J Mascis’ favourite guitar sound
Despite J Mascis‘ reputation as one of alternative rock’s most impressive guitarists, he actually started out as a drummer, expressing an interest in the instrument as a child.
The musician formed Dinosaur Jr. with Lou Barlow and Emmett Jefferson ‘Patrick’ Murphy in 1984, assuming the role of guitarist rather than drummer. However, before then, he had demonstrated his multi-instrumentalist skills as part of Deep Wound, a hardcore punk outfit who were highly influential in the Massachussetts scene.
Dinosaur Jr. found significant success in the alternative rock scene, becoming a key player in the genre’s development during the 1980s. According to author Michael Azzerrad, Dinaosaur Jr. were so important because they rejected “the antihistorical tendencies of hardcore” by “fully embracing the music that everyone had grown up on. In particular, Dinosaur singer-guitarist J. Mascis achieved the unthinkable in underground rock—he brought back the extended guitar solo.”
When asked to list some of his favourite albums for The Quietus, Mascis picked many classic rock choices like Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street and Black Sabbath’s Sabotage. Clearly, Mascis has always looked at the best of the best as inspiration, returning to albums that shaped his tastes as an adolescent. Unsurprisingly, he cites proto-punk garage legends The Stooges as one of his ultimate inspirations, influencing his music like no other band.
Explaining his love for the Iggy Pop-fronted band, Mascis said: “The guitar on the first album is my favourite guitar sound, and it’s what I’ve always tried to emulate. It’s just awesome. I like it better than the sound of Fun House.”
He continued: “That’s a great album, but I was learning to play guitar when I heard the first album when I was about 12, so it was a really big influence on me. This one is more special to me.”
However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t adore Fun House too: “I actually think that Fun House is the best Stooges album. The songs, the sequencing, the way it plays… it’s more relentless. It’s more cohesive. They’d matured as a band.”
Still, Mascis will also prefer their self-titled record because “the guitar sounded worse [on Fun House]. I don’t know why – maybe it was the recording, but it seemed further away, almost. It just didn’t have the impact of the first record. But they’re still one of the most important bands to me and were definitely one of the biggest influences.”
Watch Mascis pay tribute to The Stooges with a rendition of ‘Down on the Street’ below.
