This is the rock album of the year.

1. Buy it

2. Listen to it

3. Repeat step 2

I was floored when "Beyond" came out. I was always a huge fan of the band, and was absolutely overjoyed to hear they got back together. When I listened to that album for the first time, I felt like it was 1989 all over again, but in a good and relavent way. That great feeling I got with "Beyond", is present ten-fold with "Farm".

"Plans", "Said The People", and "I Don't Wanna Go There" are instant American classics. They're catchy and substantive. Not always an easy combo to find. Hearing Barlow sing "Imagination Blind" and "Your Weather" is a wonderful thing. More bands should mix up the singing duties. It just completely diversifies a band's sound.

Oh, and even if you don't like amazing music, you should buy the album just for the art. I haven't smoked weed in years, but it ALMOST makes me want to puff again:P I might even buy the vinyl just for the creepy but cool art.

Buy it now.

This is the rock album of the year.

1. Buy it

2. Listen to it

3. Repeat step 2

I was floored when "Beyond" came out. I was always a huge fan of the band, and was absolutely overjoyed to hear they got back together. When I listened to that album for the first time, I felt like it was 1989 all over again, but in a good and relavent way. That great feeling I got with "Beyond", is present ten-fold with "Farm".

"Plans", "Said The People", and "I Don't Wanna Go There" are instant American classics. They're catchy and substantive. Not always an easy combo to find. Hearing Barlow sing "Imagination Blind" and "Your Weather" is a wonderful thing. More bands should mix up the singing duties. It just completely diversifies a band's sound.

Oh, and even if you don't like amazing music, you should buy the album just for the art. I haven't smoked weed in years, but it ALMOST makes me want to puff again:P I might even buy the vinyl just for the creepy, but very cool art.

The extra tracks are very sweet.

Buy it now.

The first decade of the new millennia, often characterized by an extreme sense of nostalgia, saw the resurrection of many 80s and 90s era rock bands. While each band who came back from the bargain bin engendered reactions ranging from "I should have known" (The Smashing Pumpkins) to "I never would have thought" (The Pixies), there were a couple of groups who truly did the unthinkable and released new indie rock albums that were just as good as their old alternative rock albums. One such band, Dinosaur Jr., shocked everyone when they came together to record a new album not only because of their vitriolic breakup, but because the album in question, Beyond, wound up as one of the best albums of the year. In a turn of events that should have surprised no one, but probably shocked many, Dinosaur Jr.'s follow up, Farm, is even better than their last album.

Farm's cover art, consisting of two Ents carrying naked children in the palms of their hands, provides a psychedelic connection from J. Mascis to the guitar rock gods of yore (c. 1970s). Some of the longer set pieces twist and turn until they invert themselves to reveal expansive guitar solos. The penultimate song, the almost nine-minute "I Don't Want to Go There," begins with a tempo that chugs along like an old car, but as it makes its way across different landscapes, the soaring song finally ends with a monster solo that bites off the entire second half of the running time. Mascis's proficiency with guitar solos so sharp they could skin cats is a singular gift to be sure, but his talents can be traced back to his acknowledged inspiration, Neil Young. I must admit that, aside from Mascis's voice, I never gave much thought to the comparison, but on Farm you can see the band growing into the profile of Young, much as a man's bones stretch in later years to reveal his grandfather's hidden genetic mark. In some ways Farm sounds as if Neil Young had continued to follow the punk rock inspiration he found when recording the album Rust Never Sleeps.

That's not to say the album is devoid of the great pop songs the band has always delivered. Both "I Want You to Know" and "See You" skip along with such ease that the band makes them look easy, even if few bands write songs this enjoyable two decades into their career. "Over It" is notable for not only being one of the most radio ready songs off the album, but because the song title easily plugs into narratives about the reunion of once avowed enemies, J. Mascis and Lou Barlow. For his part, this time around Barlow's harmonies float higher and his songs are tighter. It is this ability to balance guitar solo freak outs and pop songwriting that makes such a long album seem epic but not overblown (Arcade Fire, take note).

Like a circus daredevil who moves on to higher, more dangerous, heights, many are waiting to see when Dinosaur Jr. will fall. After two outstanding comeback albums how does a band keep on creating excitement? At this point it is probably safe to no longer see Dinosaur Jr. as a reunion band because these albums fit so well within their canon of work. There will be other great albums (and probably some not as great albums) but it is safe to say that watching this band follow its muse into the new millennium will be as rewarding and unpredictable one of Mascis's searing solos.

This cd is nothing short of spacticular ****

And no I would not consider myself a big Dinosaur Jr fan either

I have gone into depth with a couple of theiir albums Green Mind and Where You Been. But have never heard as much polished songs as on "Farm"

On this album FARM its thou they have "cultivated" all of their previous works with and without BARLOW lineups, into one great album........

Stand out Tracks are

*Said The People*

*See You*

*Plans*

but all could easily stand out which is the bueaty of this albm........

No songs sound the same

Not to mention the Guitar work

One thing about Dino Jr if you like guitar your prlly gunna listen to them, very melodic and catchy riffs that get stuck in your head,

almost painting a vivid picture in your mind, almost taking you on a trip for say ;-)

Highly recommended to those who like an orginal sounding band

Perhaps and overlooked band

Great guitar work, and no i dont mean play as fast as you can

A flat out great album that may be in your player for awhile

Farm is easily on par with Dino jr's top albums. As expected there are guitars a plenty with some amazing soloing. It's also very catchy and melodies stay with you after listening. Lou Barlow's two contributions are excellent, in fact there isn't one bad song here. You can easily listen to the whole thing then want to listen again and again.

If you liked Beyond then you will definitely like Farm. As much as I like the early albums with the original 3, I think J and Lou's vocals have improved over time, which may make Beyond and Farm better starting points for newbies.