In 1989, Dinosaur Jr. recorded a cover of the Cure's crossover banger "Just Like Heaven." The Dinosaur Jr. version was originally supposed to appear on a compilation of covers, but the band liked how it turned out, so they released it as a single, with a video and everything. It became a kind of calling card for Dino Jr. in the years before the grunge explosion moved them up from underground.
At the time, there was a vast cultural gulf between a band like the Cure and a band like Dinosaur Jr., even if they were both ostensibly alternative rock bands. But a great song can bridge that divide, and so can a great cover. Later on, Robert Smith told Blender, "J Mascis sent me a cassette, and it was so passionate. It was fantastic. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to a cover version before or since." This was a case of mutual admiration of mutual greatness. Thirty-six years later, nothing has changed.
In a recent Uncut interview, Dinosaur Jr, leader J Mascis talked a bit about his unending admiration for Robert Smith. If you know anything about J Mascis interviews, you know that it's not easy to get him to wax rhapsodic about anything, but that's still how he feels about the Cure. Mascis said, "Robert Smith’s guitars have a washy sort of sound that encompasses you, and his voice has a great pure tone. I related to the music. It made me feel 'Oh yeah, this is where I’m at, this guy’s out there feeling the same thing.' It comforted me."
Now, about a year after Mascis released his solo album What Do We Do Now, he's shared a new solo cover of "Breathe," a song that the Cure released as a B-side to their "Catch" single in 1987. Mascis has completely remade the song, turning it from a gasping synth reverie into a ragged campfire singalong, but he's somehow kept its spirit intact. Below, listen to the Mascis cover and the Cure original.
J Mascis' "Breathe" cover is out now on Sub Pop.
