Amazon.co.uk Review
Since bassist Lou Barlow left Dinosaur Jr. in 1989, the band--whose last record was 1997's expansive
Hand It Over--has largely become an alter-ego moniker for guitarist/vocalist J Mascis. But now the original trio (including drummer Emmett "Murph" Murphy) has reunited for the first time since Barlow's split, and the 11-song outcome makes one ask: Why did they wait so long? Mascis's thunderous "Almost Ready," featuring both his combustible guitar and weary vocals, is the perfect blast-off, allowing Murphy's backbeat to set a turbulent pace early, and while songs like "Been There All the Time" and the Neil Young accolade "This Is All I Came to Do" have Mascis as primed as ever, Barlow (whose '90s-era Sebadoh set the bar for lo-fi bands) reappears with two of the record's strongest tracks: the poppy "Lightning Bulb" and "Back to Your Heart," which recalls late-in-the-game Hüsker Dü. These 50 minutes of music are as cohesive as they are conquering, and whether the same can be said of the once-prickly relationship between Mascis and Barlow will ultimately decide if this is a one-off reunion or if the
real Dinosaur Jr. is back for awhile.
--Scott Holter
CD Description
'Beyond' is the eighth studio album from Dinosaur Jr and the band's first featuring the original line-up - J. Mascis, Murph and Lou Barlow - since 1988's 'Bug'. Recorded at Mascis' Bisquiteen Studios, the album sees the trio return to the sludgy indie rock and legendary guitar solos that graced their first three albums and made them a driving force in the late eighties American alternative rock scene. The single 'Been There All The Time' is also included.