A Beginner’s Guide To Dinosaur Jr.
Ahead of their 30th anniversary tour celebrating iconic album Where You Been, we present a beginner’s guide to alt-rockers Dinosuar Jr.
Words by Tobias Handke
Few acts have managed to stay relevant while simultaneously influencing a new generation of bands like Dinosaur Jr. Founded by guitarist and frontman J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph way back in1984, Dinosaur Jr. changed the American underground scene by helping popularise distorted guitar rock for the masses.
The band’s career spans an unbelievable 40 years that has seen the release of 12 studio albums, earned the band two top ten singles on the American alternative charts, and seen countless acts cite Dinosaur Jr. as an inspiration, including the likes of Henry Rollins, Kurt Vile, and Billy Cogan of The Smashing Pumpkins.
It hasn’t been all plain sailing though, with the band having gone through a name change (they were originally known as Dinosaur before legal issues forced them to add the suffix Jr.) and suffered from in-fighting that led to Barlow and Murph being fired before the eventual dissolution of Dinosaur Jr. in 1997.
Reuniting in 2005 in celebration of Dinosaur Jr.’s first three records, the trio of Mascis, Barlow and Murph managed to put their past troubles behind them and now continue to release new music and tour the world on the regular, much to their fan’s delight.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Dinosaur Jr.’s iconic album Where You Been, and to celebrate, the band is currently touring the country, having already played sold-out shows in Melbourne and Sydney. Hitting Hindley Street Music Hall this coming Monday, February 26, we want to get you in the mood with this beginner’s guide to Dinosaur Jr.
Below are ten vital songs from Dinosaur Jr.’s extended back catalogue showcasing why they are so beloved amongst the rock fraternity.
FORGOT THE SWAN (DINOSAUR, 1984)
Dinsoaur Jr.’s debut self-titled album was recorded for just $500 at a home studio in the woods of Massachusetts. It failed to make a mark on the charts and sold roughly 1,500 copies.
It might not have made an impact commercially, but the album gained a cult following and laid the blueprint for Dinosuar Jr.’s sound – jangly guitars, a shit tonne of feedback and Mascis’ Neil Young-esque warble.
‘Forget the Swan’ – five minutes of melodic riffs and headache-inducing distortion - is one of the album’s highlights and a live favourite that’s been getting a fair workout this tour. This is a fantastic taster for newbies, showcasing Dinosaur Jr.’s early sound that still filters through their most recent work.
LITTLE FURY THINGS (YOU’RE LIVING ALL OVER ME, 1987)
The opening track to Dinosuar Jr.’s second album is another distorted firecracker kicking off with Barlow screaming the intro before a chord change kicks in and Mascis starts crooning about a rabbit, which according to Genius, represents an unattainable woman.
Listening to ‘Little Fury Things’ retrospectively, it’s easy to hear how Dinosaur Jr. influenced so many 90s grunge acts. Top tune.
FREAK SCENE (BUG, 1988)
This is arguably the most important song in Dinosuar Jr.’s arsenal in terms of commercial success. Released as a single by UK label Blast First, the catchy nature of ‘Freak Scene’ saw it chart as high as number four on the UK independent chart.
This exposure helped their third album Bug become a surprise hit, with the record spending 38 weeks on the UK independent album chart, eventually claiming the coveted #1 spot.
As far as the actual song goes, ‘Freak Scene’ is everything you want from a Dinosuar Jr. tune, with Mascis’ trademark drawl floating over scuzzy guitars and a wall of pleasant feedback. The song’s UK success quickly translated to America and Dinosuar Jr. was off and running.
JUST LIKE HEAVEN (SINGLE, 1989)
Capitalising on the band’s newfound fame, Dinosuar Jr’s label released a cover of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ the band recorded for a compilation album. This version is much faster than The Cure’s with plenty of distortion, much to the delight of music nerds around the globe.
Mascis’ lazy delivery surprisingly suits, while the aggressive bridge section with heavy metal screams doesn’t feel out of place. The Cure’s Robert Smith is also said to be a big fan.
THUMB (GREEN MIND, 1991)
By the release of Green Mind, Dinosuar Jr. had changed dramatically. Both Barlow and Murph had been unceremoniously dumped from the band and Mascis started tinkering with the classic Dinosaur Jr. sound.
Case in point: the experimental relationship tale ‘Thumb’. Built around a flute mellotron, there’s still plenty of distortion present, but the lush guitar solo recalls classic 70s rock as opposed to the usual alt-rock vibe the band is known for.
THE WAGON (GREEN MIND, 1991)
‘The Wagon’ is another belter of a track from Dinosuar Jr's fourth studio record Green Mind. The album's opening track is a fun pop-rock creation with driving percussion and energetic guitar riffs. The grunge-esque single was released through Subpop records and showcased Mascis’ newfound freedom as the sole mastermind behind Dinosuar Jr.
Inspired by the station wagons Mascis and Barlow used to drive around, hauling the band’s equipment from show to show, 'The Wagon' was the first song Mascis recorded without Barlow, although it does contain drumming from Murph. The guitar solo absolutely rips.
START CHOPPIN’ (WHERE YOU BEEN, 1993)
The 90s were an interesting time for Dinosuar Jr. With Mascis in full creative control, the subsequent albums after Green Mind ended up sounding rather similar. The outlier is Where You Been, which is the odd one out, mainly due to Mascis being joined by a full band in the studio as opposed to recording every instrument himself.
Released at the height of the grunge era, Where You Been was well received by critics and fans and features the band’s highest-ever charting single, ‘Start Choppin’’. It’s certainly a little poppier than the band’s usual output, but this helped it become one of the defining tunes of the decade.
‘Start Choppin’’ is a guitar classic with Mascis’ familiar lazy vocal style pairing beautifully with the messy feedback and rocking riffs before the song fades into the ether with an extended guitar solo. Pure bliss.
FEEL THE PAIN (WITHOUT A SOUND, 1994)
One of Dinosuar Jr.'s most popular songs, 'Feel the Pain' is another alternative gem from the band. The riff for the cruisey tune came to Mascis while he was on tour and is meant to have a "dry sound", meaning there is much less reverb than on your standard Dinosuar Jr. track. That's not to say 'Feel the Pain' is polished, but it's got a more listener-friendly feel.
The lyrics deal with pain and grief and were no doubt informed by the death of Mascis' father who passed away during the recording of Without a Sound. The music video was a huge help in raising the profile of the band, with the Spike Jonze-directed clip a big hit on MTV. It features Mascis and then bassist Mike Johnson playing golf in New York City.
PIECES (FARM, 2009)
Mascis got the band back together in 2005, breaking bread with Barlow and Murph and recording comeback album Beyond. It was a welcome return to form that led to their well-received ninth release, Farm.
Dinosuar Jr.’s first LP on record label Jagjaguwar, Farm became their highest charting album in the States, reaching the number 29 spot on the Billboard 200.
It’s chock full of amazing tunes, from the slow-burn guitar solo of ‘Said the People’ to the prog rock of ‘I Don’t Wanna Go There’. But if you had to pick one song that showcases why Dinosuar Jr. is so beloved, it’s got to be ‘Pieces’.
Clash compared ‘Pieces’ to the “alt-rock equivalent of crack cocaine”, which is a pretty good call. It’s the type of song you can whack on repeat and never get sick of hearing.
I RAN AWAY (SWEEP IT INTO SPACE, 2021)
It’s been several years since we’ve heard any new material from Dinosuar Jr. (although Mascis’ 2024 solo album What Do We Do Now is well worth a spin), but the good news is 2021s Sweep It Into Space remains another solid effort from the Massachusetts trio worth revisiting.
Personal favourite ‘I Ran Away’ is an alt-country number with a guest appearance from Kurt Vile who produces, plays the 12-string guitar and contributes backing vocals. This is a timely reminder of everything that is great about Dinosaur Jr. and why they remain so popular.
Dinosuar Jr. plays Hindley Street Music Hall on Monday, February 26. Limited tickets are still available via Moshtix.
Presented by Frontier Touring.
