Published on May 9, 2000
I don’t know why it is, but I’ve never developed a taste for J.
Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. I don’t hate them; I just don’t like their
music.
I know I really should be more respectful of Mascis and his
revolving lineup of bandmates. After all, they were the
anti-Nirvana, continuing to slug things out in the name of
alternative rock while languishing in semi-obscurity. Even when the
major labels came knocking at their door, Dinosaur Jr took a few
years to finally break through commercially with the song “Feel The
Pain.” If there was any joy, it was short-lived, as the band called
it a day not terribly long afterwards.
Yet the music that Dinosaur Jr created tends to fall into the
same category as that created by other groups in the genre like
Mudhoney and the Melvins: I just happen to find it unapproachable
— almost like Sonic Youth, only without the guitar chords from
hell. And while the fans of Dinosaur Jr undoubtedly welcomed the
release of
In Session, a collection of 10 tracks recorded for the BBC,
it didn’t change my mind about this group that much.
If you expect to hear the alternative radio hits like “The
Wagon” or “Feel The Pain,” you may as well walk away from this
disc. Instead, this is most definitely a release for the fans,
culling tracks from sessions in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
There are indeed one or two moments on
In Session where you can understand what the underground
buzz was all about. The disc’s closing track, “Get Me,” is one such
example, building from Mascis’s vocals and acoustic guitar into
something of substance.
But Mascis never was an incredibly powerful or talented
vocalist, and often his work seems to fall a little flat on tracks
like “Leper,” “No Bones” and “Keep The Glove”. And I’m sorry, but
the primal screaming on the chorus of “Bulbs Of Passion” – cripes,
the band had me up until that point. After that, I just could not
get into that track.
Of course, if you worship Dinosaur Jr and their music, you can
ignore (and probably have) all my griping. For you, hearing
“Raisins,” “Does It Float” and “In A Jar” in such a unique setting
is probably paramount to discovering the Holy Grail in your
cabinet, right next to the Las Vegas showgirl shotglasses. Hey –
fine with me. Dinosaur Jr really was a band whose music you either
loved or hated; there was very little room for middle-ground.
If you want to discover what all the fuss was about when it came
to Dinosaur Jr, I’d be hesitant to recommend
In Session as your first step. Instead, if you try one or
two of their studio albums and like what you hear, then you’ll want
to pick this disc up to complement their work.