Dinosaur Jr - Live At The Blue Note 04-12-06

Label: Bootleg

Year: 2006

Please excuse the soundman during the first track, he's still farting around with levels. Beyond that, what you get is pretty good quality (my only complaint is that the vocals are too high in the mix) set. Maybe a B-? Sure. B-.

The tracks date back to "Dinosaur" (1985) all the way through "Bug" (1988), which, I suppose, is in deference to the O.G. lineup. And that's fine and all, but it means you get nothing off of "Green Mind", and no offense to Lou Barlow, but that record slays and it's be nice to hear some of those choice jams. I have now idea if the newly reformed band is playing material that the three current (and original) members didn't all play on, or if they are staying away from those songs. I don't know because I was never a huge fan of their Neil Youngish take on sludge, so the nostalgia trip isn't all that inviting. That's not to say they aren't a great band, or that their records aren't good, or that J Mascis can't shred my face off. That's all true stuff, it's just that at the actual time of their existence they were a little too "soft" (that's what she said) for me. I mean, when you compare them to Corrosion Of Conformity, or whatever I was bumpin' out of the jam box at the jump ramp session, then yes, they are kinda soft. But, in the pantheon of modern rock music, they will go down as an all time great, deftly melding pop hooks in some gnarly rock, buried under a mountain of screaming, feedbacking guitar.

Good shit.

DL