!
I managed to miss this band because my weird brain had somehow merged them with Jurassic 5 (I guess there is a prehistoric theme going on there...). When I read 'Dinosaur Jr', my brain instantly gave me "playground tactics, no rabbit in a hat tricks..." So quite surprised to put on the album and hear noise rock rather than hip hop! A good surprise though - I listened to it three times in a row and will definitely check out their other stuff.
Great album. Used to listen to Dinosaur Jr way back when but never had this album - feel like going back in time to tell myself to fuck whatever else I was listening at that point and to go and buy this album
"You're Living All Over Me" is the second srudio album by American alternative band Dinosaur Jr. A good description of the music is "drawling vocals with loud guitars and driving rhythms." Critics have hailed this album as a high point in American rock at this time connecting 80's alternative rock to the grunge and shoegazes genres. The band is J Mascis (guitars, vocals), Lou Barlow (bass, vocals) and Murph (drums). A wha-wah swirling and fuzzy guitar open "Little Fury Things." Echoes screams sounding like they're underwater. The song's meaning is blurry but maybe about a stalker. On "Sludgefeast," J Mascis layers his distorted, feedback infested guitars. Deep bass and drums. You couldn't get this from the title but he's trying to connect with a girl. "The Lung" was the first Dinosaur Jr. song I heard. It sounds great. A bass start, melodic guitars and then it takes off fast. Various guitar solos and breaks. I have no idea what this is about. "In a Jar" has a quick drum opening. The bass and rhythm guitar carrying the melody. Interesting lyrics as it tells the relationship of a pet and human from the pet's perspective. The last song "Poledo" has Lou Barlow on lead vocals and the ukulele. There's handclaps and the song breaks down midway through and we get 2 1/2 minutes of feedback and weird noises. Maybe, it's their attempt at pyschedelia. This album is lo-fi, slacker and raw and I love it. Mascis' guitar takes off at just about any time. He uses lots of feedback and distortion: hence, the influence on shoegaze. I know I mentioned this on the "Bug" review but Barlow and Murph are more than able to keep up with Mascis and sometimes steal the song. A hard call, but definitely up near the top of Dinosaur Jr.'s catalog.
Love love love. See my thoughts on the last Dino Jr record we did. Wow can you imagine if we get even more Dino Jr on this list? What a treat.
Mmmmm... wooshy guitars. Mmmmmm lofi recordings. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm the most delicious type of noise.
Fun pick
You can hear grunge being born on this album. Amazing.
Noisy in a good way. The Pixies and The Beavis Frond come to mind. This is the first album so far in this list I've listened to more than once. The cover of Just Like Heaven might be my favorite version of the song I've ever heard.
Dinosaur Jr.'s 2nd album is perhaps the best album of the. Even better than the upcoming brilliant 'Bug' it still is one of the best albums of the late 80s. Simply a beauty after all these years.
Know it
Little Fury Things is worth a five on its own. The blueprint of all good rock of the last three decades. Admittedly I seldom listen to the whole thing, but the opening five tracks are top damn notch
This is everything I like in rock music in a neat little package. It’s loud it’s noisy it’s melodic & it’s not afraid to get experimental. This album will always be a favorite of mine
Sensational album. I've been aware of Dinosaur Jr. for a long time, even catching a bit of their set at Download Festival many years ago, but I've never actually sat down and listened to their stuff. Turns out it's excellent. Who knew?
Wow, just immediately floors me every time. everything on this record is insane from minute one, going from gorgeous proto-shoegaze to hardcore punk (that drumming!). only down spot is poledo, but ive come to like it over time. love this album.
I'm a little obsessed with this one. Very Nirvana
This album is fantastic. Loved every minute of it. I've known about Dinosuar Jr for a long time but never gave them a proper listen, that was a mistake.
Incredible experience. I can only imagine how amazing it would have been to hear these guys live in 1987 back when this album was new.
Love J
One of the GOATs
Hell yeah Dinosaur Jr. Fantastic indie shit
Enjoyed this one. Heavy guitar distortion and messy sound. Sounds like it could be a lot more recent than 1987, showing how influential their music was in indie/rock scene. Reminds me of early Biffy Clyro which I love. Highlight was Little Fury Things + bonus points for the Just Like Heaven cover.
Perfect blend of noise with enough hooks to get you through.
Dinosaur Jr are incredible. Elements of so much stuff I like is present here. I only know a few of their songs really but they're so good. This is a great listen. Just as with Sebadoh I'm going to have to give this and Bug several more listens.
Love the rawness, this will grow on me over time. Wish I ran across this back when I graduated high school.
An eternal banger
When you've been listening to an album for years that has shaped your taste in indie rock, how do you give an accurate review? I saw Dinosaur Jr live in late 2021. In preparation, I listened to all their major and recent albums. And as consistent as they are in their discography, nothing could top this game-changer. Every track here has had an impact on me, and I can still sing along to J's whiny voice on half of these songs. These songs rock hard, with a lo-fi grungy guitar that takes the forefront, unlike most other forms of rock at the time, and their experimental use of the lead guitar would influence later indie rock. It's melodic and complex, with songs going through many stages. I can name 10 memorable moments from many of these songs to the point where I always have something to look forward to on every repeat. Even the least memorable track "Lose" is still a fun and wild track with an incredible chorus near the end. The whole album is a wild experience. Just listen to how they transition between songs like "Kracked" to "Sludgefeast." They give you no time at all, and several of them are like like this, getting straight to the action with a memorable noisy hook. It's one of those albums that comes off as abrasive but after listening to it many times, you can pick out all the channels and it becomes dreamy and calming. Kevin Shields took a lot of inspiration in the development of shoegaze, and you can hear it in many songs like "Tarpit." Would I kill to hear a full version of "Just Like Heaven"? Yes, but also it's hilarious they also do the abrupt stop to close their concerts.
Can't beat that review that says that this LP is "like the Rosetta Stone for MBV and Nirvana in some ways". Of course, Jay Mascis' voice is downright terrible at times (his singing got better in subsequent releases, fortunately). But the guitar work is just so fascinating and extreme, and both are part of that formula that pointed the way towards the spontaneity of "alternative" nineties as a welcome reaction to the all-too glossy aesthetics of eighties. And this, three years before said nineties even started. Besides, I feel that there are not too many albums from 1987 that truly deserve a 5-star grade for their artistic accomplishments. There are Sonic Youth's *Sister*, Depeche Mode' *Music For The Masses*, Prince's *Sign 'O The Times* or The Cure's *Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me*. Therefore, I'm happy to add *Your Living All Over Me* to that short list. Number of albums left to review: 664 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 164 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 78 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 93
I listened to this at the exact perfect moment in my life
My favourite album so far since I joined this. Familiar with later DR stuff but this is entirely new on me and I loved every second. They nail the whole distorted lofi indie rock while still being melodic. I use the word ‘influential’ a lot on these little reviews, but it’s difficult not to hear bands that followed (like Pavement, Built to Spill, Grandaddy, Dismemberment Plan etc.) take influence from this. Totally class.
Never heard of these before. Would've absolutely loved them when I was a teenager, surprised I hadn't heard them before. Haven't had enough stuff like this on this list so far so they're getting a high score... Too much classic rock! Kinda early grunge I guess? You'd think they influenced Nirvana by the sound of them. Thought Sludgefeast, the lung, raisans and lose were the best tracks. The cover of just like heaven wasn't bad either. I'm going to listen to more of these, seems they were more punk earlier on.
Brilliant, with a clear influence on many of my favourite bands - most obviously nirvana but also Biffy and pavement.
I love Dinosaur Jr., and this is a great album, especially the cover of Just Like Heaven.
Classic Dinosaur Jr album, I never liked it as much as I liked Bug, but in particular the prototype shoegaze elements are great and it is still a 5-star album of course.
The blueprint for so much 90s rock.
Loved this one. Great guitar work all over it. You can also hear the roots of late nineties to mid 00s emo/screamo/indie rock bands on an album like this. Closing it out with a cheeky The Cure cover is the cherry on top of this one.
Un gran disco de una banda influyente del grunge, un sonido muy particular que esta entre los 80 y los 90, uno de los temas que me gusto más es The Lung.
This was the first Dinosaur Jr record I heard so it set the standard high for their subsequent releases and this remains my favourite album of theirs. It's loud, noisy and it hits hard. It's not a perfect record by any stretch, but it came at a time when alternative music was starting to get attention, pre-grunge, pre-Nirvana and it gave me hope that music was more than pretty faces, pretty songs and pretty boring music. I still listen to this album, a lot and if you do, play it loud, loud LOUD!
who is itttt
Their album Bug had a bigger impact on me back in the day, but this was is also a masterpiece.
De naam van de band kende ik van horen, maar nog niet echt bewust naar hun muziek geluisterd. Maar de loeiende gitaren met veel distortion vielen goed in de smaak
It's good. In a Jar is probably my favorite.
Favourite band, favourite record of theirs!
Slaps
Great
Really enjoyed it and will listen to some of their other albums.
Roar
Otro de mis discos favoritos. Llevamos una buena racha de buenos discos, después de varias cosas que fueron muy WTF porque están en esta lista, pinche mediocridad.
Perturbador do jeitin que eu gosto!!!
Gran álbum, ya no me acuerdo quién me había recomendado Dinosaur Jr., pero es todo el ruido que SÍ me gusta. "Little Fury Things", "In a Jar" y "Just Like Heaven" mis favs por ahora. "Poledo" se pone de miedo, pero igual gran mood. 10/10
It’s rarely talked about how ahead of their time Dinosaur Jr. sounds. Sounds straight out of the 90s, DNA filled with genres like Midwest Emo that hadn’t really existed yet. One of the more interesting 80’s alternative rock bands. Ending of the album was quite something. Fav tracks: Little Fury Things, The Lung, Poledo
The most aggressive sludge metal, sometimes seems like they get so deep in a groove they forget to add lyrids
Cool album that definitely sounds a little ahead of its time.
Wow. This came out in 1987, but it sounds 5-8 years in the future. You can hear the marriage of early REM metaphorical lyrics and Sabbath sludge guitars. Alternative rock, from early grunge to guitar-heavy noise all trace their DNA to this album.
Ganz cool 🦖🦕
Yep, classic grunge rock. Time capsule of the time.
I still remember the first time I heard this album. I was 17 and just getting into listening to/collecting music as a hobby. I really quickly latched onto Noise Rock and similar because I heard Attempted Martyr by Prostitute and thought that was the craziest thing I ever heard. Incredible album, by the way. Anyways, Dinosaur Jr. and Daughters were the two bands I REALLY gravitated towards in the Noise Rock sphere. You're Living All Over Me really stuck out to me, if nothing else just for how lo-fi it sounds, same with Daughters' self-titled album. Since I'm just naming artists that are loosely related to these guys, if you like this sound, check out Big Black, The Jesus Lizard, and This Heat, along with the other bands I mentioned and probably will mention. That's enough rambling about a few years ago. The music is great. It's a really good album to give to someone that wants to get into more experimental music without diving headfirst into the really weird stuff like I did (add White Suns and Neutral Milk Hotel to that list of bands you'd like if you like this), mostly for how weird it's willing to get while still keeping a sound that's at least familiar enough to a Nirvana fan's ears to not throw them off completely. I like how totally off-the-walls the guitar sound is at any given moment. It ranges anywhere from a slightly distorted Foo Fighters riff to an approximation of the gates of hell opening and sounds like both at some point in nearly every song. I'm gonna cut myself off before I end up writing an essay. I've probably heard this album a triple-digit number of times before this list. Check out any of the bands I named if you like this, they're where I went after this.
Love this period of Dinosaur Jr. and this era of SST records
Pleasantly surprised to see this on the list. Mind blowing when it came out since it was so different than everything else “popular” at the time. I felt it was a return back to basic rock, although more complex than that. J. Mascis is a genius. Odd this wasn’t in constant rotation. Looking back, this was the band I wanted to be. Influenced so many for years to come.
Loud music done right! Great stuff!!
Guter solider Rock mit Grunge Elementen
Very good. Good noisy, good tunes. Kracked was great, Poledo less so, and good to hear the 1989 student indie disco fave Just Like Heaven as a bonus track.
Dinosaur Jr. has been one of the most interesting 'new band' discoveries on this list as they had completely dodged my knowledge up until a year ago. Having listened to both their albums now (that being the ones in this list, not of their entire discography) I'm genuinely keen on going out and listening more. Fav tracks: Kracked, Sludgefeast, Raisans, Tarpit
I really enjoyed this album. Grunge was my formative musical years and I was introduced to DJR via the triple j hottest 100 where feel the pain ranked highly in 2993. But beyond this I hadn’t really heard a whole lot. They clearly were prolific but producing mainly consistent album tracks rather than singles. This is pre- grunge but you can hear all the elements. Almost like they were waiting for grunge .. and the world … to catch up to the sound they were already perfecting. Some of the song arrangements are rather raw and there was clearly some refinement into their 90’s albums, but it’s all there. 4.5 stars (but 4 on this site!)
7/10 Pretty good, didn't like the final song though
#142/1001 🇺🇸 A great excuse to revisit this album which i'm guilty of overlooking by listening to their next 3 albums. Perfection in impeefections. Best Tracks: The Lung, In a Jar, Raisans.
Early alternative music from the 80s. I was aware of Dinosaur Jr in the 90s when I was really into alternative, but because it was the 90s, I didn't have access to a whole lot of music. Mostly I had random recordings from the local college station because I didn't have a lot of extra cash to spend on music. Here's my "kids these days" moment, because I have kids and they have no idea how great they have it to have instant access to almost any music recording they could think of. Lucky ducks. But back to this album. I thought the vocals were gravelly and out of tune at times but it was perfect for the vibe. I guess I'm just a big enjoyer of alternative music because the flaws I noticed on this album just added to my enjoyment of it. I think there was one track that I didn't like as much but otherwise it was really good.
favs: just like heaven
250526 20:08 3.5 lee ranaldo mentioned 😋
Dude... Why did no one tell me Dinosaur Jr. was this good? This album rules! Dinosaur Jr. are another one of those bands that didn't really see a ton of success themselves, but influenced a ton of bands who did. They're one of those "your favorite band's favorite band" type of bands, you know? You're Living All Over Me is generally considered to be their best album, and I can see why. This thing is cool as hell and I love it. This album sounds pretty ahead of its time in many ways. The album released in 1987, but it fits right at home with early 90s alt-rock, which is awesome! The album's definitely on the noisier side of this sort of music, but the sense of melody is still very present throughout the album. Songs like "Little Fury Things" and "Sludgefeast" are genuine earworms and they're great. J Mascis isn't the most impressive vocalist, but he gets the job done pretty well. The songwriting has the kind of moodiness that would eventually go on to define the grunge scene. I will say that the closer "Poledo" is a little avant-garde for my taste, but it's a very bold way to end the album, I'll give it that. This album is just so cool! I can absolutely see why this is on a list like this. I love it. High 4/5.
There are some incredible songs on this album, particularly the first one, "Little Fury Things." However, there are also some songs that, while not bad, disrupt the overall flow and feeling of the album. So, it's still a great album that is a landmark, but I can't quite give it 5 stars, as it doesn't stay consistent enough for me to call it a nearly-perfect album.
1001 albums to hear before you're not living all over. 102# It's not the most polished mixing or production, buttt the rock ROCKSS! loved its intensity. loud. this is my typa thing. mr. dinosaur was cooking real early, this was released in 1987? damn
A band that I have dabbled with in the past, and one that I was too quick to write off as the sort of noisy, pretentious "too cool to care" rock that wasn't much for me. I don't know precisely what's changed in the intervening period of a couple of years (I have gained a much greater fondness of slacker rock/slowcore, the former of which this very much leans into), but this landed really well for me today - so much so that I'd very much consider making a purchase. It's an entirely unstable affair in that you never know whether it's going to swell into gargantuan, anthemic alt-rock territory, or collapse in on itself under the weight of its own distortion and fuzz pedals. It's a clever and tonally detached experience, whilst there is also a frantic foundation bubbling underneath to simultaneously reel the songs back towards the emotional fore. J Mascis is very much an anti-hero figurehead of the band, where his laconic vocal approach couldn't be any more at odds, at times, with some of the volcanic riffage he conjures up. It makes for an enjoyable contrast.
I got through a surprising amount of this before my sister kicked me out to sleep, I only missed one song. It was a pretty great album though, it’s really surprising this came out so early cause it feels like it should be a quintessential 90s album. It feels very forward thinking in its sound, and it’s just pretty cool. Favorites: Little Fury Things, The Lung, In a Jar
Guitars that sound like shit? A whiny guy who can't sing? Yep, I'm in my element!
James music
had only heard their cover of just like heaven prior, but dinosaur jr. are one of my friend's favourite bands so i had high hopes. nice rough guitars which i love, vocal style not my favourite ever but it worked here.
Legendary first half of this album. I like the rest too but those songs, WOWIE !!!!
Had no idea this was from the 80s, sounds very 90s
Råt og fedt
Uh, det tegner til 3 ekstremt store stjerner - vi er lige på grænsen til 4. Det er nok en af dem, der kan udvikle sig til en 4'er over tid. Det lyder fuldstændig som Neil Young på skateboard. Den nasale, falsettede tone kombineret med skaterockens ligegyldighed og melankolske weltschmerz. Det er en helt særlig lyd og på ingen måde, hvad jeg forventede. Kender det overhovedet ikke, men det er nok ikke sidste gang, jeg lytter til det. Tror, jeg arbejder mig selv op på en 4'er. Det var virkelig fedt. 4.1
The best of the original run of Dino Jr, and their best up until 2007 if I'm being honest. The recording is weird and sounds like shit but I'll be damned if the ideas and hooks aren't holding the whole thing up.
7/10 Noisy, but tuneful. No idea what any of the lyrics are
Maybe not my favorite Dinosaur Jr. album, but significant for the way it helped create 90’s alt rock - making hardcore melodic and adding a dose of Neil Young, thereby creating ear-splitting country.
This album kicks so much ass. Precursor to so many albums that also kicked so much ass. Guitars are ripping, drums are drumming, singer is a screaming. True story, I listened to this at work and by the end, my button down dress shirt had turned into a flannel. Totally kick ass!
Stepping stone album for what would become the sound of the 90s. Hard to believe this came out in 1987!
Dinosaur Jr. was so great at making sludgey tunes with some great J Mascis riffs worked in. They had the grimey grunge to their sound but they masterfully worked in some pop aspects to their sound and that along with Mascis’ top tier guitar put them a good few steps above others who were doing similar work at the time. I enjoyed that they gave Barlow a Sebadoh styled track in Poledo to change the pace a bit and close this excellent album out. Great stuff. 4 stars
Wonderful
Great find!
This isn't even close to Dinosaur Jr. 's best album.
80’s Grunge ⭐️Raisans
The perfect soundtrack of my high school and college years. Although I was more a fan of their Green Mind and Where You Been albums, this one got some routine play in my playlist right alongside fellow indies like The Lemonheads, Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, etc. Clearly a bridging band between late 70s metal/punk and the melodic 80s of artists like REM. Very underrated, and yet very influential for so many bands that came later like Nirvana, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. Pretty wild to see them still out there playing and currently touring with Band of Horses.
Oh man Dinosaur Jr! I discovered them and the meat puppets around 93 and the tapes lived in my car. I love this album so much revisiting it is a like taking a time machine driving to work that summer and trying to wreck the ear drums of everyone near me. I honestly can't review this album. It's too tied into me learning about music in the 90's and finding out what I liked vs what the radio played. Great album.
The is my 2d Dinosaur Jr.album from the list. I like this a little more than their other album. Interesting noise rock that has structured song writing that is memorable if not catchy.
This is bloody good. Loved it. Proper rock music.
Big fan
Classic !
Not the Dino jr. album i would have picked, but I'm just glad they're here.
Made a mediocre orzo whilst listening to this
Some solid, high energy alt rock from the late eighties = good stuff. There is a lot of unnecessary static throughout the album, but other than that it’s a fun listen. Front half of Poledo is the top track. The Lung as a song is a great representation of this album. (3.9*s) Will take the time to check out more from Dino Jr.
Terrific
Dinosaur Jr. just kicks ass
This noise rock gem from 1987 holds up incredibly well even today. The balance between chaos and melody is perfect. I'm still discovering new layers of brilliance. It's raw, noisy, and packed with freaky guitar work that'll make your ears bleed. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Little Fury Things - The Lung - In a Jar - Just Like Heaven
Surprisingly solid album. Really enjoy this one.
Despite the harsh grungey textures, this album is extremely melodic and the vocals are one of the main reasons for this. Guitar and drums sound great throughout. Fantastic energy. I can easily see why it's so influential in alternative rock music circles.
Tremendous alt rock album
Uhhhm, da war 1987 was im Anmarsch, das in den 90er in Varianten und Varianten von Varianten wiedergekommen ist. Und das hat mir in den 90er alles gefallen sofern mein verklärtes Gestern-Ich es mir aus der Vergangenheit zuraunt. Viele Grundlagen von Grunge bis Emo-Indie-Verschnitten bauen ein schickes Album. Und dann kommt Poledo. Allright, allright - this is ART - schreit es mir ins Gesicht. Und ist dann vll auch ok so. Viel Bullseye dabei, nur leider ist die Tripple-20 mehr wert.
Having grown up in the 90s, I'm not particularly impressed by the noisyness of Dinosaur Jr. However, it certainly took some balls to play this kind of music in the 80s, when everything was neon-colored and polished smooth. The songs on “You're Living All Over Me” aren't particularly catchy, but they're bursting with energy and middle fingers raised against the mainstream. Of course, the production isn't perfect, but that was the goal—and of course, that means there are a few imperfect notes here and there. Dinosaur Jr. are thus important pioneers of the alternative rock wave that became known as grunge in the 90s. “You're Living All Over Me” isn't the album I need to listen to every day from now on. Instead, it's an important testimony to the beginnings of one of the most significant breaks in music history and therefore deserves its place on this list.
We Can Gawk And Wonder 1001 Albums Generator 244 (3/10/2026) Dinosaur Jr. are perhaps the most influential of the noisy side of 80's indie. Who else is even in contention? Sonic Youth? Pixies? I don't know. I feel like the style of Dinosaur Jr., with its unapologetic love for solos and pop songwriting leanings, is more akin to what eventually stuck around and became mainstream alt rock. It's kind of amazing listening to songs like Kracked and Sludgefest, which manage to be noisy without being unduly heavy. The structure of these songs is also so strange. Little Fury Things starts with this noisecore part before going to more standard slacker/noise rock. The Lung feels like it's gonna be instrumental until about halfway through. Then you have the absolutely bizarre freak folk sound collage tune that ends the original tracklist, Poledo. I'm not sure how to feel about this one. I love the creative decision to add it, and it has an amazingly dark atmosphere about it, but I couldn't see myself putting this on. My biggest complaint with You're Living All Over Me is that I often find myself unconvinced by J Mascis' voice. Even on a song like Raisans, which I loved, I had to adjust to the kind of out-of-tune and at times amateur vocal style of Mascis. Of course, one cannot talk about Dinosaur Jr. without mentioning the guitar work, and especially the lead guitar work that was very uncharacteristic of indie/punk styles at the time. I mean, that solo in The Lung is like Unfortunately, there are a couple of songs that blend into the background and feel like lesser versions of the best songs here. Definition of a 3.5/5, I guess rounded up to a 4. Favs: Little Fury Things Kracked Sludgefest Least Fav: Tarpit
The mix of feedback with the crystal clear vocals is very soothing somehow. Little Fury Things is surprisingly peaceful. Racked is a bit different. Hell of an intro riff, the bass is grimy and present, then another riff kicks in and there's a great solo. Very catchy though. Sludgefeast crushes with a thick groove and walls of noise, but the lead work is still melodic - dare I say majestic? I don't like the vocals as much, but it's mostly instrumental anyway. Three different sounding songs to lead off and they're all good. I'm instantly on board. The Lung and Raisans (sic?) are both alt rockers, maybe more similar to the opener, but the latter has another pretty good solo. Tarpit is mid paced and plaintive. This is such an interesting mix of genres, I don't really know how to describe it. Poledo is weird, but the cover of Just Like Heaven is an amazing last song, warbling guitars and soft vocals - then a heavy disorted riff slashes through. No fade out, it cuts off with no warning. I wish the middle section was stronger, but I'm a sucker for guitar driven rock.
You're Living All Over Me is a very enjoyable album. It may not have the same level of intense whiplash as something like Bug did but it still is very much there and this album feels better executed than that one. This album mainly stayed within it's grunge roots without too many noise rock sections. Granted like i said, there was some intense whiplash, especially with the song Poledo which had the biggest identity crisis of all time and should have been a song i would despise but i ended up loving it's incredibly unique nature. There are a few times where the album feels a bit weak and not punchy enough but over all, i still had a very fun time with this album. Best Song: Poledo Worst Song: In A Jar
This is giving Lithium (Ch. 34): 90s Grunge & Alternative Rock Radio its got a lot of energy and that intensity i quite enjoy. however the last two tracks are not it but yeah i was rocking out to this
Nice and short, as all good albums should be. This album is pretty fun to listen to, although it ended rather abruptly for my personal tastes. I like when albums have a last song that you can tell is a last song, but this album didn't really have that. Despite that, the album is still pretty good to listen to and it is, sort of, my kind of music so I enjoyed listening to it. Plus, it's short, i like it when albums are short.
A hidden gem!
Very nice!
Always heard of Dinosaur Jr. but never heard Dinosaur Jr. What can I say? I like creative noisy guitars. I don't mind and kind of like atonal singing. Not every song worked for me but enough did.
Little Fury Things 3.7 Kracked 3.8 SludgeFeast 4 The Lung 4 Raisans 3.8 Tarpit 3.6 In a Jar 3.5 Lose 3.3 Poledo 2.8 Score: 3.611111111
This is one of those albums that I never gravitate towards, but every time I listen I enjoy the ride. I think the vocals can be pretty grating, but the instrumentals are wonderfully messy and sprawling, blending shoegaze and a proto-grunge + punk rock aesthetic. The front three tracks are all solid. Little Fury Things being a noisy shoegazey sprawl and Kracked tapping into a freewheeling energy that I appreciate -- find the drumming to be really satisfying. From there, I enjoy the record, but it does sort of wear on me. Though Raisans is among my favorites here. For me this sits around a low 4
Jævlig fet skive! Kom litt overraskende på da jeg aldri har vært stor fan av bandet. Åpningssporet var vilt!
Digger det her! Kan bli litt vell ensformig i lengden.
Spennende sjanger. Det er hardt og støyete uten å være noen av delene. Jeg er helt sikker på at de har vært en inspirasjon for Motorpsycho, så om man liker denne så burde man like eks: Timothys Monster
Hørt imens jeg vaska kåken. Perfekt vaskemusikk.
The sound absolutely envelopes your brain. traditional punky riffs with that 80s style punk vocals. "Just like heaven" probably the best production track on the record.
Another introduction to me. I really like it. But sometimes it sucks too. Not an every-day-pick for me and therefore not easy to decide between three and four stars. 3,5
Old school emo
Really interesting early-grunge, mid-sludge-rock stuff. I love the album cover too. Didn't love every song but those guitar solos were enough to make up for it.
The guitar on this is amazing. It's super imaginative and tells a story all by itself. I really like the music in general, but I'm struggling with the singer. He feels flat, and distracting.
I really like Dinosaur Jr. and this was a good album.
Rating: 8/10 The Amherst guys are back. Some raw lo-fi noisy indie rock is the best way to describe Dinosaur Jr., and they definitely influenced the bands of the 90’s who did all this type of stuff. This one stands strongly as a genre staple, especially for the run of the first few tracks, SludgeFeast being the highlight. It’s abrasive and chaotic and so good at being those things
This is noisy, feedback-drenched alternative rock. It's very obviously a predecessor to grunge with its guitar distortion and detached vocals. However, there are good rock songs beneath the reverb and feedback. It's far more listenable than many reviews make it out to be while still being heavy. However, many songs feel more like showcases for the guitar of J. Mascis rather than concise rock songs, though some are solid underlying songs. The vocals can easily be seen as a forerunner to bands like Pearl Jam and all the butt-rock "yarlers" that came in their wake, yet Dinosaur Jr remain a high-quality early alternative band alongside the likes of Pixies and Sonic Youth. Or, at the very least, they're more interesting than Elvis Costello's boring-ass new wave.
Sure
Good old school album, I always liked dinosaur Jr and this was a good one!
Their second album. Grunge / Indie Rock. Raw, energetic, noisy, incoherent, moody proto Grunge. The wall of hard guitar sound is great and non stop. The album's unpolished sound and imperfections are what makes it. I enjoyed listening to this one throughout.
I’m a big fan of Dinosaur Jr. they have a really unique sound in a genre where that’s kinda the whole point. They are definitely a cult classic and I hope a whole bunch of their other albums are also on this list cause their catalogue is stacked with gems. Seriously this band has a very special way of making both enjoyable relaxing indie rock as well as shockingly heavy rock music without dipping too far into metal or grunge. This is easily one of my favorite albums by dinosaur jr and when you listen to it, it will be yours as well.
8/10
It’s a cool album once you get past the wacky production
Proper decent! First ever listen Can hear pixies, nirvana etc Deffo being added to the library
I think this will really grow on me. I can feel this was an influencial album.
That's some good noise.
Indie rock with the slickest guitar solos and quite edgy you don’t know what to expect
If you like the Pixies you may enjoy this. If not, well, you won’t. It's good proto-alternative but I can see how it's not for everyone.
Shred it!
The most flashy guitar player of the post hardcore bands, J Mascis plays like someone who grew up on Hendrix and the Stooges and came of age with Black Flag and Sonic Youth - virtuosity, but channelled into chaos, deconstructive violent playing on the edge of feedback, riffs and solos ripped from a wall of noise, loud, aggressive, but sensitive and emotive, leaning into something recognizable and melodic as it disintegrates. I've been listening to them more and more over the last couple of years and the alienating dissonance and nasal singing grow on me, the songs open up with familiarity to be, almost, singalongable.
7.5/10- Great Album. These are the types of albums I was hoping for throughout this program. This is an album I never would have found otherwise, but am excited to have in the arsenal.
I really like this album. It's a great mix of alt rock and noise, while still being accessible and catchy. It unfortunately ends on the worst song of the album in Poledo, leaving me with a meh taste in my mouth. 8/10
Love this album! Simultaneously exciting and comforting.
Nytt Dinousaur Jr-fan här ✋
Gitarrer distade till förstörelse är redan det ett av de vackraste ljuden mänskligheten har frammanat, men även bakom så döljer sig riktigt bra melodier och vad som för mig är musikglädje i sin renaste form.
Träffar nån sorts "sweet spot" med bra tempo, rockigt sound men ändå chill.
Holy hell, where has this album been my whole life? I’ve always liked “Feel the Pain” by them, but haven’t listened beyond that one song. I pretty much loved this album immediately. The wall of guitars, the early grunge aesthetics, and the drawn out vocals all coalesce into a perfect storm for me. Also, kudos to this album for having its finger on the pulse of grunge in 1987. Fantastic.
What a great album and such a relief from the pain and suffering I experienced yesterday. Dinosaur Jr will always make me happy and the Cure cover at the end is just Chefs Kiss.
awesome grunge
The lyrics on this album feel emotional, vulnerable, and very angsty. The vocals sound deadpan, almost weak and monotone, which really contrasts with the loud, heavy, and intense rock music behind them. That contrast actually works well and makes the songs more interesting. The whole album was really fun to listen to. It’s loud, emotional, and cool in a messy but enjoyable way.
I think this might be the second Dinosaur Jr. album on the list so far for me. I liked this one more, added it to my streaming library. An interesting mix of past/future music. Having just listened to Rust Never Sleeps, the Neil Young parallels are fun. Pearl Jam is here too. Sludgy in a good way.
Quirky, unique sound identity. Songs are better than the audibility suggests, although as with most 'alternative' music, veer too often into abstraction to share much significance. Not completely divorced from influences but definitely bringing their own take. Also a fun listen 4.4
Awesome. Auch mit denen hab ich mich bisher nie auseinandergesetzt, obwohl ich alle Nase lang auf sie stoße natürlich.
The guitar playing is phenomenal but J. Mascis’ voice is just a bit too whiny for me to ever really love this band.
Interested
One of my favourite surprises on this list so far. Way ahead of their time and must have been highly influential
Yeah, the vocals could be better. But everything else? Pretty good.
Foretelling the distortion and sludgy sound of grunge to come. It’s a coarse, bruising record that still sounds earnest and weepy to me (this is complimentary). Hard rock for the sad. I can think of at least a dozen artists and their albums this must’ve influenced. Edging my rating up because it makes me feel like a teenager going to house shows again, and I enjoyed it more than ‘Bug’. Sidebar: I really like the cover and the title is evocative.
noise rock, my beloved <3 my only complain with this is that the vocalist sound a bit too good. give this bands lead vocalist a more squeaky and irritating voice and this this would be elite
153/1089 okayy some of this is pretty enjoyable, this is the type of indie ish rock that’s more my speed. It does get a bit too noisy for me at times and i don’t always love the vocal but otherwise, i do like this sort of garage-y rock Poledo is definitely the most interesting track on the album. not sure if i’d want more of the album to sound like that or if i like that it stands out so much. i would have liked it to continue the sound of the first minute for longer though Just Like Heaven is a solid final track faves: Poledo, Just Like Heaven, Sludgefeast, In a Jar, The Lung 70/100
It makes me laugh that this came out in ‘87. It certainly makes me feel a certain age (13). But all that aside, this album is a real solid rocker. The production is so sparse it give that cozy homemade feeling.
Surprisingly good actually. Never heard of them but I added a lot to my playlist. Definitely not perfect but I really liked something about it and it just worked.
Fantastic guitar as usual.
Pretty good, will return to. Need better headphones for this one I think.
This one's pretty cool, especially the start, I sense this is the Dinosaur (Jr) album that belongs on the list. Why on earth does Just Like Heaven end so abruptly, its so jarring. Fave Tracks: Little Fury Things, Kracked, SludgeFeast 3.8/5
Can’t deny the staying power of the hits on this one, but it also gets repetitive to the point of parody. Every song has the potential for being a radio hit but in a cynical “throw a dart” way. The touches of R&B balladry were a welcome showcase of her vocal ability.
Surprised to find how much I immediately liked this in all it's slam bam wham thrashing confidence. The singing and so many ways to build a guitar-riven just kept grabbing me again and again. Now I want to go back to Bug and see if it still bugs me or have I just become a Dinosaur Jr fan?
Dinosaur JR. got down n dirty in this one, so grimey! Super interesting and different stuff, carving out their own style, that I am appreciating more after this one. Liked it way more than the other album on this list, Bug. But kind of want to revisit now. One favorite was the song Poledo, so bizarre, with the section that kept switching from major to minor chords, drawn out, hovering between notes. Creating comfort and then discomfort in the next moment, then finding the major chord, then losing it again. 7.5/10 not something I'd listen to all the time, but I respect it, and love the creativity and uniqueness.
Awesome cut from Dinosaur Jr. very fuzzy and psychedelic.
there are some crazy homoerotic psychosexual obsessive interband dynamics at play here so i am admittedly hearing the album through that lens but it’s good anyway. crazy noise and guitars and all that…i like j’s and lou’s voices. idk i don’t have anything intelligent to say about them. i feel like they’re the VU of the 80s in that everyone’s written about them to death so it’s not really worth it. but i like them. fav tracks: sludgefeast; raisans; in a jar; poledo
This was pleasant and I can see more now than the first time I listened how it rubbed off on future acts. I feel like I can hear pre-Pavement and Strokes in here, probably among others. I can’t say I’d return to many of these but I did enjoy it. Fav track: Kracked
Feels like the exact midpoint between new wave and grunge. Can see why this is a cult classic!
I love me some early grunge (proper review pending)
Wow as a lid heard and read so much aboit them but the airplay in my country was absolute 0. This is a really good band anywhere from experimental rock to hardcore punk to alternative its a weird transition and they were in there maybe not even realizing the were movong toward something new. Im sure they influenced a lot of bands. Sonic Youth was the one who really junp started this type of noise feedback sounding rock movement but these were a great follow up band to sonic. Im definitively going to study them and have them in my good grace band.
Excellent early grunge
A real punky, angsty, alternative mess. Really appreciate what these guys were doing here;there’s a mix of noisy guitar songs, clean cut indie tracks, an acoustic song (worst of the bunch sadly - “Poledo” and a wacky cover of the cures just like heaven which somehow manages to be their best song off the album. Overall, this was really interesting. My foggy brain needed some of this energy today. Will definitely check this out again. Nothing beats alternative. I find it funny how that cure cover ends so abruptly as well…
Dinosaur Jr. are up there with the band I’ve seen play live the most. I got into them in their more modern era from Beyond onwards, so prefer their cleaner studio recordings over the older stuff. Still, this has to be the best of their lo-fi era with some of their all time best songs to be found on this record. My old band used to play a cover of their version of Just Like Heaven so listening to that again brought back some great memories.
This was an interesting blend of punky grungey type shi that you can imagine being played at a gig in someone's basement. I think I like it.
Some nice guitar and great lyrics but just way too much first and distortion and not in the fun way
I liked this a lot. Sounded ahead of its time, just like Sonic Youth's Sister, which it somewhat resembled. Raisans was my favorite track.
I was not expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. They had me on the shoegaze-like guitar drones and tones.
I had to listen to this one twice as it's so raw, but what impressed me to do so was that it came out in 1987 when I was listening to hair bands (but was also when R.E.M.s Document came out). The gall to be heavy with almost folk songwriting (see Neil Young) pretty much led straight to the grunge and 90s rock explosion. I really get a Foo Fighters vibe at times and Nirvana's Bleach at others. I like the album, but it's a bit too hard at times and songs don't particularly stick with me. Probably a 3.5 for me now, but bumping for importance.
Proto-Grunge & Shoegaze here with heavy distortion and loud-quiet-loud noise progression, Imagine listening to this in 1987 and hearing what the future of music would be like while the rest of the soundscape was hair metal and shit.
This album came out years before grunge got big in the 90s, but it would fit right in. A banger!
Not bad. Not as melodic as I like from them / him
Really enjoyed this. Covering a Cure song like that , then just ending dead like that , brilliant!
What a great album. Seems slightly ahead of its time and a nice mix of grunge and shoegaze, grungegaze if you will. The more listens I gave it the more songs grew on me. Nice find and will be revisiting.
I prefer the 90s stuff by Dinosaur Jr and this seems pretty basic production that doesn’t highlight their talents entirely. However, it is a groundbreaking stuff for the time and lays the foundations for 90s alternative rock. A few really good tracks but give me, Where You Been or Green Mind any day.
Fun listen, it has a couple of bangers, but otherwise not very memorable
I just listened to this on my own last week. Great album of its own unique flavor; subdued in presentation, but, enthralling.
Great guitar indie rock. For stoner music it makes for a great gym music
I think this era of American alt rock holds up better than the slightly later grunge bands. I enjoyed this album well enough, although I don't think it really did anything to take me away from the best of compilation that I usually go to when I listen to Dinosaur Jr.
If you told me this came out in 1993, I’d believe you. The grunge gods clearly heard this and took notes — fuzz, angst, and all. “Little Fury Things” is a blast of melodic chaos, and the whole album feels like melody trying to claw its way through distortion. It’s raw, forward-thinking, and somehow sweet beneath the sludge. “Tarpit,” though… kind of a drag.
Sweet fury, hot melodies – so good. One prefers the later records, to be honest (the quality of which this rather obviously predicts) when the production got much cleaner but this is pure Mascis, just outright blazing riffs, thin wailing vocals that echo deep longings but do seem meant mainly as contrast and almost an afterthought in some ways. The opener and "Tarpit" and "Kracked" and "The Lung" and "Sludgefeast" are all strongest cuts. The retroactive addition of the Cure cover is good fun (though the scary metal scream is silly and non-additive). A friend from long ago had a good chunk of this on a playlist called "Heavenly Hardcore" and while not a precise definition (genre wise) it's utterly fitting and inspiring of pleasant memories.
Great album
sludgy guitar rock
Some good noise
You can feel the influence dripping off this
Perfectly straddles the line of being heavy enough while still melodic
80/100. Lovely noise rock record, everything is tight and a good production.
Banger of an album. Great cover of the Cure Just like Heaven
4 out of 5. This was a band I've always heard of but never heard, and I've been missing out. Looking forward to see if any of their other albums make it into this list.
I will not include the bonus cover of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" in this review. Let me start by stating that I'm lukewarm towards Dinosaur Jr., one of the bands responsible for creating the rough-edged jangling side of indie rock in the mid-1980s. I enjoyed a couple of tracks here and there, including "Sludgefeast" off this record. I wanted to give this album a fair shake, so what did we get on You're Living All Over Me? I will say that this album starts strong, where the strengths of this group are evident early on in the compositions. Lou Barlow's rattling basslines complement J Mascis's guitar melodies in a manner that works quite well within the loud-quiet-loud dynamic that would help define the underground indie sound. Pair that with the distorted feedback, Murph's punchy drumwork, and Mascis's cryptic lyrics that deal with faltering relationships and social restrictions, and the result is a distinct style. Perhaps the writing could have been a little stronger, and the album ends on an admittedly perfunctory note with the ukulele-led "Poledo". But as a whole, You're Living All Over Me is a pretty solid outing from a group that forged their path in indie music credibly well.
This feels like it was ahead of its time in a way that maybe Dinosaur Jr. recorded it in 1997, built a time machine and sent it back in time a decade
I enjoyed this. It's really grimy, with some really nasty guitar in there. Big rocky and grungy hooks and riffs. The vocal delivery is a bit drawling and whiny, but the dirty guitars elevate it for sure.
Love me some Dinosaur Jr. These guys have just been cranking out solid albums forever and never seem to have gotten the props they deserve outside of their small cult following. Loud and abrasive, but still melodic and jammy. 4.5⭐️ *The Peter Frampton cover as part of the Bonus Tracks absolutely shreds, but man those vocals needed some work **I enjoyed the Just Like Heaven bonus track cover, but Goldfinger’s cover is still much better.
Instrumentally it goes hard, some superb riffs and drums. Didn't love the vocals, but it worked. There's a raw quality I like about it. I was getting a bit of early Goo Goo Dolls, there was something else but I just can't figure out that it is. Enjoyed this one.
So good, great sound kinda combining nirvana, Radiohead, and Negative 25
"I feel the pain of the everyone, and then I feel nothing." wow, what a line. That line right there gives it an extra star. I liked this. It seemed a bit chaotic, but then I also found myself really enjoying it.
DAMN die schrei hani nöd erwartet okee nachane gsang ghör de grunge scho sehr usse hahaha oaaah das churz riff bi kracked isch seehr geil gsi OAHHH I like what I hear the lung isch chli punkig GITI raisans het ganz en komische aber no catchy refrain tarpit eig cool aber de schluss scho gad echli sehr ahstrengend gsi AH WEN ERINNERET MICH SINI STIMM POLEDO ISCH SOO COOL GSI BIS WIEDER DE LÄRM CHO ISCH GOPF hmm ja es isch sehr unsettling und na spannend aber s lied am ahfang hetmer besser gfalle :( SCHREIIIIIII hahaha so funny, es chunnt so unerwartet han iwie wenig z bemängle, het mega spass gmacht und sini stimm hani iwie gern hahah mega kreativs album
Holy moly, what a ride. I knew they existed, but im very intrigued to dig deeper after this experience. These loud and distorted guitars simply slay. Love the grungy sound. Kracked, raisans, tarpit are my faves. Enjoy the cure cover as well.
Yeah!
Okay, turns out I’m gonna love this band so I’m very biased towards them now
Like a giant, loud, musical bruise washing over me. Comfortable in a painful way. Overdriven guitar provides a lush foundation for the sensitive lyrics and singing.
Seems it’s one song
Initial thoughts were that this is a bit much, but actually mellowed out and I enjoyed it a lot
Play it loud and often, in a jar is a banger, big big big drums.
I’ve had times in the past where I listened to Dinosaur Jr. I remember hearing the _Start Choppin’_ single and bought _Where You Been_ off the back of that but didn’t delve much further. This absolutely bangs though! The sound of the alternative scene of the early 90s has seeds here for sure. That muddy, grungy sound is there but the songs burst with life and energy and the guitar work is incredible! Any of the first 4 or 5 tracks could be my fave and if the album kept up that quality it would be a 5 star. The back half isn’t quite as strong though although still very good. **Fave track:** SludgeFeast
There's something about You're Living All Over Me that just clicks. It makes you want to love it, even if you can’t quite explain why. Jammin', man!
This album was great!!! I believe I've seen these guys be described as the pioneers of grunge. It has some really strong grunge vibes to me. I really like it. 4 stars.
So influential on the coming decade. I noticed its impact on grunge the first time I Iistened but this time I really can hear its impact on shoegaze as well. This one is definitely more influential and “important” than his 90s stuff but still think I’d enjoy listening to that over this one. Just raw sludge coming at you Rating: 4.4
I understand why this album was reviewed by others as ahead of its time. It really is a musical crossroad or traffic circle bringing in grudge, hard rock amd indie.
Excellent album, melodic, harsh, Kurt Cobain was listening.
Ahaha it hurts my brain. Little Fury Things opens with a brain melting noise thing before it kind of segues into a alt-rock thing. J Mascis sounds like a low rent Thurston Moore. Kracked is more of that. I can see why this influenced shoegaze. Its like a combo of shitty Sonic Youth instruments AND nobody knows how to play. Somehow it works. Sludgefeast is a kind of stoner-grunge-hard rock medley. The Lung is great because instead of doing the quiet/loud thing that grunge does its a melodic/noisy thing. Way more interesting. Raisans like the title is full of unexpected and slightly annoying pitch choices. Tarpit is a bit moany. In a Jar is a bit wistful. I was about to say Poledo was out of step with the rest of the album and then it blasted me with noise and radio scans. Good Stuff. Just Like Heaven is a great take on the Cure's original. This is really good. It messes with your expectations. It occasionally gets a little bit emo or hard rock but then it'll just throw in some really shit guitar pedal fuzz or a wrong note or the left channel will cut out.
Really enjoyed this. Owned Without A Sound in the mid 90s and listened to it all the time. Never really dove into the back catalog. These guys were ahead of their time. Certainly influenced a lot of bands that followed.