Dinosaur Jr.
Where You Been

Published in 1993, Where You Been is the fifth album by Dinosaur Jr., but in reality, it could be considered the first solo album of front-man J Mascis. Although drummer Murph is still present, just read the booklet notes to see how, with bassist Lou Barlow already departed since the previous Green Mind, Mascis is the absolute master of the band in terms of composition and instruments played.

The album is a true melting pot where all the influences that made the previous albums great converge, namely the melancholic ballad in the style of Neil Young, the hyper-noise post(hard-)core, the revival of the 70's guitar hero solo filtered through a new wave sensitivity yet never losing the grandeur of rock arena charmers.

This time, however, the terrifying wall of sound that had made them the idols of the crowds at their concerts is refined, transforming from a lo-fi muddle into a powerful but clear sonic flow (if not sharp), perfectly fused with the tender hoarseness of Mascis's unmistakable voice, which on this album chisels melodies that are true pop gems, on par with his great pieces from the '80s. Where You Been is certainly Dinosaur Jr.'s best work without taking anything away from the other four masterpieces that preceded it: here, the true founding fathers of grunge, two years after the Big Bang "Nevermind", in the Cobain era, confront their own disciples, from those of the folk-hard-rock line (e.g., Pearl Jam) to those of the noise/punk-pop scene of New England (e.g., Pixies) to those of the Sabbath-meets-Stooges (e.g., Nirvana); anger, melancholy, and fury: a triumph.