Album of the Day

Released 25 years ago today, Dinosaur Jr.'s fifth studio album roars as loudly as any of its grunge-era contemporaries, but without their occasional bombast. WHERE YOU BEEN features 10 terrific songs, kicking off with the yearning “Out There” and Top 10 Modern Rock hit “Start Choppin,” and never lets up from there. While J Mascis plays a dominant role – in addition to writing and production credits, his just-woke-up vocals and epic guitar solos thread through every song – this is Dinosaur Jr.'s sole Sire set with a full band behind him, as bassist Mike Johnson and drummer Murph provide the insistent rhythmic drive. As close to mainstream success as the group ever got (the collection reached #50 on the Billboard album chart), WHERE YOU BEEN frames a gentle outlook with alt-rock thunder, and is a fan favorite for good reason.