Title: BugArtist: Dinosaur Jr.
Year: 1988
Had since: 2005
How I got it: Borders
Why I have it: This and "You're Living All Over Me" were reissued at the same time (along with their debut) by Merge Records in 2005. I went back on forth on which one to buy first and finally bought "You're Living". After that, I had to get this one.
Prior to the reissues, the only CD I had by them was their "BBC In Session" album. It was a compilation that had some of their best songs on it, including this one, my favorite song of theirs and track 2 on "Bug":
The song just encapsulates everything I love about this band. It starts off slow and miserable, but when the singing comes in it turns almost hopeful, with the guitars just roaring full blast the whole time. Then in the middle it picks up and rages for a short guitar solo before returning to the original melody. I could honestly listen to it all day.
But even before I had that CD, the first song I ever heard by them was Bug's lead-off track "Freak Scene". Except it wasn't by them, it was a cover of that song by Blink-182. At the time I didn't know it was a cover and just thought it was one of their bad songs. Now I know it's just a bad cover of a good song. Their singer does a pretty fair impersonation of Dinosaur's singer J. Mascis though.
If I have to choose between Bug and You're Living All Over Me, after all these years, I wouldn't. It's too close to call, as both albums have the structural complexity combined with crushingly loud guitars and beautiful pop songwriting that makes Dinosaur Jr so great. I would say get both, but get Bug first. They are both essential.
2 comments:
the location of that photo looks familiar... as does the little head in the foreground. :)
I think the cartoon monster on my shirt is trying to eat Holden. And Holden is saying "I'm OK with this."
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