Dinosaur Jr. (Psych Noise)
English version · automatic translation
Anachronique: Dinosaur Jr. (Psych Noise)
Dinosaur Jr. Another anachronique article on a band that changed the American indie scene forever. Another anachronique article on a band recognised by its peers as one of the most innovative in history.Formed in 1983, the band was first called Dinosaur. Then Dinosaurs. The Jr. came for good in 1987. Dinosaur Jr. then signed to the SST Records label, on the recommendation of Sonic Youth. But today our attention turns to the album Dinosaur, the very first, released in 1985. This album, the noisiest of them all, is a real lo-fi gem in which punk, early-grunge and psychedelia collide over 11 Dantesque tracks. Dinosaur has something intoxicating about it, a very dark guitar that gives these songs an undeniable melancholy.
The album opens with “Forget The Swan“, the poppiest track on the album, with one of the catchiest choruses. The guitar that bursts in at the third minute heralds the hardcore sound the album sometimes reveals. “Cats In A Bowl” and “The Leper” are harder to grasp, because they are more experimental. And then it is the turn of “Does It Float” to dazzle us. Here we are in the presence of one of the band’s best tracks. Jay Mascis’s voice is accompanied by a few quickly distilled riffs, before the full complexity of Dinosaur comes through. “Pointless” very clearly recalls the first creations of Sonic Youth, a semi-spoken track that is rather frightening on first listens. “Repulsion“, the other marvellous creation of Dinosaur, should be one of the most recognised indie songs of the ’80s. The catchy rhythm of “Gargoyle“, the intoxicating guitar of “Severed Lips“, and the album’s extraordinary finale with “Bulbs Of Passion“, are all splendid creations that made Dinosaur Jr. the mythical band it has become. Once again, let yourself be guided by the heavy guitar of this last creation, the complexity of the dozens of sounds that spring up at every moment, the three-guitar passages, the guitar oscillating between jazz and War Punk…
By the band’s own admission, this album aimed to combine the music of Sonic Youth with that of Neil Young. It is not certain that Neil’s is much represented, but the album nonetheless keeps an extremely singular quality, an old-fashioned poetry we did not think possible with music this empirical. Often overlooked in favour of You’re Living All Over Me (1987), Dinosaur is one of those exceptional debut albums that left their mark on History.
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Original version (French)
L’album s’ouvre avec “Forget The Swan“, le titre le plus pop de l’album, l’un des refrains les plus catchy. La guitare qui surgit à la troisième minute est annonciatrice du son hardcore que l’opus révèle parfois. “Cats In A Bowl” et “The Leper” sont plus difficiles à saisir, parce que plus expérimentaux. Et puis, c’est au tour de “Does It Float” de venir nous éblouir. On est là en présence de l’un des meilleurs titres du groupe. La voix de Jay Mascis est accompagnée par quelques riffs rapidement distillés, avant que ne vienne s’exprimer toute la complexité du Dinosaur. “Pointless” rappelle très clairement les premières créations de Sonic Youth, un titre semi-parlé aux premières écoutes plutôt effrayantes. “Repulsion“, l’autre création mirifique de Dinosaur, devrait être l’un des morceaux indie les plus reconnus des années ’80. Le rythme entrainant de “Gargoyle“, la guitare grisante de “Severed Lips“, et l’extraordinaire final de l’opus avec “Bulbs Of Passion“, sont autant de splendides créations qui auront fait de Dinosaur Jr. le groupe mythique qu’il est devenu. Une fois encore, laissez vous guider par la guitare heavy de cette dernière création, la complexité des dizaines de sonorités qui surgit à chaque instant, les phases à trois guitares, la guitare qui oscille entre jazz et War Punk…
Dinosaur Jr. – Does It Float
Dinosaur Jr. – Repulsion
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Mixtape Still in Rock #1
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