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 puréed 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