Green Mind

Dinosaur Jr. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 19, 1991)
• Original Release Date: February 19, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise / Wea
• ASIN: B000002LO1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,535 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wagon

2. Puke + Cry

3. Blowing It

4. I Live for That Look

5. Flying Cloud

6. How'd You Pin That One on Me

7. Water

8. Muck

9. Thumb

10. Green Mind

Editorial Reviews

Fronted by singer-songwriter/guitarist J Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. formed in Massachusetts in 1984. Their emergence was a musical shot heard round the world as Mascis and company put the heroics of lead guitar back into the forefront of the indie rock realm-amazingly, it was a revolutionary idea at the time. Post-punk and pre-grunge, they were an intense force to be reckoned with, and when the band signed to Sire in '91, Mascis' shreddingly unique alt-rock sound was cranked up for vast new audiences of eardrums. These expanded remasters of Dinosaur Jr's first two major label albums spotlight one of the most distinctive and influential artists of the '90s in prime form --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sigh...another lost classic..., February 14, 2004

By 

Wheelchair Assassin (The Great Concavity) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Mind (Audio CD)

If there's one thing I hope to achieve through my (generally mediocre) music reviews, it's to bring people's attention to some recordings that they might not otherwise hear. And "Green Mind" is one such unfairly neglected album. Over the past three years or so rock radio has been swarmed by bands trying to mix early-90's alternative rock with pop sensibilities, but unfortunately most of these acts tend to come off as almost appallingly indistinguished (think Nickelback). J. Mascis (who basically was Dinosaur Jr.) was not only doing it about ten years before any of these bands, but doing it a lot better. In a time dominated, whether for better or for worse, by self-conscious angst, Dinosour Jr. instead got by on an abundance of lazy charm.

First of all, is there any doubt that J. has one of the most memorable rock voices ever? His aching, warbling croak simultaneously brings to mind Paul Westerberg, Eddie Vedder, and even a little Kurt Cobain, but J. never sacrifices his individuality. He also accompanies himself brilliantly on the guitar, getting quite a bit of mileage out of just a few chords. Throughout the album, J. expertly mixes head-banging riffs, addictive pop hooks, and the occasional dose of gentle acoustics (see "Flying Cloud" for an example of the latter). Where J. really lets loose, though, is with his searing solos, which will bounce around in your head for days after you hear them. Throw in some truly monstrous drumbeats, and you've got something that goes well beyond your typical indie-rock album.

"Green Mind" bursts right out of the gate with the up-tempo pop-rock of "Wagon," which is easily one of the catchiest songs ever to open an album. "Wagon" is followed up brilliantly by the massive hooks of "Puke + Cry," the hard-driving rhythms of "Blowing It," and the dense, metallic "I Live For That Look." Later on, J. scores again with the moody alt-rock of "Water" and the slow-paced curveball "Thumb," which even brings a mellotron into the mix for some added atmosphere. The album closes with yet another brilliant piece of noise in the form of the title track, propelled by a classic riff and some maniacal drumming.

For sheer enjoyment, it's pretty tough to top this album. It's too bad Dinosaur Jr. never really managed to break out into the big time, but that doesn't mean they're not worth checking out. For fans of bands like the Pixies, the Replacements, and Husker Du, "Green Mind" is absolutlely essential.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fill your head with GREEN MIND, April 17, 2007

By 

Chris G. "hopebliss" (IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Mind (Audio CD)

Green Mind was released in 1991 and is considered a transition for Dinosaur Jr. Released by Sire this is the Band's major label debut.
Although it is practically a One-man solo project ran by Dinosaur's leader/vocalist J. Mascis. Drummer Murph only contributes his drum banging on three of the original's ten tracks.
Green Mind, is the Band's fourth release and it is more mellow and less abrasive and heavy than their previous works. This does show the Band maturing and moving forward w/ the most variety so far.
"The Wagon" - starts things off on the right foot and continues the Dinosaur Jr. tradition of beginning each album with a Killer (hit) track!
The album's inner notes sum up this song Best by saying "The Wagon teeters between raging emotions and raging guitars perfectly."
Green Mind also features My All-Time Favorite Song: "How Did You Pin That One On Me" - Rolling Stone magazine says this is: "..the glorious noise every garage band dreams of."
This album also features for the first time acoustic sounds that may have turned off many hard-core Dino-fans and/or music critics, but I just LOVE this transition. I think they took their heavy sounds as far as it could go from their indie debut through my fave - "Bug"
A couple more melodic or acoustic songs are "Flying Cloud" which sounds kind of like a folky Led Zeppelin number maybe off their 1969 2nd record, like "The Lemon Song."
And the other more melodic acoustic song is "Water" - a gorgeous relaxingly catchy track w/ soothing Neil Young inspired vocals.
This Re-mastered Cd contains three bonus tracks: 1)Hot Burrito #2 - a cover from Gram Parsons and features background vocals from actor Matt Dillon! 2) "Turnip Farm" - off the "Reality Bites" movie soundtrack & 3) "Forget It" - My Favorite Bonus track of these three and a perfect closer.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars their last great CD, August 25, 2003

By 

J. Young (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Green Mind (Audio CD)

This is Dinosaur's last great CD, and perhaps even their last good CD.

Although the departure of Barlow is clear from the style of the songs, J Mascis clearly had enough material to make for an excellent album all the way through. "The Wagon" is a throwback to old Dinosaur Jr, while stripped down songs like "Thumb", "Water", and "Green Mind" offer a preview of the future. The solos are still vintage Mascis, which is to say mind-blowing.

Some folks will swear off Dinosaur Jr after Barlow's departure, and I think that's understandable. They were a completely different band sans Barlow. However, this CD stands out on its own. It's everything else after this (not counting "Whatever's Cool With Me") that is subpar for Dinosaur Jr. I continued to buy all the CDs, but clearly they weren't the same band and the departure of Lou had hit hard.

Maybe now that Sebadoh has hit the wall, Barlow and Mascis can put aside their animosity and reunite for one final and amazing hoorah.