Where You Been

by Dinosaur Jr.

Overview

By the time Where You Been surfaced, Seattle had completely exploded, and given that Dinosaur Jr.'s sound, attitude, and more were as proto-slacker as could be, the temptation must have been great to cash in. But J Mascis stuck to his guns, and there's little about Where You Been that would have seemed out of place on Green Mind or even some earlier records. Recorded with a full band throughout, Mike Johnson and Murph lay down does-the-job rhythm tracks while Mascis tackles almost everything else. Where You Been is occasionally moody and dark but otherwise is more rough fun. Opening track "Out There" is one of the most mournful things Mascis has recorded, with an especially yearning chorus, but his fiery solo still makes it classic Dinosaur Jr. "Start Choppin" immediately follows, its quick, catchy lead riff helping to make it as close to a radio hit as the band ever had -- and, of course, a big ol' solo or two adding to the fun of it all. From there on in it's a pureed blast of punk, classic rock, and more. It may be business as usual, but it's good business just the same, whether it's the gentle "Not the Same," on which Mascis does his best Neil Young impersonation, or the stuttering feedback snorts and rips on "Hide," on which he borrows a bit back from disciple Kevin Shields. Other highlights include "Get Me," a melancholic, steady cruncher with another trademark solo of the gods, and the unjustly ignored "What Else Is New," which sounds like a mid-'70s rock ballad with louder volume and none of the crud, right down to the concluding string section. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	10/04/2019
Label:	Cherry Red
UPC:	5013929175716
Rank:	25534

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dinosaur Jr.   Primary Artist
Kurt Fedora   Guitar,Bass,Guitar (Rhythm)
J Mascis   Drums,Chimes,Guitar,Vocals,Timpani
Larry Packer   Violin
George Berz   Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
Del the Funky Homosapien   Featured Artist
Mike Johnson   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Soloist,Vocals (Background),Bass,Piano,Guitar,Soloist,Vocals (Background)
Tiffany Anders   Vocals
Murph   Drums
Rob Turner   Cello
John Agnello   Vocals (Background)
Dave Mason   Viola
Matt Dillon   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

J Mascis   Producer,Composer,Engineer
Teren Jones   Composer
Paul Nickson   Producer
Jeanette   Assistant
Geoff Travis   A&R
Hugh Brown   Reissue Art Director
Cory Frye   Editorial Supervision
Alan Menken   Composer
Bryce Goggin   Assistant Engineer
Kurt Fedora   Engineer
Dan McLaughlin   Assistant Engineer
Chris Ethridge   Composer
John Agnello   Mixing,Engineer
Reggie Collins   Reissue Project Coordination Assistant
Matt Pakucko   Assistant Engineer
Tim O'Heir   Engineer
Dani Barnard   A&R
Gram Parsons   Composer
Ted Trewhella   Assistant Engineer
Joe McEwan   A&R
Ginger Dettman   Reissue Project Coordination Assistant
Matt Abels   Reissue Producer
Julie Vlasak   Reissue Art Director
James Birtwhistle   Engineer,Producer
John Pearson   Engineer
Daniel Hersch   Reissue Remastering
James O'Toole   Reissue Project Coordination Assistant
Bryan Coley   Liner Notes
Marc Salata   Reissue Project Coordination Assistant
Steve Rojo   Assistant Engineer
Tim O'Hair   Engineer