More Light [Extra tracks, Import]

J. Mascis & the Fog, J Mascis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: Pony Canyon Japan
• ASIN: B000053VHM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,074,541 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Same Day

2. Waistin

3. Where'd You Go

4. Back Before You Go

5. Ground Me To You

6. Ammaring

7. All The Girls

8. I'm Not Fine

9. Can't I Take This On

10. Does The Kiss Fit

11. More Light

12. Can I Tell You Stories

13. Too Hard

14. Leaving On A Jet Plane

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It was time for J. Mascis to move on from his Dinosaur Jr. days. He may never leave the comfortable environs of his home studio in Amherst, Massachusetts, but at least he can import folks like My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields to add sonic deviation. He'll always sing in that anguished whine that suggests someone is twisting his arm behind his back (or sometimes he'll sound surprisingly like Alice Cooper). As long as he keeps the guitars choogling with his trademark hyperdistorted tone, he'll be OK. "Same Day" employs this strategy with the expected results. "Where'd You Go" and "Back Before You Go" have a Southern rock vibe running through them. Even more revealing, however, are the moodier pieces in which the arrangements head into psychedelic territory ("Waistin," "Ground Me to You") with swirling keyboards and subtler guitar moves. An old dog may not learn new tricks, but he can add some nice twists to the old ones. --Rob O'Connor

Product Description

Japanese pressing of the former Dinosaour Jr. frontmans solo record includes three bonus tracks, 'Jet Plane', 'Too Hard'& 'Can I Tell You Stories'. 14 tracks in total. The track, 'Jet Plane' is totally exclusive to this Japanese edition asit does not feature on his recent single.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "happy" Dinosaur Jr. record? Must be a concept album., October 29, 2000

By 

"ntrop" (Foster City, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Light (Audio CD)

J. Mascis takes a big risk here. When an artist who has built a career singing epic songs about alienation and sorrow turns in his or her "happy" or "love" album, there is always the risk that it will come across as trite or insincere. There are only 3 possible outcomes from releasing a CD like this:

1. He alienates the core fanbase who were expecting the usual sweeping sorrowscapes. They may think he's "selling out" (as if "happy" somehow equalled "sell-out").

2. He re-establishes himself with folks who dug his basic sound but were turned off by the relentless negativity of his previous albums. However, how many people will be willing to give him a "second chance" at $17 a pop?

3. He brings in a whole new crowd, gets played on Total Request Live, and makes millions. To quote J. himself, "yeah, right".

Given these odds, what would possess him or her to press on anyway, the heck with the consequences? Why, love, of course. Almost every song on this CD is ripe with genuine expressions of woozy joy, made all the more poignant when contrasted to his past work. There is also an interesting subtext to several of the songs here; a dialog between the artist and his fans, in whcih he is gently asking them to "lighten up" a bit.

So, how does J. Mascis do at "happy"? He pulls it off with as much sincerity and depth of feeling that he brought to sadder subjects. Fear not, his amazing mastery of the guitar is strong as ever, but applied in a slightly different way. This is a high-wire act that he pulls off quite well indeed. I am so glad he chose to make this record. Respect must be paid at long last to J. Mascis. Buy this CD and hear a true artist risking everything just to tell you it's gonna be alright after all. This is food for the soul. Absolutely priceless.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "More Light" From a Dark Star, October 25, 2000

By 

Gregg M. Greentree (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Light (Audio CD)

It's been several years since J Mascis' last album with the now defunct Dinosaur Jr, but his new album "More Light" is well worth the wait. If you're not familiar with this artist, his voice is definitely an acquired taste. His music, however, is an interesting mixture of sonic boom and yearning emotion. The later is displayed on "Ground Me to You" which is certainly one of the best songs on the album. Many of Mascis' songs over the years have centered on painful yearnings about love and relationships and the tortured quality of his voice goes perfectly with this beautiful track. "Waistin'" is another song in a similar vein. If you're looking for guitar pyrotechnics, check out "Back Before You Go" and "Same Day." These are guitar heavy songs with incredible fret work. Another amazing solo can be found on "Does the Kiss Fit," which has a little more of a funky groove than what Mascis usually produces. When J fronted Dinosaur Jr, he also controlled nearly every aspect of the band, often playing all of the instruments on many of the tracks. Clearly a genius, he may also have been a bit of a control freak and the music often seemed bogged down in a sludge of distortion and depression. Now that he is backed by "the Fog," the music seems more creative than on his last two albums. And for virtually the first time on a Mascis creation, there are backing vocals other than his own! There are also pianos, banjos, barking dogs, and other assorted sounds that create an interesting texture for this cd. "Where You Been" was definitely the high point in Dinosaur's career. "More Light" is a return to form for this Boston native. And in a world of alternative music where most current bands are just ripping off ones of the past, this is a refreshingly original album from one of today's most creative artists.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No dinosaurs here..., October 25, 2000

By 

James Mann (Decatur, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: More Light (Audio CD)

Aptly attributed to "the fog", the former Dino Jr. leader returns to the world of electricity with "More Light". His trademark guitar screech (I mean that as a compleament) and crazed vocals are in high form. Mascis may well be one of the few "indie guitar gods", since the genre favors songwriting and posturing more than fretboard antics. Featuring Robert Pollard from Guided by Voices on vocals (not that you can hear 'em)and Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine lurking about, this album seems more varied than the Dino days, but still packs a punch. If you get a chance, catch him on his brief tour- Mike Watt is on bass, making it a true "punk supergroup".