The conventional wisdom on
Dinosaur Jr.
is focused almost entirely on their sonics, which admittedly were devastating and influential. Other bands had never relinquished the force of electric guitars --
Huesker Due
were a galvanizing force,
Sonic Youth
reaffirmed that sheer noise had poetic power -- but
Dinosaur
, through their laconic frontman,
J Mascis
, restored not just the idea of a guitar hero, but showed that underground
rock
could soar with the eloquence of a guitar hero, reeling from lovely leads to sheets of noise to tranquil chords. In their early days, they relied more on sheer, overwhelming power, which tended to overshadow
Mascis
' subtle songwriting -- something that came to the forefront when the group, shed of
Lou Barlow
, shifted to
Sire
early in the '90s, because that also brought cleaner, precise productions. Since
Rhino
's 2001 compilation
Ear-Bleeding Country: The Best of Dinosaur Jr.
concentrates the
recordings, it does wind up emphasizing his songwriting, yet since those songs were always graced with
's sonic power and grace, it does provide an accurate summary of their career. And it provides a pretty tremendous listen in doing that. Some may argue that there's not enough
Homestead
or
SST
material here, and
"Raisans"
should have been here (along with
Green Mind
's
"Puke + Cry,"
and possibly their cover of
"Show Me the Way"
), but this generous 19-track collection never sags in its momentum, never has a dull spot, and pulls off a tricky move -- it makes
seem consistent, which latter-day
were not necessarily. However, as this collection proves,
never lost his touch and could still write terrific songs, even as late as the group's final album. But what really stands out here is the consistency of the work --
"Little Fury Things"
and
"Freak Scene"
may be the benchmarks of underground '80s
, but
alt-rock
standards like the straight cover of
the Cure
"Just Like Heaven,"
"Whatever's Cool With Me,"
"Start Choppin,"
"Get Me,"
"Feel the Pain,"
and the astonishing
"The Wagon"
are their equal, as is nearly every other song on this collection. And while the inclusion of
"Where'd You Go,"
a cut by
and his post-
outfit,
the Fog
, is puzzling,
"Take a Run at the Sun,"
a
Beach Boys
homage from the
Grace of My Heart
soundtrack
that puts
the High Llamas
R.E.M.
's latter-day efforts to shame, certainly isn't, since it illustrates that
' genius is conscious. So, while there may be a couple of songs that maybe should have made the cut, what is here cements that
are one of the great bands of their era, and it's a terrific listen, one of the best records in their catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine