As the central force in
Dinosaur Jr.
,
J Mascis
defined the band with his mumbly baritone vocals and god-level guitar work heavy on volume, distortion, and technically impressive soloing. With much of his solo output, however,
Mascis
goes acoustic, leaving his trembling singing sitting naked atop melancholic open chords.
Fed Up and Feeling Strange: Live and in Person 1993-1998
presents three of
' intimate solo concerts, two previously released sets, and one that had gone unreleased before this collection. One of the three volumes was originally released as
Martin + Me
, and pulls highlights from a 1995 solo acoustic tour that include shambling versions of
tunes as well as covers of
the Wipers
'
Greg Sage
Carly Simon
, and an especially spirited rendition of
the Smiths
' "The Boy with a Thorn in His Side." New to this collection is the previously unreleased outtake "Grab It." Another disc previously released as
Live at CBGB's
captures
' first solo acoustic show, recorded at the legendary punk club in 1993. The audio is a little rougher and the set list is similar to the selections from
, with the addition of
Where You Been
's eerie centerpiece "Not the Same." The previously unreleased Copenhagen concert was recorded after the release of 1997's
Hand It Over
, and includes several songs from that album and material from as far back in
' catalog as
You're Living All Over Me
opener "Little Furry Things" and "Repulsion" from
's 1985 debut. The crowd sounds more enthusiastic here than on
Fed Up and Feeling Strange
's other volumes, audibly singing along with
' falsetto vocals on "Goin' Home." This concert also includes an out-of-tune rendition of "Too Hard," which is introduced as a new song and would show up in a far sludgier version as the B-side of a
J Mascis + The Fog
single in 2001. Without his signature soloing or the backing of a full-blast rhythm section,
emphasizes'
' particularities and unique talents as a songwriter. His fumbling stoner persona struggles with social interactions and emotional complexities on almost every track, and in these stripped-down acoustic forms, the bittersweet beauty of his songs is one of the only things on display. ~ Fred Thomas