Bass Player Magazine on the reunion/reissues

[Bucky Ramone]

From bassplayer.com:

The Original Dinoraur Jr. Reunite After 15 Years and Will Perform Together for the First Time on Television on CBS’ Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
28 March, 2005

So much has changed since Dinosaur Jr. last roamed the Earth. But one thing hasn’t – they still reign as one of rock’s most powerful.

Whether they intended to or not, J Mascis (guitar/vocals), Lou Barlow (bass) and Murph (drums) forever changed the face of rock & roll music. Their sonic wall of melodic bass, furious drums and stunning guitar wizardry, coupled with an almost laissez faire vocal delivery, became the sonic blueprint for what has become known as "alternative rock."

The influence that Dinosaur Jr. has had on their peers and future generations of musicians/bands is immeasurable:

"You’re Living All Over Me is one of the great records of all time. Dinosaur Jr. inspired me to play (as loud as humanly possible)." – Josh Garza (The Secret Machines)

"For me, growing up, Dinosaur Jr. was a band that you passed on to your closest friends because you knew it was rare and special, and you almost felt a responsibility to share it with the people you loved and cared about. The sheer force and substance of the chemistry that J, Lou, and Murph tapped into makes the so-called "Emo" bands of today look like flailing idiots. You can’t imitate the kind of heart and intensity these guys play with. They just have it. Equally as exciting as the band re-uniting, is the prospect that many little brothers and sisters will get taken to this as their first concert, and Dinosaur Jr. will teach a whole new generation of kids what you can do when you plug in a guitar." – Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls)

"Dinosaur is gonna re-stoke the fire, yes! I remember D. Boon playing me that first release and telling me, "These guys are like east coast Meat Puppets but with their own thing, huh?" I nodded like a bobble-head without thinking cuz he had totally just read my mind. Young cats too, we were so impressed. Much respect for Dino’s second time around! Catch it, feel it – fuckin’ bathe in it!" – Mike Watt (Minutemen)

"Listening to these re-issues only reminds me again how important Dino was to the pantheon of real rock… put plainly, Dino just did it for me. Here’s to the return of the "three day ring!" – Dave Schools (Widespread Panic)

J, Lou, and Murph haven’t played together since 1989. And, despite their groundbreaking musical accomplishments, the original Dinosaur Jr. lineup never did perform on national TV – until now. Almost two decades later, the trio will bring their jaw dropping live performance back to the stage; their reunion will be debuted on CBS’ Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Friday, April 15.

A day later, at Hollywood’s Spaceland, J Mascis + the Fog with VERY special guests will perform a full show to 300 lucky fans. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, March 29 at noon PST at http://www.jmascis.com and http://www.ticketweb.com . Show details are as follows:

Saturday, April 16
Spaceland
1717 Silver Lake Blvd, Hollywood
Tickets are $15 / 21 and over welcome
11:30 set time (two opening acts / doors at 8:30 PM)
For more information call 323-662-7727
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, March 29 at noon PST at http://www.jmascis.com and http://www.ticketweb.com

Select overseas festival performances have also been confirmed, including the UK’s Download Festival and Japan’s Fuji Rock Fest. Stay tuned for http://www.dinosaurjr.com for more dates as they are announced.

About the Reissues:

Originally released on two of the most influential independent labels of the times – Homestead and SST – Dinosaur, You’re Living All Over Me and Bug will now be available on Merge to an entirely new generation of music fans. If there is any justice these recordings will be just as influential the second time around…

All three CDs have been remastered and will be reissued with original cover artwork but the new booklets will contain never-before seen images that are sure to electrify longtime fans. Bonus materials include a rare live track – "Does It Float" – which captures the power and sheer chaos of early Dinosaur shows, as well as videos for classic tracks "Little Fury Things", "Just Like Heaven", "Freak Scene" and a recently-discovered, never before seen video for "No Bones". Also included are extensive new liner notes for all three albums compiled by music writer/gadfly Byron Coley featuring interviews/commentary from Thurston Moore, Mike Watt and Robert Pollard. Acclaimed filmmaker Allison Anders also contributed liner notes for Bug. But really, who needs extra bells and whistles? These albums contain so much raw power and melodic tension that they speak well enough for themselves, as seminal pieces of American rock and roll history.

[Author]

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