Dinosaur Jr. - Bug

A Classic

This album, along with Double Nickels by the Minutemen, and all albums by the Replacements changed how I listened to, and appreciated music. J. Mascis is an incredibly unique guitar player. There is no one on earth similiar to him in style and grace. I hope that on the other side his solos roar on for eons. June 18, 2006

A Study in Contrasts

This CD has no less impact than when it came out eighteen years ago. As Byron Coley says on the band's website, it shows their sound becoming more orderly as they were ready to burst at the seams from internal strife. Well, sad but true, but tension often makes for the best music of a band's career, and J didn't live up to the manic glory here ever again. (Now this line-up is reunited! Get to see them for the first time with Lou on bass next month. HO-LY CRRRRRAAAP!!!).

So many highlights, where do you start? I think Kurt really learned the soft/hard dynamic from J, and in many ways J's use of it sounds more fresh (likely because a trillion J wanna-be's failed to ever pop up--only a score, Kurt being one of them). The album starts with this in somewhat famous fashion on "Freak Scene," where there's a major chord strumming pattern that is mildly distorted. Within in a minute, the low E power chord is thrashed so hard that the piece resembles a form of proto-death metal. The middle part is really pretty . . . and then back to the death metal. A lot of the songs feature this dynamic & it really never gets boring. If you have the right tools, use them to make as many creations as possible. I think my favorite use of this dynamic is in "Pond Song." It starts out with a delicate picking pattern: "Long distance left you undecided/ I'd sprinkle enough to let you know," J pathetically croons to the girlfriend he never finds. Before you know it, the song is awash in fuzz, reverb, and thrashing chords. This pattern happens to match J's attitude towards his love interest, which alternates between tender yearning and murderous disenchantment, best reflected in "Freak Scene": "Sometimes I don't thrill you/ Sometimes I think I'll kill you./ Just don't let me f**k up will you,/ 'Cos when I need a friend it's still you."

There's so much more to say about this classic, but I will leave it at the guitars for now. Simply put, the interplay between J on guitar and Lou on bass remains a high watermark for alternative. Sometimes muddy, but always evocative of new and fresh emotions, there have been few power trios who have got as much out of their guitars (Rush comes to mind, tho' I know the hipster "cognoscenti" would poo-poo me for saying this). Lou ups the ante with his use of chords and arpeggios on the bass for one thing. J himself is certainly one of the top guitarists in the history of alternative. He's not a harmonic genius in the technical sense: more in the intuitive sense. His use of feedback is heartbreakingly beautiful at times (the solo in "No Bones" amply evidences this). He uses dissonance strategically, creating hooks out of repeating skronky lines after a particularly melodic run (again, the second solo in "Freak Scene" is great for this). He shreds the thing like he's, well, ready to break it in two. Oh yeah, and it's LOUD. I saw them live (without Lou) back in the early '90's. He would play solos and my head literally felt like it was being cleft at the lobes. It hurt!!! But it was the true definition of sublimity: intense pleasure mixed with intense pain. Can't wait to feel the pain for the first time with Lou helping me smash my head on the punk rock.

Last contrast: I played this to my girlfriend for the first time today. She liked it a lot. Of all the grunge bands in the '90's, this was a good one for the women, 'cos J writes more traditional melodies and also wears his heart on his sleeve, unlike, say, the phrygian modes and D&D bludgeonings of Soundgarden. Male/female, yin/yang, silence/noise, love/hate, within/beyond . . . _Bug_ has more than enough contrasts to keep you occupied for a long, long time to come. Check them out live if they are coming to your area. March 5, 2006

When Listening To It You Don't Want To Be "Bug"ged

To start off what a great album you can't get any better grunge than this folks i mean with songs like "POND SONG and FREAK SCENE" they are so good but also have really amazing harmonies in the back. So good don't miss this one it's such a classic and it's to bad they never really got the spotlight. February 16, 2005

Post-Punk Indie Greatness

While many say "You're Living All Over Me" is the classic (and it is amazing) this is the one that got one Dinosaur Jr. on the list of "high-class" indie rockers. With good reason too. J Mascis' lazy voice, which is not a bad thing, and noisy distorted guitar spiked with feedback, Lou Barlow's (who went on to form the wonderful band Sebadoh) catchy bass lines, and Murph's laid-back one second and crazily energetic the next drumming all form to make an amazing sound. In fact, back in the day along with "The Minutemen," "Husker Du," and "The Meat Puppets" helped define the SST scene.

From the open toe-tapping song "Freak Scene," you know this is a winner. How J manages to make an amazingly amazing song out of just five chords (E,D7,A,Em,and F#m) is beyond me. I'd assume the song is about the indie scene at the time, least that's what I'd think. "Let It Ride" is the first example of old Lou's bass skills. "Pond Song" is a melodic song with good vocals and cool guitar work. I'm pretty sure there are two guitars on this one, and maybe on some others, too. The other songs are just as good, in their own way. I'd say "Don't" is a midunderstood song. It's supposed to be ironic, J screaming "WHY DON'T YOU LIKE ME" at the top of his lungs, making it obvious why "they" think he's obnoxious and don't like him, all on top of endless fancy guitar sounds and solos.

All in all, you probably don't want to get a newer Dino Jr. record first because, while I still really like the new ones, most fans have to admit those albums weren't particulary revolutionary. I'd reccomend this because it's at least a little more accsesible than "You're Living All Over Me," and still represents Dinosaur Jr. at their peak. March 7, 2004

a great follow-up to the greatest album of all time

"Bug" is an outstanding album on its own, though it is not-- in my opinion-- as good as its predecessor. Still, there is little to complain about on this CD. Even the uber-obnoxious "Don't" is tolerable due to J Mascis' extended jam in the background. "Freak Scene" is a Dinosaur staple. "They Always Come" is a punk delight that transforms into an orgasmic, heavenly, layered guitar burst for its second half. Even the overlooked "The Post" was good enough for the Cowboy Junkies to later cover (with questionable success). This is a must-have for any respectable Dinosaur fan, or for any fan of true indie rock. August 26, 2003

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