#sstrecords

Circa-1989 computer printout of a review I wrote of Dinosaur Jr.’s “Just Like Heaven” mini-EP for issue #5 of the fanzine Writer’s Block, published October 1989.

I just got back from the debut U.S. screening tonight of Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr., a documentary that tells the story of that long-running band from western Mass. While watching it, I remembered that one of the first record reviews I ever wrote for a fanzine was of a Dinosaur Jr. single.

While I couldn’t find the relevant issue of Writer’s Block in my personal zine library (misfiled?), I did locate the printout I made at the time on our family dot matrix printer. This review is stored in a folder of computer printouts of all my early music writing. Even back then I must not have trusted the 3.5″ floppy disc technology over good old hard copy.

As a Boston-area fan of local music in the late eighties, I was definitely familiar with Dinosaur Jr., though they were a little too noisy for me to be a big fan. But when I heard they covered The Cure? Well, that was enough for me to sit up and take notice. I went out to my local Strawberries music store and bought myself the cassette single. (That’s right, even SST Records released cassingles!)

Down from the Shelf #22

Back on it after a spell of restitution …here are the top repeated spins down from the House shelves and onto the turntable for September:

Volcano Suns- Bumper Crop (Homestead Records 1987)

Shovelfuls of melody and mayhem from the third line up of the band featuring the ever present Peter Prescott (ex Mission of Burma), Chuck Hahn and a certain Bob Weston (pre Shellac).

Blind Idiot God – Blind Idiot God (SST 1987)

A whirling instrumental post hardcore excursion that takes in noise, jazz and metal before drowning in the deepest dub…an extraordinary mind blower.

Orange Juice- Rip it Up (Polydor 1982)

When soul, funk, jazz chords and jangling guitars merged effortlessly to give us deep sparkling new pop. With the immortal lyric ‘I hope to God your not as dumb as you make out- I hope to God…’ capturing the complexities of every relationship.

A reminder or a prompt for your listening pleasure……