ARTIST: Dinosaur, Jr.                             

TITLE:  Dinosaur

YEAR RELEASED: 1985

CHART ACTION: None

SINGLES: Repulsion

OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Nah

LINEUP: J Mascis, Lou Barlow, Murph

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Early work from long-standing alternative / punkish band is full of songs that point a way forward, but still has a punk rock motif at times.

SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: After their original band Deep Wound broke up, Mascis and Barlow formed another band, and their record was released thanks to a college friend (Gerald Cosloy) said he’d put it out on his record label.

The band’s original sound was a mish-mosh, with some folkish idioms churned through loud guitars, next to a punk rock style song. It wasn’t very cohesive, and sometimes made worse by Mascis’ unique nasal vocals. Also, they were sued early on by an old band called Dinosaur, and so appended the Jr. to their name.

However, there are gems like “Repulsion” here, and the guitar work is pretty darn great the way through. It’d take a little bit for them to find there way.

NOTES & MINUTIAE: The original pressing sold just 1,500

IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Yes, the B-side of “Repulsion”, which J. Mascis wanted to start the album off on the reissue.

GRADE: C+: A couple of great songs, some mediocrity as well. The guitar work almost saves it.