Without a Sound - Misplaced Pages

Without a Sound is the sixth studio album by alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr., released on August 23, 1994. It is the first Dinosaur Jr. album not to feature Murph on drums, who is replaced by vocalist and guitarist J Mascis. It is also their most commercially successful album, peaking at number 44 on the Billboard Top 200. "Feel the Pain" and "I Don't Think So" were released as singles, with "Feel the Pain" reaching number 4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, becoming one of their biggest hits. Mascis later admitted that his father's death affected his writing and performance on this album, and he took three years to deliver the next Dinosaur Jr. LP, 1997's Hand It Over.

"Feel the Pain" is a playable track in the video games Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2.

Production and background

J Mascis said he had a hard time writing the album because his father had died around the time they were making the album. The cover artwork is a painting by former professional skateboarder Neil Blender, an early fan and friend of the band. The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Even You".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Chicago Tribune
Entertainment Weekly	B+
Los Angeles Times
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PopMatters	8/10
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Spin Alternative Record Guide	6/10
Uncut	7/10

In July 2014, Guitar World put Without a Sound in their "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.

The closing song "Over Your Shoulder" was frequently used on the Japanese boxing reality show Gachinko Fight Club. In February 2019, 25 years after the album's release, "Over Your Shoulder" unexpectedly charted at #18 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 based on digital streaming. The phenomenon was credited to YouTube postings of clips from Gachinko Fight Club registered as containing the song. For a period, clips from the series — which was a segment of a Japanese variety show — had frequently been favored by YouTube's algorithmic suggestions in Japan for unknown reasons.

Track listing

All songs by J Mascis.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Feel the Pain"	4:18
2.	"I Don't Think So"	3:35
3.	"Yeah Right"	2:45
4.	"Outta Hand"	4:59
5.	"Grab It"	3:31
6.	"Even You"	3:23
7.	"Mind Glow"	4:02
8.	"Get Out of This"	5:21
9.	"On the Brink"	3:11
10.	"Seemed Like the Thing to Do"	5:45
11.	"Over Your Shoulder"	4:52
Total length:		45:42

2019 remaster bonus tracks

In 2019, the album was reissued as an expanded 2-CD deluxe edition that contained bonus tracks, including a recording of a full live performance at Brixton Academy on October 8, 1994. A double vinyl version was also released, albeit with a smaller selection of bonus tracks.

CD 1: "Bonus Stuff"
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Get Out of This (No Words Just Solo)" ("Feel the Pain" single b-side)
13.	"Blah" (from Melrose Place soundtrack)
14.	"I Don't Think So (Instrumental)" (previously unreleased)
15.	"Outta Hand (Instrumental)" (previously unreleased)
16.	"Get Out of This (Instrumental)" (previously unreleased)
17.	"On The Brink (Instrumental)" (previously unreleased)
18.	"Seemed Like The Thing To Do (Alternate Mix)" (previously unreleased)

CD 2: "Live In London, 1994"
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Freakscene" (previously unreleased)
2.	"Out There" (previously unreleased)
3.	"Get Me" ("I Don't Think So" single b-side)
4.	"Not You Again" (previously unreleased)
5.	"Grab It" ("Feel the Pain (Live)" Japanese-only EP b-side)
6.	"Feel The Pain" ("Feel the Pain (Live)" Japanese-only EP b-side)
7.	"Little Fury Things" (previously unreleased)
8.	"What Else Is New" ("I Don't Think So" CD single b-side)
9.	"Quest" (previously unreleased)
10.	"Thumb" (previously unreleased)
11.	"Sludgefeast" ("I Don't Think So" CD single b-side)

Personnel

Dinosaur Jr.

J Mascis - drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals
Mike Johnson - bass, vocals

Technical

John Agnello - Engineer, Mixing
Danny Kadar - Assistant Engineer
Mark Miller - Assistant Engineer
Brian Sperber - Assistant Engineer
John McLaughlin - Assistant Engineer
Bryce Goggin - Assistant Engineer
Bill Emmons - Assistant Engineer
Joe Pirrera - Assistant Engineer
Bob Ludwig - Mastering
Woody Jackson - Paintings
Roger Mayer - Sound Effects

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year	Chart	Position
1994	The Billboard 200	44

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1994	"Feel the Pain"	Modern Rock Tracks	4

References

Tweet July 1st, 2005 by Crossfire (2005-07-01). "Dinosaur Jr | Interviews | Caught in the Crossfire - Skateboarding in the UK since 2001". Caught in the Crossfire. Retrieved 2013-06-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Sendra, Tim. "Without a Sound – Dinosaur Jr". AllMusic. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
Kot, Greg (September 8, 1994). "Rearrangements". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
Frost, Deborah (September 16, 1994). "Without a Sound". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
Hochman, Steve (August 28, 1994). "Dinosaur Jr., 'Without a Sound' (Sire/Reprise)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
Wood, Sam (September 11, 1994). "Dinosaur Jr.: Without a Sound (Sire/Reprise)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Soulsby, Nick (September 26, 2019). "Dinosaur Jr.'s 'Without a Sound Deserves' – and Gets – a Fresh Listen with Cherry Red's Reissue". PopMatters. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
Diehl, Matt (October 6, 1994). "Without a Sound". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
Evans, Paul (2004). "Dinosaur Jr.". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 238. ISBN 9780743201698.
Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Dinosaur Jr.". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 113. ISBN 9780679755746.
Deusner, Stephen (November 2019). "Dinosaur Jr.: Green Mind / Where You Been / Without a Sound / Hand It Over". Uncut. No. 270. p. 39.
"Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
Hongo, Hudson (11 February 2019). "How TV Pirates Accidentally Pushed a 25-Year-Old Indie Song to the Top of the Charts in Japan". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
"A 25-Year-Old Dinosaur Jr. Song Is a Hit in Japan. Nobody Knows Why". Pitchfork. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
"Dinosaur Jr: Without A Sound, 2CD Expanded Edition". Retrieved May 31, 2020.
"Dinosaur Jr: Without a Sound, Deluxe Expanded Edition, Double Gatefold Yellow Vinyl LP". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 6 April 2020.

v t e Dinosaur Jr.
J Mascis Lou Barlow Murph Mike Johnson George Berz
Studio albums	Dinosaur (1985) You're Living All Over Me (1987) Bug (1988) Green Mind (1991) Where You Been (1993) Without a Sound (1994) Hand It Over (1997) Beyond (2007) Farm (2009) I Bet on Sky (2012) Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (2016) Sweep It Into Space (2021)
Compilations	Fossils (1991) Whatever's Cool with Me (1991)
Singles	"Freak Scene" "Just Like Heaven" "The Wagon" "Whatever's Cool with Me" "Start Choppin" "Out There" "Feel the Pain"
Related	Discography Deep Wound Sebadoh J Mascis + The Fog Witch The Folk Implosion Rollercoaster Tour

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