"Nothing else sounded like this at the time. How can something be so loud and melodic at the same time?"
Few bands have made volume sound as melodic as Dinosaur Jr. Formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the 1980s, J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph forged a sound built from towering guitar solos, bruised melodies and the kind of distortion that feels physical. Their influence runs through generations of alternative rock, but their catalogue has never stood still.
From the combustible original trio and J Mascis’s major-label years to a reunion that has now outlasted the band’s first run, every Dinosaur Jr. era has something worth turning up. With There Near proving the ideas are still flowing, there was none better to take on the task of ranking their catalogue than our Head of Partnerships, Wes Lyons – a fan whose devotion began, fittingly enough, with equal parts curiosity and weed.
“Curiosity and weed caused me to stumble into the world of Farm from a poster in my friend’s dorm room while we were at university. I’ve been hooked ever since,” says Wes. That hook clearly runs deep: fresh from catching three of the five shows the band played across New York following the release of their new album, at Lucinda’s, Skinny Dennis and TV Eye, he’s certainly put the hours in.
Now, ears suitably ringing, Wes ranks his favourite ten albums from the Dinosaur Jr. catalogue of 13, listing the noise, melody, distortion and glorious guitar excess from great to greatest.
10. Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (2016)
Starting the list with their great 2016 album, this was also the only time I was able to catch Dinosaur Jr. at a very loud Rough Trade in-store performance at our old Brooklyn location. From the Vans Skatepark-shot video for Goin Down to the hard riffs J brings to the forefront on I Walk for Miles, this record proved that even ten years into their reunion, they still had it.
9. There Near (2026)
Picking up from where the last entry left off, Dinosaur Jr. have now been reunited for another ten years and have once again proved that the ideas keep flowing. Clam Along and the Lou Barlow-led highlight Blowin’ Up are my favourites one week into release. At times, it even feels like a further progression from their last record, Sweep It Into Space, which is also great, but this list is only ten deep!
8. Hand It Over (1997)
This is one that took me a long time to warm to on my initial journey of discovering Dinosaur Jr. The horns on I’m Insane are so different from what you expect to hear on a typical Dinosaur Jr. record that you grow to appreciate some of the ambitious swings J took on this one. Alone held the record for the longest Dinosaur Jr. song until Farm came around in 2009. More on that later...
7. Bug (1988)
Armed with one of their biggest hits and most notable tracks in Freak Scene, this record caught Dinosaur Jr. at the height of their original run, while they still retained the core trio of J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph. Seeing Kim Gordon perform her version of Don’t at the You’re Living All Over Me 25th-anniversary show was absolutely pummelling.
6. Where You Been (1993)
Arguably the most fun Dinosaur Jr. record, complete with all of its accompanying imagery and music videos. It’s hard not to start dancing when you hear the riff to Start Choppin - it’s infectious! There are definitely a couple of tracks here that belong among the best songs in their discography.
5. Beyond (2007)
Returning as the original 1980s lineup after being apart for so long was no easy task, and people didn’t know what to expect from a new album. That’s why Beyond was such a statement, in the vein of Michael Jordan’s classic “I’m back” note. Both J and Lou delivered some of the best songs of their careers in Crumble and Back to Your Heart.
4. Dinosaur (1985)
The album that started it all. Black-and-white cover. The potential this record showed was absolutely mind-blowing, and it laid the foundation for everything that came after. At their record-release shows for the new album, they performed an extended jam during Mountain Man, and I thought my head was going to explode in the best possible way.
3. Green Mind (1991)
The most iconic album cover, but also the first record after it all fell apart. With Lou having left the band and Murph playing on only three tracks, this was essentially a solo vessel for J to take complete control. What resulted was an epic major-label debut that retained what made Dinosaur Jr. great while also striving for more mainstream recognition.
2. Farm (2009)
Farm. Wow. I can’t stress how absolutely flawless this album is. If You’re Living All Over Me is the classic original-era Dinosaur Jr. record, then Farm is the classic reunion-era record: everything you love about the band turned up to 11. The solo in Said the People transports me to another plane of existence. Smoke weed to this record.
1. You’re Living All Over Me (1987)
Nothing else sounded like this at the time. How can something be so loud and melodic at the same time? A blueprint for the future. One of the greatest rock albums of all time. NOWHERE TO COLLAPSE THE LUNG.
Further Reading
Rough Trade Essential: Rock Albums
Rough Trade Essential: Post-Punk