REVIEW: Dinosaur Jr., _BBC In Session_ (Fuel 2000)
– Kerwin So
In the mid-1980s, when the American underground rock movement
was starting to take off with help from labels like SST and Homestead,
a little trio from Amherst, Mass., named Dinosaur, roared its way to
the forefront of the scene. With an overpowering blend of squealing
Neil Young guitar workouts, Black Sabbath heaviness, and the urgent
whine of lead singer/songwriter/guitarist J Mascis (which somehow
managed to convey both lethargy and urgency simultaneously), Dinosaur
left an indelible footprint on the landscape of alternative rock,
serving as both contemporaries and major influences on bands like
Sonic Youth, Nirvana, the Lemonheads, and Buffalo Tom. Of course, a
stray band of hippies with considerable legal power eventually forced
the band to rename themselves Dinosaur Jr., but that diminished their
power not a whit. Old fans and newcomers both can relive the glory
days of Dinosaur Jr. now thanks to the label Fuel 2000, who have
finally released the BBC session recordings of the band.
Culled from four different sessions from 1988, 1989 and 1992,
this collection appropriately includes versions of tracks spanning the
most influential years of Dinosaur Jr.’s career. The overall recording
feel of classics like "In a Jar," "Budge" and "Raisans" [sic] is raw,
intimate, and loose; very little re-mastering has been done here. And
I don’t think J would’ve had it any other way. The tracks the band
produced themselves ("In a Jar" and "Keep the Glove") end on humorous
notes, with J muttering "Bummer" on one, and letting his voice slide
into a jokey snarl on the other. "No Bones" features vibes (!), which
actually work surprisingly well in this _Bug_ album track. The
excellent version of "Raisans" (from the landmark LP _You’re Living
All Over Me_) features a high-school girl voiceover during the calm
middle guitar break, very reminiscent of the Pixies’ _Surfer Rosa_.
And the final moments of "Does It Float" even include a dead-on take
of the opening riff from Guns ‘n’ Roses’ classic hair-metal ballad
"Sweet Child O’ Mine!"
Hardcore fans (probably in both senses of the word) will be
pleased at the inclusion of debut-album favorites like "The Leper,"
which was constantly yelled as a request to J across the nation on
the final Dinosaur Jr. tour in ’97 (the result of an ambitious joke
started on the Internet). And is that really Lou Barlow screaming his
lungs out on "Bulbs of Passion," the same guy who would later become
indie rock’s wuss poster boy in Sebadoh?
But don’t think that the attitude is strictly jocular on _BBC
In Session_. Indeed, the real reasons for fans and neophytes alike to
purchase this CD come in the form of the only two acoustic songs
included. "Keeblin" is a different version than appeared on the
_Quest_ import, and well worth picking up for its subtly pining
vocals, and another beautiful electric J solo laid over sweet
steel-string acoustic chords. And finally, possibly Dinosaur Jr.’s
finest song ever, "Get Me," is presented here in the stripped-down
format originally heard on _Quest_, with a downright tear-jerking
solo taking you through the most gorgeous, tortured territory you’ve
never explored. J Mascis singlehandedly brought the solo guitar back
to alternative rock, and this song proves why. There’s no wankery or
showboating here, just naked emotion, making the BBC version of "Get
Me" – and this CD – a fitting end to Dinosaur Jr.’s long, mighty legacy