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You're Living All Over Me

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You're Living All Over Me
Studio album by
Dinosaur Jr.
ReleasedDecember 14, 1987
Recorded1987
StudioPine Tracks, Fun City[1]
Genre
Length36:08
LabelSST (130)
ProducerWharton Tiers
Dinosaur Jr. chronology
Dinosaur
(1985) 		You're Living All Over Me
(1987) 		Bug
(1988)

You're Living All Over Me is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. It was released on December 14, 1987, through SST Records.

A refinement of the formula introduced on the band's debut album Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me features drawling vocals paired with loud guitars and driving rhythms, presaging Grunge. The album was well-reviewed upon release, and is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in alternative rock.

Background

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Dinosaur Jr. released their first album, Dinosaur, in 1985, largely to critical indifference and low sales; only about 1,500 copies were sold in its first year.[2]

After the record's release, Dinosaur would often perform in New York. The New York-based alternative rock band Sonic Youth was unimpressed by the first Dinosaur performance they saw. However, after watching them play several months later, they approached the band declaring themselves fans,[3] and invited the band to join them on tour in the American Northeast and northern Midwest in September 1986.

The album's title was long rumored to have been a phrase uttered by singer/guitarist J Mascis in frustration at the cramped conditions of a lengthy tour. However, Mascis has denied this story, claiming, "I thought of it more like my sister… You know someone just like, bugging me at the time."[4]

Style

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"Sludgefeast"
A sample of "Sludgefeast", the third track from the album.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

You're Living All Over Me has been primarily described as an Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Noise Rock, and Grunge album, and has often been noted for its influence on these genres.[5] The album represents a refinement in the band's sound, two years after their debut album, Dinosaur, while still being especially lo-fi.

While Mascis was again the primary songwriter, Lou Barlow contributed the last two songs, the punk-influenced Lose and the experimental "Poledo". "Poledo" is different from the rest of the album in that the first half is a low-fidelity recording of Barlow singing and playing ukulele, much like he did with his own group Sebadoh, while the second half is a collection of sound collages and abstract noise pieces.[6]

Release and Reception

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The album was originally issued when the band was still known as Dinosaur, before a lawsuit forced the name change to Dinosaur Jr. The album was recalled by SST a few months after release, and new copies were printed crediting the band as Dinosaur Jr. The band made a music video for the song "Little Fury Things", which was directed by Jim Spring and Jens Jurgensen.[7]

NME published a rave review of You're Living All Over Me upon the album's 1987 release, with the magazine's Jack Barron declaring it "the most agape rock music to have come out of America this year" and calling the band "the missing link between Hüsker Dü and R.E.M.".[8] Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "B+" grade in The Village Voice and wrote, "All these growing malcontents want is a little structure and meaning in their lives. Is that so much to ask?"[9]

Legacy

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Retrospective professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Entertainment WeeklyA[11]
Mojo[12]
Paste[13]
Pitchfork9.1/10[14]
PopMatters8/10[15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[17]
Stylus MagazineA−[18]
Uncut[19]

The album is considered a classic of indie and alternative rock. In 1995, it was ranked fifth on Alternative Press magazine's "Top 99 Albums of '85 to '95" list.[20] In 2005, it was placed at number 31 on Spin's list of the 100 greatest albums from 1985 through to 2005.[21] Pitchfork included You're Living All Over Me at number 40 on its 2002 list of the best albums of the 1980s,[22] and at number 46 on a new edition of the list published in 2018.[23] Beats Per Minute listed the record as the 17th-best album of the 1980s.[citation needed] It was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[24] Additionally, it is J. Mascis' favorite album that Dinosaur Jr. made.[25]

You're Living All Over Me has also proven to be greatly influential, especially on the shoegaze genre. Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine has named the album, among others, as an influence on his band's seminal You Made Me Realise EP; the two bands would eventually tour together.[26][27] Several sources recognize the album's influence on Nirvana.[28] The title of the song "Little Fury Bugs" from Death Cab for Cutie's 2000 album We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes is a reference to "Little Fury Things".[29]

In 2005, You're Living All Over Me was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.[30]

In 2011, Nick Attfield wrote a book about the album as part of Continuum's 33⅓ series.[31]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by J Mascis, except as noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Little Fury Things" 3:06
2."Kracked" 2:50
3."SludgeFeast" 5:17
4."The Lung" 3:51
5."Raisans" 3:50
6."Tarpit" 4:36
7."In a Jar" 3:28
8."Lose"Lou Barlow3:11
9."Poledo"Lou Barlow5:43
Total length:36:08
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Show Me the Way" (on the SST CD version)Peter Frampton3:45
11."Just Like Heaven" (on the 2005 Merge and Imperial reissues)Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams, Lol Tolhurst2:53
12."Throw Down" (on the 2005 Imperial reissue) 0:49
13."In a Jar" (live; on the 2005 Imperial reissue)  

Personnel

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Dinosaur Jr.
Additional personnel
Production
  • Wharton Tiers – production, engineering
  • Dave Pine – engineering
  • Maura Jasper – album cover artwork

References

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  1. ^ "You're Living All Over Me: Dinosaur Jr". Clash. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  2. ^ Azerrad (2001), p. 354.
  3. ^ Azerrad (2001), pp. 354–355.
  4. ^ "Rank Your Records: J Mascis Rates Dinosaur Jr. Albums from Bummer to Classic | NOISEY". 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  5. ^ "Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, Bug Review: Floppy fringes, form an orderly queue..." bbc.co.uk. 2005. Retrieved 2024-09-13.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "We Talked to Lou Barlow About Anxiety, Ukulele, and His New Solo Album 'Brace the Wave'". sfweekly.com. 2015-09-21. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  7. ^ "Dinosaur Jr - Little Fury Things". YouTube.com. 2013-02-06. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  8. ^ Barron, Jack (September 19, 1987). "Dinosaur: You're Living All Over Me". NME. p. 31.
  9. ^ Christgau, Robert (April 12, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  10. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "You're Living All Over Me – Dinosaur Jr". AllMusic. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  11. ^ Sinclair, Tom (April 11, 2005). "EW reviews the latest album reissues". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  12. ^ Cameron, Keith (April 2005). "The band that time forgot". Mojo. No. 137. p. 108.
  13. ^ Sheridan, Tim (April 1, 2005). "Dinosaur Jr". Paste. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  14. ^ Harvell, Jess (April 7, 2005). "Dinosaur Jr.: Dinosaur / You're Living All Over Me / Bug". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  15. ^ LaBrack, Jill (May 19, 2005). "Dinosaur Jr.: You're Living All Over Me". PopMatters. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  16. ^ Evans, Paul (2004). "Dinosaur Jr". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 238. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  17. ^ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Dinosaur Jr.". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 113. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  18. ^ Dale, Jon (August 2, 2005). "Dinosaur Jr. – Dinosaur / You're Living All Over Me / Bug – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  19. ^ "Dinosaur Jr.: You're Living All Over Me". Uncut. No. 95. April 2005. p. 118.
  20. ^ "Rocklist.net..Alternative Press." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  21. ^ A.B. (July 2005). "SPIN 100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005". SPIN. p. 80. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  22. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. November 21, 2002. p. 7. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  23. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. September 10, 2018. p. 8. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  25. ^ "Rank Your Records: J Mascis Rates Dinosaur Jr. Albums from Bummer to Classic | NOISEY". 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-20.
  26. ^ "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview |". The Quietus. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  27. ^ Murphy, Tom (April 23, 2009). "My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields talks Loveless and the influence of bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr". Westword. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  28. ^ "50 Artists Who Inspired Kurt Cobain". NPR.org. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  29. ^ "Death Cab For Cutie: "Indie Rock Is Dead"". Rock and Roll Globe. 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  30. ^ "Dinosaur Jr. Setlist at KOKO, London". setlist.fm. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  31. ^ Attfield, Nick (2011), You're Living All Over Me, Continuum Books, ISBN 978-1-4411-8778-9
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