Dinosaur Jr. Album: “Where You Been [Remaster]”

Description :

Dinosaur Jr.: J Mascis (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, tympani, chimes, drums); Mike Johnson (bass, guitar, piano, background vocals); Murph (drums). Additional personnel: Kurt Fedora (guitar); Larry Packer (violin); Dave Mason (viola); Rob Turner, Abbie Newton (cellos); George Berz (tambourine); Tiffany Anders (background vocals). Recorded at Dreamland, Woodstock, New York. Personnel: Tiffany Anders (vocals); Mike Johnson (guitar, piano, bass instrument, background vocals); Kurt Fedora (guitar); George Berz (tambourine). Dinosaur Jr.'s baroque moment finds J. Mascis bringing in a string section and adding the occasional odd instrument himself to his band's power-trio splatter. But if Mascis is the Neil Young of the post-hard-core generation, that doesn't make WHERE YOU BEEN his HARVEST. Au contraire, it's still loaded with feedback squalls, distorted guitar solos and all other manner of electric melancholy. It does make WHERE YOU BEEN his most integrated pop moment, tipping the overall balance away from the sprawling noise and toward pop structure, offering some moments of sub-orchestral beauty. "What Else Is New," a melodic rocker with its share of blues guitar leads, has a surprising two-minute coda that builds on a strummed acoustic guitar with a cello, then tympani, then a full string section. "Not The Same" is a ballad that seamlessly integrates those same elements with a gorgeously arpeggiated electric guitar motif, and a Young-like falsetto vocal.

This work is undoubtedly a most underated album. It is as close to a studio masterpiece that I think Dinosaur Jr. was capable of, and all studio polish is used as it should be used...to add to the impact of a song, and not to define a song. The Album starts off on a high tempo note with 'Out There'- a blueprint of layered guitars and longing lyrics to follow. 'What else is new' is a confession of desperation leading into the beautiful acoustic wind-up of the song, and the majestic masterpiece 'Get Me' is a true classic for all who were in in our late teens during the early 1990's. An album that has withstood the test of time, at least in my CD collection.

I first heard Dinosaur Jr., when Green Mind came out and was a casual fan. But when Where You Been came out, I was blown away!! Nobody wraps more emotion into a guitar solo than J Mascis. The highlight for me is "Get Me" which just builds and builds to angst-filled, screaming guitar solo as the song closes .... and the chorus "... you're not going to get me through this, are you?" leaves me utterly drained. I've read the other reviews hear and cannot at all agree with those who think this is a week DJ effort. There is not a bad song on the album ....... I can't say that about Green Mind or any of their post-Where You Been efforts...

It's hard to say which album is the best of theirs, but I'd go with this or "Green Mind". Neither are as rough as the early albums, or as smooth as the late ones, but just solid rockin' "DJ". The popular songs were "Out There" and "Start choppin'", but I also like "Get Me" and the excellent "Goin' Home". That's probably one of my favorite "DJ" songs ever. As with every album, they're not all winners, but front to back this is one of the best. Newcomers might just want the "Ear Bleeding Country" collection. It's sweet too.