The greatest song of all time, RIGHT NOW...

is probably "Lightning Bulb" by Dinosaur Jr and let me tell you why. The most notable things about this song are that (a) its a newish song and (b) its a Lou Barlow song. It basically answers the question that many wondered: what would Dinosaur Jr have sounded like if they actually let Lou write songs! And, you know what, this song sounds exactly like what you'd have thought. The bass is distorted and melodic, the guitar's fuzzy and echoey and LB's singing is deep and has that weird uptight feeling it always does.

But the thing that makes this song really work is the beginning. First of all, like a lot of Dinosaur songs, all the instruments and singing start in at the same time...its one of the things that give this band's songs that heavy suffocating feeling people love so much (see also "In a Jar", "Budge" or "They Always Come"). And the drums! So so so many toms, which is my favorite thing. I always love drumming that makes me think the cannibals are coming to get me. And there's the short instrumental break where the bass moves up and basically takes over the melody while simultaneously the drums go the cymbals. Basically, I could listen to song that go like this all day long. Toms on the verse, cymbals on the chorus!!!

The guitar solos are a bit uninspired, I think. Not up to Dinosaur standards really. But it serves very well one of the primary reasons songs have solos: to give your ears a break so that you can hear the verse/chorus again without getting bored. Its not my favorite reason for having a solo, but its got its place...and it lets me hear that cannibal beat one more time!