By 1985, strides were being made away from the anger and intensity of early hardcore towards a more melodic and expansive sound. Underground kingpins Black Flag, Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat had seen their prime, while bands such as the Minutemen and Sonic Youth were quickly gaining ground and configuring a scene all their own. As champions of indie rock's second wave, these bands were hell bent on proving that punk rock consisted of more than anti-social ranting.

While Sonic Youth, Husker Du and other like-minded acts were instrumental in laying the foundation for what would become alternative rock, it was a trio of slack jawed 20-something reefers from the wooded east of Amherst, Mass. that first broke the mold and got it right. With You're Living All Over Me, Dinosaur Jr., on just its second record, turned the indie rock scene on its head with its fearless conglomeration of white noise, heavy metal sludge and sheer sonic anarchy. If it's true that often times inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places, well then here's your proof.

Recently reissued through Merge Records, You're Living All Over Me is a record that rightly deserves to be kept in a time capsule and studied as a history lesson in early alternative rock. Lead by front man J Mascis' heroic guitar solos, Lou Barlow's penetrating bass fuzz and Murph's punishing drum work, the record captured the energy of punk rock with the discipline and musicianship of 70's classic rock. The opening track "Little Fury Things" perhaps best defines what the Dinos were all about, displaying their flair for reverb, weird guitar effects and Mascis' famously stoned out, barely discernable lyricism. "The Lung" highlights the band's talent for restraining its aggression without diluting ferocity and the aptly titled "Sludgefest" seems to tip its hat to the days of Black Sabbath.

The most rewarding aspect of You're Living All Over Me is its daringness to be bigger and more accomplished than any punk record before it. Not satisfied with simply going with the grain and falling in line with their peers, Dinosaur Jr. veered off in directions then considered taboo in the underground community. During a time where the idea of incorporating guitar solos into a punk record was laughable, Mascis rips massive gut wrenching turns that help raise the record head and shoulders above everything else. The sound on You're Living All Over Me was huge, and miles away in the rainy, soon to be rock epicenter of Seattle, the bands were all ears.

After Barlow left in 1989 to form Sebadoh, the later incarnation of the band served more or less as a stepping-stone for Mascis' songwriting. While Dinosaur Jr. never matched the success and inspiration of You're Living All Over Me, it only took that one record to canonize them as true patron saints of the alternative rock movement.

Grade: A

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on March 31 2005.