J Mascis and the Fog
Free So Free
(Artemis Classics, 2002) 

I want to sing the praises of this record from the metaphorical mountaintop! I always believe in the ability of true greats to get their shit together after a few missteps. Hell, I even buy projects named after defunct projects even though everybody knows it’s not that project. Like the Meat Puppets. I keep praying for another II but would gladly settle for a No Joke. I bought Golden Lies even though it was only one Kirkwood bro. Then I bought Rise to Your Knees, which was both brothers but missing the drummer. I gotta be honest… those records are pretty bad. But still, I think the next one may be good… I’ll probably buy it. I’m a sucker!

Onto the subject: J Mascis, guitar overlord (my guitar teacher told me back in the day “too sloppy!” likely because he couldn’t touch that technique of no technique). I own more late period Mascis records than early ones (who else here has Hand It Over?). Even though they were really mediocre, I kept buying them up because my love was so deep for his ripping solos and girly voice. I always remembered Martin and Me, that brilliant live acoustic album that got me through. Eventually, though, he dropped the fraudulent Dinosaur Jr moniker and became J Mascis and the Fog (even though there was no fog). 2000’s More Light album was pretty good, not too shabby… baby steps. But the unsung hero of the Fog canon is Free So Free, on which he returned to his acoustic feel and simultaneously exploded electric guitar vengeance.

A lot has been made over the full Dino reunion record Beyond, which is a good album. Critics seemed particularly amazed that it was good. But honestly, I’m not so surprised because Free So Free was even better. I’m stoked to see Lou and Murph up there with him again (are they stoked?), but I think I still prefer Free So Free to Beyond. Beyond is good, don’t get me wrong, but it kind of has that reunion vibe to it. I guess it’s just that I can see the rest of the dudes twiddling their thumbs while Mascis overdubs another guitar track.

With Free So Free Mascis beat his hero Neil Young (Living With War) to the protest punch by nearly four years. Mascis seems the opposite of political, which makes his protest songs more abstract, and in my opinion, more biting. (Living With War was too in-your-face for me… and too late!). This is the original emo, J Mascis, king of the whine, and for one record he stopped talking about “feeling the pain of everyone” to getting all paranoid and mentioning “someone said my freedom’s gone” over a beautiful acoustic guitar track with flute. I guess he was pissed off too, and the guitar speaks to this on other tracks (this album is the most like Television I’ve ever heard Mascis sound). The other winning thing about this one is how he plays every instrument with blunt force trauma. Usually jamming with yourself is about as fulfilling as masturbation, but when you’re the best person ever at guitar masturbation, it can be pretty happening. 

Another thing: I remember reading Mike Watt’s tour journals (www.hootpage.com) from this time period (he was Fog bassist on the More Light tour) and him saying how Mascis was constantly playing the first Shins album in the van (that’s the one released before they decided to become a mediocre indie band). At times this album nails the mellow psych atmosphere of that record. Maybe that’s where all Mascis’ rediscovered pop innovation is emanating from? His Brian Wilson side rediscovered. This is the album that found J Mascis finally off of autopilot and geared once again towards greatness. Maybe the next Dino album could have some flute and acoustic guitar?

Watch: “Everybody Lets Me Down“  [at youtube.com]

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