Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dino neophyte, June 30, 2009
It's a good listen. I'm not a long-time fan or devotee - just heard a couple of tracks on Pitchfork for the first time and ordered this new release. Great guitar work, nice power trio sound - and catchy tunes. Nice tight production and certainly studio polish. Could've used a stronger producer's hand to shorten some of the final tracks, but the bonus CD is a treat.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4.5 Stars - life after Beyond, July 10, 2009
Reunions are a tricky thing. After enough years apart, the question always is whether the spark that once seemed to exist between a particular set of musicians can be revived. Often times, the results can be a little flat or tepid. However, when the original lineup of Dino Jr. came together after nearly 20 years (Barlow was kicked out of the band in the late 80s) to create Beyond (2007), they seemed to pick up right where they had left off. This follow-up proves that this was no accident, and it's great to see this group continuing to work together.
Dino Jr., for those of you who may be new to the band, is a group of dudes from Massachusetts who got their start in the mid 80s and have been seen by some critics as the could-have-been-Nirvana (Curt Cobain was a fan, and was very influenced by the band's sound). However their sound was always a bit too oddball to make it in the commercial mainstream despite a substantial cult following. The band continued making records after founding member Lou Barlow was kicked out in about 1988 (he went on to form the indie godfathers Sebadoh, which was one of my favorite bands when I was in high school), and even enjoyed some commercial success. However, by this point Dino Jr. was pretty much a J Mascis project. Throughout the band's history, the music was characterized by its guitar-centric loudness combined with an increasing sense of melody as time passed.
The original lineup's reunion in 2007 was impressive. The band turned in a truly stunning set of songs, which set the blazing guitars against strong hooks and a high level of energy. This new album follows in the same vein, with hooky material drowned in a sea of delicious guitar fuzz. If anything, the guitar takes an even more prominent role in some of these tracks, giving the music an almost jammy feel. It's loose and spontaneous sounding, and must have been a lot of fun to record. While the songs are perhaps not quite at the same level as those on Beyond, they're very similar in texture and approach. I just got this disc so I'm not sure which songs will be the standouts yet. However, there isn't a bad one in the pack.
Highly recommended for guitar-rock fans, people who like high-energy alt rock, and really anyone with an open mind. Great for driving too.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An American Classic, July 15, 2009
This is the rock album of the year.
1. Buy it
2. Listen to it
3. Repeat step 2
I was floored when "Beyond" came out. I was always a huge fan of the band, and was absolutely overjoyed to hear they got back together. When I listened to that album for the first time, I felt like it was 1989 all over again, but in a good and relavent way. That great feeling I got with "Beyond", is present ten-fold with "Farm".
"Plans", "Said The People", and "I Don't Wanna Go There" are instant American classics. They're catchy and substantive. Not always an easy combo to find. Hearing Barlow sing "Imagination Blind" and "Your Weather" is a wonderful thing. More bands should mix up the singing duties. It just completely diversifies a band's sound.
Oh, and even if you don't like amazing music, you should buy the album just for the art. I haven't smoked weed in years, but it ALMOST makes me want to puff again:P I might even buy the vinyl just for the creepy, but very cool art.
The extra tracks are very sweet.
Buy it now.
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