This is the only album I can listen to over and over again and not get sick of. Every song (except one) on this album are some of the best songs ever. Some of the best guitar playing ever.
June 2, 2008The 80's was a period of continued growth and expansion for rock, it was possibly one of the last true creative times save for a few flashes of brilliance in the 90's, of the many great bands to crop up from that period (and let's face it, we'd be here for god knows how long naming them) dinosaur jr was one of the true greats. J Mascis and Lou Barlow formed Dinosaur, Sounding nothing quite like many of their SST contemporaries, Dinosaur Jr blended elements of thrash, excessive feedback, pop harmonies and catchy melodies. No other band up to this point had a front man quite like Mascis; who sounds relaxed, detached, even lazy, his vocal delivery has gone on to inspire countless other musicians, the most famous being Kurt Cobain. This is one of those rare records that from front to back is literally great, there isn't one ounce of filler nor is there a second wasted, every song on this record is solid, rocks and is catchy. The album kicks off with "Little Furry Things," which starts off in a wash of feedback and shrieking then settling into a rather catchy tune dealing with, yes, rabbits. Highlights include: the lung, raisans, poledo, and my personal favorite, in a jar. In a jar is one of those classic soured relationship tunes drawing comparisons to being kept as a pet in a jar next to a bed. The album closes with some interesting Barlow compositions, foreshadowing his next project, Sebadoh, another fine band. The expanded edition includes a killer rendition of The Cure song, "just like heaven." Robert Smith himself has stated in interviews that after hearing this, the band has since played the song live the way dinosaur jr. has here. Highly recommended for new comers to the band.
May 20, 2007 |  | Bona fide classic - look no further |  |
There's something about this album that speaks to me, and I'm not alone I gather. Dinosaur Jr.'s second album is the very definition of a gem. There's not a single track on here without the spark that turns a great album into a masterwork. Dinosaur had really kicked into gear by 1986, and `...Living All Over Me' is a far more focused and ferocious effort than their debut (which is great too, by the way). They are audibly more confident this time around, maybe because of the endorsement of Thurston Moore et al (who Lou Barlow is quoted as saying are "the coolest band in the world"), and there's so much flair, so many of those wonderful touches of genius that make my ears prick up, that I wouldn't mind committing myself to proclaiming this the best American indie/grunge record of all time.
And to the songs... well, where do we start? Honestly, they're all fantastic. But my favourites are `Kracked' (with its breakdown to bass and then a blazing solo), `The Lung' (which gets my vote for their true classic), `Raisans' (marvellous lyrics, a chorus that's all choruses need), and `In A Jar'. The latter could be the blueprint for the rest of the album: a brilliant Neil Young-style chord progression fed through different layers of distortion, building to one of the most unrestrainedly wild closing sections I've ever heard.
All three members are on top form here. They sound like they're challenging each other to beat their own performance. Now, I know that the recording quality isn't exactly ideal, but that's what gives this record the feeling that the band were just in the right headspace to go into the studio, and create something as fiery and impassioned as this without slowing down. It couldn't have been done any other way. It couldn't sound any cleaner and still have that spark. I saw the band perform this in its entirety at the London Koko in August 06, and hearing it this way really takes some beating.
And there we have it - a totally gushing review of a totally brilliant album. Buy it now!
March 14, 2007| | | ive got the gtus now to meet your eye | |
this is a great cd. j really puts his feelings onto this cd and its really relate table
February 6, 2007Beautiful, thick transcendent guitar solos. Songs with hooks to die for. A crunchy exterior that encloses some of the most touching melodies ever created in rock. This is a great, great record that everyone with even a passing interest in what became known as "alternative rock" should own. The true inspiration for My Bloody Valentine's wall of sound, and for others too numerous to mention. J mascis' goal was "ear bleeding country" and if you play these songs stripped of their sonic assault on an acoustc guitar you can hear what he's talking about. The lyrics may be obscure and inscrutable, but somehow that only adds to the charm and the feeling of loss that pervades the LP. Fans of this record should do everything they can to get their hands on bootlegs of the band from this period, where tensions ran high and the material (and songs from their first record like "Severed Lips" and "Quest") gets absolutely SLAYED ...it's like the LP on steroids!! Ira Kaplan begged them to "turn it down" when he was a soundman back in the day, but for once his musical instincts were wrong. Flame on!
January 20, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
