Customer Reviews

Fossils

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm often cautious about spending money on EPs of outtakes and covers, but this one is absolutely worth it for a fan looking for some new Dinosaur. There are a few Dinosaur standards thrown in, an amusing cover of Frampton's "Show Me the Way", an inspired cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven", a great version of "Keep the Glove", plus the awesome "Chunks", which is as angry, hard, and punk rock as Dinosaur gets. I bought this when it first came out in 1991 and have given it many listens since.

Dinosaur jr's first 1991 release. Its not much of a cd the only new song is keep the glove and then there is the two that appered on the just like heavan single, as a matter of fact the whole single is on here. If you want to buy this here is what your looking forward to.

Little fury things (from your living all over me)
This one is a great kinda depressing song with the crazist feedback scream ive ever heard. Lee ranaldo (sonic youth) does the back ground lyrics to this one as well.

In a jar (from YLAOM)
This one is a dinosaur jr classic its mostly base playing but the vocals and lyrics are awesome and it really gets a good kick in the ass at the end.

Show me the way *cover* (from YLAOM)
Last song on YLOAM is an OK song a cool mix of distortion and a solo but the vocals kinda get annoying after 2 mins.

Freak scene (from BUG)

The only song from bug on this album. This song kinda put dinosaur jr on the map for higher class indie rockers. I love the guitar and lyrics AND vocals *another dinosaur jr classic*

Keep the glove (new)

This is a folk rock song with the crazist solo at the halfway point this one is perfect to crank because the solo is LOUD and crushing one of J mascis's best songs.

Just like heavan *single*

I remember seeing this music video a few years back but the video is rarely shown. As you may or may not know this one is a cure cover and an amazing cover too. Its a smart blend of acoustic and hard rock and instead of the cures nice little "you" in the chorus you get the whole band screaming "YOU!" then j mascis goes back to normal vocals. What an amazing song.

Throw down *off of the single*

Very Very short filler song (I think 45 seconds) of acoustic. If you listen to brand new love by sebadoh, after the song is over you can hear this song in the background for some reason.

Chunks *off of single*

Chunks is a cool punk song made for some rights group of whatever but the song has freak scene style guitaring with Henry rollins style vocals. What a great blend.

By this cd if you dont have enough money to get both your living all over me or bug but if you do get them and not this, this one is for people who want every cd by the band (like me).

There are some real Dino Jr. gems here. This is the only cut of "Throw Down" I've been able to find, which I think is a very underappreciated song. Fans have sometimes complained about J Mascis' voice, but the music fits his voice beautifully here. This includes an almost kidding version of Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way" which sounds like a really good garage band version; assuming, of course, that the garage band included one of the world's best electric guitar players. I think J. Mascis does with his guitar what Frampton needed the voice box for (or whatever thing that was that Frampton used). In any case, I'll always think of that song differently now after having heard Dino Jr's version. They've taken a vapid, almost simpy song and brought it alive.

I agree with a previous review that the Dino Jr. version of "Sounds Like Heaven" is better than the Cure's original. And "Keep the Glove" is superb. I envy the people who haven't heard this collection yet: they still have the pleasure ahead of them. Buy it while it's still available (I doubt they're making any more of 'em.)

This CD rocks. In typical Dinosaur fashion, guitars sound like jackhammers and vocals require lozenges. Fortunately, this makes for a charming combination and redresses old greats like Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way" and The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" in very sexy clothing. In the case of the latter song, the Dinosaur version might even be better.

This is my favorite Dinosaur Jr. album/ep.
Love all the songs on it. so great.

There are some real Dino Jr. gems here. This is the only cut of "Throw Down" I've been able to find, which I think is a very underappreciated song. Fans have sometimes complained about J Mascis' voice, but the music fits his voice beautifully here. This includes an almost kidding version of Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way" which sounds like a really good garage band version; assuming, of course, that the garage band included one of the world's best electric guitar players. I think J. Mascis does with his guitar what Frampton needed the voice box for (or whatever thing that was that Frampton used). In any case, I'll always think of that song differently now after having heard Dino Jr's version. They've taken a vapid, almost simpy song and brought it alive.

I agree with a previous review that the Dino Jr. version of "Sounds Like Heaven" is better than the Cure's original. And "Keep the Glove" is superb. I envy the people who haven't heard this collection yet: they still have the pleasure ahead of them. Buy it while it's still available (I doubt they're making any more of 'em.)

this is a fine example of dinosaur at there best. although this ablbum is almost ten years old the content is timeless. very few artists can live up to the standard dinosaur set in the early 90's, including dinosaur jr.

"Chunks" is a song by Last Rights, a Boston hardcore band who only played one show in 1983 in Greenfield, MA and then put out a 7" record on Taang! that notoriously had a rare sleeve of Hitler (limited to 100). Mascis and Barlow were in the MA hardcore band Deep Wound together and they played at that show, and I always took the song to be them just giving a nod to their roots on this. Interestingly, a couple of times before the recent reunion of the original lineup of Dinosaur Jr, Lou came onstage at a couple gigs J was playing and they covered some of their Deep Wound material. The Last Rights stuff can be found on a joint cd also featuring Negative FX put out by Taang!. Deep Wound stuff is actually kind of hard to find, although Lost and Found put out a bootleg of it.

Fossils is a nice treat for Dinosaur Jr. fans who've missed out their three infamous SST singles, but most of these songs have been on albums or available seperately (the "Just Like Heaven" EP is still available on CD and vinyl). The a-sides are certainly great: "Little Fury Things" needs no explanation, "Freak Scene" is just fantastic, and you'll never look at "Just Like Heaven" the same again after hearing Dinosaur Jr.'s cover. "Keep The Glove" and "In The Jar" are fine b-sides, but "Chunks" and "Throw Down" are somewhat forgettable. And I've never really been into their "Show Me The Way" cover. But listening to the synth lines of "...Heaven" replaced by a sloppy and loud, but brilliant, guitar solo is reason enough to buy this. Of course, "Little Fury Things," "In A Jar," and "Show Me the Way" (a.k.a. Dinosaur Jr. EP) are already all on the classic You're Living All Over Me LP and "Freak Scene" is on Bug. So whether or not you need this all depends. All Dinosaur Jr. fans need You're Living... and might already have this material. But if you don't, this makes a good purchase.

This is neat little dinosaur jr CD with a bunch of old songs and a couple of new ones. Chunks is an ok song its better then throw down. Just like heavan is amazing so is show me the way and the rest is good too. Buy it if you want to.