In no particular order some of my favourite music moments. No32 Freak Scene by Dinosaur Jr.
My first encounter with Dinosaur Jr, and Freak Scene in particular, was on BBC’s little known and probably even less seen Snub TV.
This was the late ’80s and in those days it was the only show, apart from maybe Whistle Test, where you could watch non-chart music on the tele.
Within about two bars of the song I was completely hooked, blown away by the speed and dizzying intensity of this all-American love-hate vignette.
Then came the solo!
Until then, as an indie purist, I’d been utterly revulsed by the idea of guitar solos, viewing them as the squiggly, close-eyed, wank fantasies of poodle-haired narcissists with all the dexterity of Paganini and all the taste of Cupid Stunt.
Freak Scene showed you could incorporate a long, and challenging, solo into the structure of a song without distracting from its focus or energy.
I’ve long harboured a dream of one day writing a feature-length screenplay.
In the unlikely event I ever get round to it, Freak Scene will be the first song on the soundtrack.
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