Dinosaur

Back in 1985, (before they added the Jr), Dinosaur emerged from the ashes of short-lived but legendary hardcore group Deep Wound, stomping out of Western Massachusetts to become one of the most influential and idolized groups of the post-punk/pre-grunge era. Combining the wobbly drawl and extra-fuzzy guitars of J Mascis, Lou Barlow\'s thorough basslines and emotionally unstable vocal outbursts, and Murph\'s complex yet punishing drums, they cut a swath of destruction throughout the later half of the eighties. The songs here range from the extremely melodic and contemplative breakup ballad \"Severed Lips,\" to the headbanging back-to-nature mayhem of \"Mountain Man,\" plus freaked out favorites like \"Repulsion\" and \"The Leper.\" Lots of quiet-loud action, instrumental breakdowns, and intense solos, backing up lyrics that focus on insecurity and insanity, alternately elusive and explosive. Though it doesn\'t have the same notoriety and name-check value as its follow-up, *Dinosaur* remains a landmark album that should not be overlooked.

Released before the group was forced to change its name to Dinosaur Jr. by an obscure psychedelic group, the band's debut, Dinosaur, is a noisy, impressive, but uneven array of pseudo-hardcore numbers, sonic experiments, and sprawling hard rock.