Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Grungy. Original. Raw.
4/5 - much better band than I’d given them credit for. Close to a 5.
Music and some vocals sounded like a 33rpm album sped up to 45rpm. Other vocals were just lazy and atonal. Not an album I'll go back to again.
Did not care for this. Horrible vocals.
Play this album loud cruising through Arizona post-apocalypse
this album comes out fuckin swinging. "split myself in two" sounds like if a song could have a panic attack with its frantic guitars and vocals repeatedly descending into a swirling mass of feedback. i love it, and so its a shame the energy kinda drops off after that, but there's still a lot to enjoy here. between the extremely short song lengths and wide variety of sounds, even the weaker parts are done with and left behind before i'd bother skipping. to be honest, despite my disappointment that more of the album doesn't sound like the opener, some of the slowest tracks are the ones i like the most, especially the ajj-esque "lost", and "aurora borealis", which is just a dope instumental that i find myself bobbing my head to every time. it definitely helps that im really into the whining vocal style of the kirkwoods, which kinda makes me wanna bully them, but like, in a good way. yknow? anyway its a good album, even if i do wish it held onto the chaotic energy of the first track just a little bit longer. already listened to this like 6 times now and definitely will listen again. which is easy given its only half an hour long lmao
Fun and unrefined. I love how the vocals range from the edge of almost cracking to low and subdued behind the walls of acid rock guitar. I also really love the range of percussion which is 100% garage band but gets borderline country in some tracks in tandem with the bass. None of it feels stale. Another top tier album for a roadtrip, especially "Lost" which was such a highway #mood to sing along to.
Nope. Only 2 songs worth listening to, both instrumental, and even those are not that good. Aurora Borealis and 100% of nothing. Any songs with the vocals, just terrible! The guy can't sing. Who bought this $h*t?
This is ok - eclectic but fine, with a bit of a punk / hardcore sensibility.
Some of the songs on this album (mostly the instrument tracks) were very good. They were dynamic and melodious. But then almost half the tracks were absolutely terrible. Unlistenable.
Number: 89 Date: 04/01/2026 Artist: Meat Puppets Album: Meat Puppets II Year: 1984 Genre: Psychedelic Cowpunk Rating: 5 Notes: Before: ======= I've listened to this album so many times I really don't need to listen to it again for this challenge. But I will, gladly! I have it on vinyl stuck in a closet down in the basement but have no means to play vinyl at the moment. Anyways, it's probably going to be a 5. I'm thinking this has a good chance of being in my top 100 albums list, whenever I get around to making it. Or maybe not. Checking my favorites of 1984, I see it ranked as the 10th best album from that year, but there were a lot of great albums released that year. Currently, I have it sitting between Cocteau Twins, "Treasure" and Violent Femmes, "Hallowed Ground". But then again, when I'm in the right mood, it could be in the top 100. During: ======= 5 Split Myself In Two 4 Magic Toy Missing 5 Lost 5 Plateau 4 Aurora Borealis 4 We're Here 4 Climbing 5 New Gods 5 Oh, Me 5 Lake Of Fire 4 I'm A Mindless Idiot 5 The Whistling Song ----------------------------------------------------- 4.60 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= I'm really surprised at all the bad reviews. Maybe it's one of those you had to be there kind of things. 5 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 5 impact ----------------------------------------------- 5 composite rating
Cowboy punk album with a few foot-tappers. Not heard before but has a certain charm.
Messy, in a good way - it sounds like a band in a room, all together, with some tequila and some edibles, expressing themselves as how they feel in the moment, not worrying about the details of the pitch of the vocals, or if the drums are in time, as long as it expresses the feeling they want
wasn’t really digging the songs on this album. just felt so random.
Colección de temas entre el country-rock, psicodelia y rock acústico experimental que suena poco cohesionado y, de nuevo, con una voz cantante que me pone de los nervios. Menos mal que la mitad de los temas son instrumentales. De nuevo, por sacarle algo positivo, hay que agradecer la parte experimental, cosa que no pasa cuando cantan. Lo he escuchado tres veces mientras viajaba, por si acaso, pero ni aún así. Hay maneras y maneras de no ser mainstream.
urgh . . . nooo!
Despite being made in the 80’s, this made me appreciate 90’s music more.
I like the psychedelic aspects and the instrumentals, particularly on aurora borealis and teenager(s), but good god the vocals left more than a little something to be desired. Reminiscent of dive bar karaoke with a friend who's absolutely sloshed.
It's loose, thrashy, grungy, at times very melodic almost country. Pretty cool album. Can see the influence they had on Cobain
Si pero no jajaj
yeah….. the nirvana covers were better
chill
Nirvana did it better
Unexpectedly good and funny and fun. The list needed more stuff like this.
For the number of times I listened to Nirvana unplugged, I’m quite ashamed this is the first time I ever listened to this album.
This kind of weirdo alt-rock-country sound could only come from the 90's. And it is awesome! There are som familiar songs, if you're acquainted with Nirvana's Unplugged album. Of course, that's just a part of it. This is a loud album withe some songwriting hooks buried throughout.
I enjoyed the music but the singers voice was largely grating. I'm ashamed to say that the songs I enjoyed best were the ones I knew from Nirvana's Unplugged in New York album, and even then I was thinking I would rather be listening to that. Definite creativity with this band, but didn't land for me.
Better than the album title would lead me to believe, bit like The Replacements' Let It Be in terms of being a bit of a hybrid between indie and punk
certainly one of the albums of all time, pretty mid also. kinda reminded me of the modest mouse album in that this guy cant really sing either lol 2.5
Too noisy. Not my vibe
Too long in parts, but this has some gems--and I think they'd grow on me significantly with more listens. Makes me wish I'd rated other 3s lower, but this also isn't a 4.
Interesting getting this album queued up a few weeks after Nirvana’s Unplugged. If I heard this record in the 90s, I would have *hated* it compared to the Nirvana covers. But after a youth steeped in indie, it feels right at home, teeing up Wilco and Pavement. Doing something bold, raw and messy in the early 80s — punk-adjacent, but more loose and sad — feels rather brave in retrospective. I could listen to The History of Grunge playlist all day (but I might turn it down sometimes).
Can't believe people like this guy's voice
repeat?
Rating: 4.3/5 Short Review: A strange, sun-bleached mix of punk, country, and psychedelia that feels loose and slightly off-kilter. It’s messy but intentional, with a laid-back weirdness that became hugely influential. Favorite Track: Plateau. The simple melody and hazy delivery give it a drifting, almost desert-like atmosphere that sticks with you.
What a shame. The music was decent, and the lyrics were unique and sometimes clever, but the singing was awful. Keep the Meat—I prefer the sound of regular puppets (i.e., the instrumental tracks).
A great, influential album. I downloaded a few songs I didn’t already have on my phone. Really should play more Meat Puppets!
Enjoyed much more than I expected. Very cool blending of different genres. Clear that this album influenced a lot of 90s bands.
I thought this would be heavy metal I don't dig but actually this was quite a good listen? You can tell all the influence it had on grunge, so a star for that.
Was just gonna be like "oh, this isn’t for me" but Lake Of Fire pissed me off. How the hell did Nirvana take that mess and make it sound good? I wish I never heard the original. This album is BAD
Sort of shit I've come to expect from American crap bands.
5 out of 5. Love the way this album ambles on and gets weird in all the right ways.
This is a fucking sick album.
Very entertaining! There were so many different musical twists in the album, off-key, funky rhythms, funny lyrics.
This was kind of a weird one
This is a great album????
Just felt like noise.
Nope
Pretty fun in a loose chaotic way, but ultimately quite throwaway. Which kind of feels like the point
Will listen to this again.
I like Meat Puppets and own a few of their albums, including this one. I suspect like many others, I was introduced to them by the Nirvana Unplugged performance - the tracks they covered are on this album and they all sound great. They're a peculiar band - tightly performed music that defies categorisation but clearly influenced the Grunge scene and that so-called, 'slacker' sound of the 90s, Pavement, etc. This is a good record that I don't listen to enough, but Up On The Sun has always been my go-to.
I had forgotten coming across the Meat Puppets many years ago - as a Husker Du, Descendents, Minutemen etc fan I was exploring SST and was, well, thrown by them. This is an out of kilter alternative country that sounds like its going to fall apart at any minute. It even brings to mind Pavement in places. Some of it sounds almost jammed in places... It's a strange beast but I quite like it for that, though not convinced it's something I would want to return to a great deal..
I immediately forgot about this album as soon as I finished it.
If the rest of the album lived up to that first track, I’d be tempted to give this five stars cuz I was definitely laughing AT that thing. “Thing,” not song. What the hell even is this hahaha
This was a horrible listen. Shame a great band name was wasted on this one
El primer tema no me gusto, pense que se me venia un disco duro. Pero despues a medida que fueron pasando los temas los re pude disfrutar (al principio). Me parece raro como se pasa de un tema medio country a otro medio picado. como que no disfruto escucharlo como disco. Esta bien que no le estoy prestando atencion a la letra, pero bueno. tampoco me gusto tanto su voz en los temas que canta bajo
Thought it would be bad, pleasantly surprised
I was expecting more from a band called Meat puppets. All pretty bland and forgettable
Meat Puppets – Meat Puppets II (1984) On Day 82, I found Meat Puppets II to be decent at best. I have to admire how it blends multiple genres like folk and punk into a single body of work, and the intro actually had me stoked for a high-energy experience. However, that energy quickly faded as I got deeper into the tracklist. The major turn-off was the vocals; they were so lazy that they made the project feel like a struggle to stay awake through, regardless of how speedy or interesting the production was. The long tracklist also made the album feel bloated. The production definitely carried this one, but the lack of vocal presence keeps it at a 3/5.
Would anyone actually care about this if the band weren’t the Nirvana prototype. It’s dull and it gets worse as it goes on. 2.5 rounded up.
Surprisingly good for US pump rock.
I understand why it's important, but I can't get anything from this I don't get from MTV Unplugged.
Not the sound for me. Preferred the instrumentals Split Myself, Aurora, and Mindless Idiot.
3/11/26 - listened while walking the dog and driving to golf. I didn’t really like it and am very interested in knowing why this made the list. Debated between 1 and 2 stars. The Nirvana covers were the highlight but only because I knew them, and the originals are much worse than the covers. Top Songs - uhhhh
I've heard of these guys. I do know one track, probably the single off this album.
Singing is atrocious. When it's just music, it's mostly interesting and good, but the vocals are really really bad. I understand why it's on here - they were influential to bands who became very popular, but the 'singing' is really hard to get past.
I guess I expected a little more… excitement? from a country-punk band named the Meat Puppets.
Decent songs but the vocals are just hard to get on board with at the best of times 3*
I'm finding that it's difficult to know what version of an album to listen to. Spotify seems to replace all original recordings with remastered stuff which usually adds an additional couple of bonus tracks, so when I originally listened to this album I thought it was too long and uneven, but I listened to an additional 7 bonus songs, so we're trying it again. You can certainly hear Kurt Cobain here, you can tell why they were such a big influence on him. it's better when it's shorter, it's fine.
It was okay, I recall hearing Cobain's cover of Lake of Fire and liking that, and the instrumental bits are nice. Not big on the vocals, but it does fit the haphazard aesthetic.
Some funky af riffs. Voice is whatever but it's got that angsty punk vibe. Some really catchy stuff, I regret skipping this for so long.
I could sing better than this
Ordentlicher Mix aus Country und Rock.
I see what they're going for. I genuinely like most of the music. That said, while a singer doesn't have to be classically trained or even talented to be good, this is a couple steps too far. In the right mood, this might be a 4, but there are definitely days where this would be a 2.
I don’t think this is bad necessarily but I’m pretty sure even fans of the album would acknowledge it’s on the list because of the Nirvana connection
I like meat! I like puppets! I like Meat Puppets!
A sometimes forgotten side act of the Grunge era. Raises the "is it better to burn out to fade away" perpetual question of pop music. Probably more a consequence of naming yourselves "Meat Puppets." I usually put them in the same bin as "Butthole Surfers" -- serious musicians who made the mistake of taking the bait to name themselves as a novelty act. I had forgotten about "Lake of Fire" and "Plateau." These were staples of my teen radio years. Still surprisingly good. Makes me want to track down their more work since. Seems like they have gone the Flaming Lips route of continuing to produce and tour -- but maybe with replaced members of the lineup.
Probably a 3 but I am giving it a 4 because it is the only Meat Puppets record on the list and I want to give them their due. I like "Up From the Sun" better but this one has some gems.
I actually didn't know that Plateau was originally by Meat Puppets!
Yes indeed.
much twangier than I expected. also, I'm issuing an apology to my mother for that one time she couldn't go to a meat puppets concert because my sister and I were fighting. sorry, mom. I'm sure she started it.
Eh whatever. It was nice to hear the original Lake of Fire if I hadn't already heard it before. Weird listen and lyrics.
3.5
2/5
Favorite songs: Magic Toy Missing, Lost, Plateu, Aurora Borealis, Oh Me, Lake of Fire, I'm a Mindless Idiot From Bonus track version: What to Do
Lazy.
Not bad
If it stayed as painfully average as it did for the first 60% maybe I’d have a half decent review but the falloff at the back end makes me even wonder why it’s on here
Initially, I thought the youthful sound of the album was quite refreshing, with short songs that had great momentum. However, this sound quickly fell apart from some nice guitar riffs, especially with that vocalist that I'm not the biggest fan of. I loved their work with the MTV Nirvana album, but I'm not a big fan of this.
Not for me
I was not looking forward to listening to this, especially after reading this - "It is a departure from their self-titled debut album, which consisted largely of noisy hardcore with unintelligible vocals." But I guess since it was a departure from that, it's a blessing. Not as bad as I had expected, but still not a 5. I really have an issue with the lead's voice, it's too whiney to be able to just listen to the songs.
I was expecting to hate it off the first song but a couple brought me back, first Plateau is covered by Nirvana on their MTV Unplugged and then Meatputtes covers Lake of Fire. Oveall not bad.
Fun and unique, you can easily hear the influence on indie rock
Uneven unconvincing
Not an album I recall listening to before, so probably needs another go (so much music, so little time). However it didn't really grab me and not salvaged by the Nirvana covers in the MTV session.
It was always going to be difficult to follow “Rumours”. I’ve never heard of the Meat Puppets and I tried to be open minded but found the album disjointed lacking any musicality. Glad to get to the end
Didn't know this, apart from the tracks Nirvana covered. Great combination of punk, country and proto grunge (did I make that up?) which is way ahead of its time and kind of makes Nirvana sound derivative. But maybe becomes low-fi musical soup towards the end. Not quite sure I can bring myself to give it a four until I've given it more time. So it's a parsimonious 3* from me.
I really wanted to like this, but it seemed kind of all over the place
Heard most of this album before as it was covered by Nirvana live in New York
4/10, not my style
5/10
This wouldn't be on the list if it wasnt covered by Nirvana on their unplugged performance. The best tracks are the instrumental ones
this nailed the gap halfway between nirvana and primus for me, somehow triggering both nostalgias at once.
I had to listen to Meat Puppets II two or three times to properly form an opinion. On first listen, I thought it was fairly underwhelming and slightly scrappy, and a bit directionless. But with a second and third listen, it began to open up. What initially felt rough started to sound better. There’s a surprising amount of variety across the record. It shifts from ragged punk to hazy country-tinged ballads and even the odd instrumental detour. There’s always something happening, yet it never feels cluttered. The album flows easily, and despite its rough edges, it’s an easy listen. Nothing jumps out as a huge, “wow” moment, but taken as a whole it’s a consistently solid, slightly offbeat experience. It’s not an album packed with standout anthems, but it has personality and atmosphere in spades. The more time you give it, the more it rewards you. Favourite tracks: What to Do has a gentle, almost twee charm to it, and the instrumental 100% of Nothing is a standout moment of space and mood. Least favourite tracks: There’s nothing here that feels like filler, every track adds something to the overall feel of the album. Album artwork: A cool, distinctive cover that suits the album’s slightly psychedelic, left-of-centre vibe perfectly.
Kurt Cobain’s life mission was to make people listen to Meat Puppets II, so once we all went and actually did it… There is something to this murdering piece of trash, though.
I wonder what percentage of people who take the Nirvana-Meat Puppets II expressway end up saying “what the fuck is this? This is dogshit” 73.1% is my guess
This is a hard album to rate, because I think I would have enjoyed this quite a bit if it weren't for the horrendously tuneless vocals (I'd venture to say the singer's a bit tone deaf). The guitar is great and the country-twang instrumentation is ear-catching. This blend of punk and country is unique even to this day; I can't think of another band who does music like this. It's all dragged down by the vocals though, the awfulness of which can't be overstated. The vocals work a little bit better on a song like "Lake of Fire" where he just partially screams instead of attempting to carry a melody. This would have been a great band if they'd had a capable singer. I really wavered between 2 and 3 stars for this reason, but truthfully I wouldn't come back to this album.
S, one day I shall come to Az and see a landscape I’ve heard is inspirational. My friend Derek (him again) quotes the Kirkwood bros describing their youth as being all desert and smoke, and I can’t get that out of my heard listening to this record. It’s often too fast, sounds like it’s recorded in a room where the instruments brushed against each other, and I don’t think a moment’s wasted, songs that are chaos on first listen, carefully structured on fifth, and real epiphanic moments, sinuous dragons winding above the dunes.
We all know why this is on here, but that doesn't mean it's not a off-kilter delight, if a minor one.
Fantastičan album
uniquely psychedelodesert rock sounds
very interesting. love the different genres and styles
Not the worst thing I have ever listened to.
rock troppo hard rock, sono troppo vecchia per queste cose
i think there´s some good tracks in the album overall didm´t really captured me all the way through, but the cover is really fun, i like it
Album is all over the place but overall decent
It’s funny that the biggest songs on this album were not even made popular by the band that made them but by Nirvana covering them on MTV unplugged. 5/10
I enjoyed that way more than I was expecting. The homey, country vibe is fun. I definitely hear the influence on Nirvana. I favorited this band.
Standouts Plateau Aurora Borealis Lake of Fire I'm a Mindless Idiot Teenagers What to Do
So for the younger generation rediscovering Nirvana, this is definitely an essential album to listen to, especially alongside Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York. The Kirkwood brothers actually performed with Nirvana during that session, and they also covered three songs from this album, which were "Plateau," "Oh, Me," and "Lake of Fire." What I really enjoy about this album is how smoothly they were able to mix cowpunk with psychedelic rock, while maintaining that raw punk sound and still pulling off that dry, sun-baked desert atmosphere.
Enjoyable. I liked the tracks that Nirvana covered during unplugged.
They can play but they can't sing for shit. Still love it though 😂 Some interesting things going on in the album. Not to forget that it also influenced one of the biggest bands of the 90s. So I get why this album is on the list. Solid 4 for me.
Direct and varied songs. I really liked it. Of course, the songs Nirvana covered are among the best ones. I also enjoyed the instrumental Aurora Borealis. 4 stars after just one listen.
Još nisam imala album koji ovako naglo preokrene nakon prve pjesme. Kontam aha ovo će biti dosadna imitacija punka, onda postane dosadni indie country, i onda nazad na dosadnu imitaciju punka. Čudno iskustvo slušanja.
I really only knew Meat Puppets before this due to the Nirvana covers in MTV unplugged. It's a decent album, but one of those situations where the best songs were done better by Nirvana. Not sure I'd go back and listen to it all again. 3/5
I'm not sure if this is even music.
not for me. the fast beats did remind me of the south park theme song lol
6.5/10
yikes voice is just not good; honestly a 1 for me
This is interesting 80’s punk. I love the country influences jangly guitars. The whiny vocals slash a star for me.
good instrumentals but like whateverrr man
I liked it! Good balance between vocals and instrumentals
Some really good instrumentals on the album, but I didn't really like the vocals much. Lake of Fire and Plateau were two stand outs, but that might just because I like those tracks from Nirvana's Unplugged performance on MTV.
This album is definitely different. The songs to me were sort of all over the place. It had a jam band vibe, but the songs were all super short. The only song I recognized was "Lake of Fire", and that's only because Nirvana covered it during their Unplugged session on MTV. Very odd and eclectic. Not really my thing.
Really fun, interesting multi-genre exploration. I think I really dig “cowpunk” but the vocalist is truly terrible.
I liked this album but also didn’t like it. I thought that there were some great instrumentals in here and the slower tempo songs I thought were good, a little bit moody but felt it matched well with the tone of vocals. Standout songs, ‘Plateau’, ‘Oh, me’ and ‘Whistling song’. Whilst I did like some of the purely instrumental songs I felt like they still could have benefitted from some good vocals. I didn’t really enjoy the fast tempo songs at the start, it just sounded too rushed almost as if it was in 1.5x speed, paired with the vocals which I felt lacked the energy to match such a fast tempo (as well as a bit screechy) wasn’t it for me. I’m confused why there is repeat songs but played slightly differently, seemed pointless to me. In conclusion I liked some parts and didn’t like some other parts, so I’d say averaging out a low 3-star for me.
Not terrible or anything but not particularly distinctive either. One of the fillers in the list imo
Middle of the road music. There were some songs I liked but nothing extraordinary here.
This was alright? Not sure why on the list
This is special. Could be a 5. Lopsided genius. They really can't sing but it doesn't matter.
this was enjoyable, each song was different from the last. not much stood out for me though
Lake of Fire and other Nirvana Unplugged-adjacent songs aside, there's not a lot here that I feel I can recommend.
I listened to this earlier this year when looking for bands with weird names. I liked it then, and I like it now! It’s not overt, but the guitar work on here can only be described as the sick nasty.
Meat Puppets II today The album completely lacked identity First track is pure punk...then you get a country instrumental...a few tracks that sound like Weezer/Ben Kweller...back to punk No cohesiveness
Never heard this album before but I am familiar with some of their songs due to Nirvana covering them. It's really good and something that I would have loved had I been able to listen to it in the 90's. It's the same with a lot of albums that I hear on this site, wish I had the opportunity to listen to them back when I was a sponge for this type of music. You can hear a lot of things that sound kind of 90's style and I'm guessing they influenced several bands. Good stuff!
Jesus, I love this album. (Thank you Kurt; RIP.) Its mystery and magic lie in its contrasts - glorious melodies warbled almost atonally; complex structures played with a chaos that threatens to fall apart at any moment; the strength of will and depth of character to throw off convention and create a sound that is genuine and unique but do it with such a lack of pretension, such nonchalance, as though creating Art is simply what people do.
The original vinyl ran under 30 minutes and is not bad at all.
Ok, so this was all over the place for me. I had heard of Meat Puppets due to their later song "Backwater" which was a huge hit when I was in college. Other than that, I didn't know anything about this group. The instrumental "Aurora Borealis" is cool and gives Grateful Dead vibes - I played it twice and added it to my "Just Chillin'" playlist immediately! "Climbing " was less eagerly received - awful vocals and just sloppy. "Oh, Me" has some shaky vocals as well... and the more I listen, I believe I understand why I liked the instrumental track so much...Honestly, of the singer wasn't so bad, I'd have enjoyed "Oh, Me" (and likely many others) a lot more. Oh boy. "Lake of Fire" just cane on. I had no idea this was by Meat Puppets. I knew this song but always laughed at it because of the shitty vocals. I just can't take it seriously. Blessedly, "I'm a Mindless Idiot" is another instrumental, and - surprise, surprise- another's awesome jam! "The Whistling Son" begins with more awful "singing" but thank goodness he can at least whistle well. Another reviewer wrote that "The lead singer can't sing for shit." Indeed. Because of this - and despite how otherwise cool and edgy this album is, and how ahead of its time it is for 1984 - I'm ranking it 2 stars.
The alt country stuff in this is so good. The thrashy hardcore stuff is not for me. The final three songs (Lake of Fire, I’m A Mindless Idiot, The Whistling Song) are an extremely strong close.
Overall sounds fine. The lyrics brought it down a bit but was not a bad listen.
The 80s bad that Kurt Kobain saved!
I'm about four songs in, thinking about how prepared to give this two stars before I even started it. I had definitely listened to their stuff another band popularized, and because this songs sounded so much different (and worse) than the other band's performance, I just made an assumption that "Meat Puppets suck." That was definitely an error. They're different. They're weird. They don't suck. I find myself quite enjoying the weird desert-baked country and I'm not even mad about the unpolished vocals. Even the songs I previously dismissed have a certain something I'm glad I paid attention to and didn't dismiss our if hand this time. That said, there are a couple of songs I would skip if listening to this again Thanks, 1001 Albums. Among the David Bowie and Leonard Cohen albums, you have hidden for me something very cool. 3.49
8 / 10
1 good dong
While I can recognize the musical talent, something about the voice sounding kinda apathetic didn't really do it for me. Probably would not listen again.
I dislike the singing. The songs without vocals are tolerable.
This is ear destruction
Ok. A bit of variety. Nothing that really moved me.
Nirvana unplugged cover Plateau, oh me og lake of fire(?)
didn’t really get this one, only one or two songs i gelled with otherwise this felt like a discombobulated strung together album
Not for me. Just sounds like noise
I know three of these songs and the band name. You know why. The album is oddly captivating in parts, with a loud rock vibe and occasional diversions into country, shouty, and sometimes inability to sing in key. There's definitely grunge in there trying to get out. While I was happy to hear the album and understand how it influenced what came after, I don't think it's quite my vibe.
i like meat puppets and i really enjoyed this album
The first song did not set me up to like this album, but it improved as it went along. Not sure that “Nirvana covered 3 songs” is a good reason to include it on the list.
Never heard this album before. While I still think Kurt sings the covers better, the musicianship and creativity here are outstanding. I compare this to the Mekons album that I heard recently from this project. That was cowpunk too, but this was so much more enjoyable
Never heard about them and now listening the álbum, I can confirm It was better when i didn't knew them.
First impression, this album kind of chaotic, but after a few thorough listen theres part that are chaotic and theres also part that are quiet relaxing actually. I would say some people maybe could get overwhelm when listening to this cause of the fast and all over the place type of mixing on the instrument that not many people are used to. i also noticed that some of the track kinda sound like a mix of country and rock song which for me are quiet unique ( just found out it was a cowpunk album and thats just make so much sense for the country-ish fells to it ) really enjoy the instrument after i get used to it after listening for a few time A few songs on this project also have a follow up instrumental track which i really liked, plus the song does transition pretty smoothly making it sound like one song that have an intrumental break at the end. For the vocal, tbh i think it was decent. For me, the vocals one some tracks are okay but theres also some that really sounded goofy to me ( maybe thats just my preference or the vocalist are just too try-harding idk). Overall, this was just such an unique experience, but i think i wont be visiting this project that much(maybe some track but not most of it) cause its just out of my cup of tea. Overall rating (6/10) mainly cause not my cup of tea, but still somewhat exciting to listen for the first time.
It was slightly psychedelic, not at all what the name suggests chill, much more our vibe than expected.
There was one song where the singer just like forgot how to sing in tune? That was annoying. Otherwise, this is a really good and wide album, covering a lot of different styles and sounds. It's kind of a weird album, which makes sense, based on the sound they're going for and when this came out. I think if this band existed 20-25 years later, it would feel more refined, but just as broad and outlandish. Favorite Song(s): Aurora Borealis
So far ahead of it's time, it's crazy. These guys should be talked about alongside the Pixies
THE definitive cowpunk album. I got this album the summer of 2009 when I graduated high school, and it was such a defining shift towards my adult individual music taste. While it's not representative of the band's discography as a whole, it's still an awesome introduction.
Really good and ahead of its time.
everybody has to mention Nirvana covering three of these songs for MTV Unplugged in New York, sometimes with the implication that nobody would care about this album, or the Meat Puppets, were it not for Nirvana cementing them as parts of rock history. however, even just one listen to Meat Puppets II makes you realize that, well, this had to have been good enough to make it to the ears of Kurt Cobain to begin with! when I reviewed Dinosaur Jr.'s Bug, I remarked briefly on how SST was one of the premier labels for forward-thinking rock bands in the 80s. the Meat Puppets were certainly one of those, so their presence on SST's roster at the time is no shock to me! this album showcases their fierce combination of uptempo punk and vigorous country rock ("Split Myself in Two", "Lost", "Climbing") interspersed with slower cuts that border on psychedelic ("Plateau", "Oh, Me", "I'm a Mindless Idiot"). it's all tied together from some extremely anxious vocals from Curt Kirkwood, who often feels like he's singing just outside of his comfortable range. one of my favorite tracks here, "Magic Toy Missing", is a brilliant 80-second instrumental showcase of Kirkwood's instrumental synergy on guitar, with his brother—bassist Cris Kirkwood—and drummer Derrick Bostrom. interesting couplet to read in 2026, from "Plateau": "well the many hands began to scan around for the next plateau / some said it was Greenland and some said Mexico." light 9/10.
now That is one of the uncontested great band names. amazing album, especially when placed in relation to its contemporaries on the same branch of the evolutionary tree. this rly does capture, in its own way, the austerity and directness of hardcore, but swaps the brick wall of energy for a more fluid and anxious feeling. some songs kick ass, some are so sweet they're a few passes away from jangle-era r.e.m...and all of it just feels rly inspired and authentic in its combination of ideas, the pedal steel feels as inevitable as the more-intricate-than-you'd-expect instrumental tracks. singular and short and sweet and very very cool!!!!!!!!!!! one of my fave first listens ive had from the project in a while
My god what an album. Just the genre itself got me pumped. COWPUNK! HA! Anyways the guitar playing is simply superb and the songs are beautiful both sonically and lyrically. No wonder Cobain was such a fan
Precursor to Nirvana
Good slacker rock.
It's ok, good to hear the original of Plateau. Can hear the Nirvana in there, but I prefer Nirvana.
Okay, I've always been creeped out by this band's name, so I've never taken the time to listen to any of their work. That was a mistake on my part. I love all the music, but the vocals are hit or miss for me (mostly miss), which explains why my favorite songs are the instrumentals like Teenager(s), I'm a Mindless Idiot and especially Aurora Borealis.
This album just consisted of a bunch of random songs based off what they were feeling that day. It was all over the place. However, a chunk of the songs didn’t sound too bad. This is a solid two of I’ve ever heard one.
proto-pavement?
Cowpunk has never made much sense to me as a genre, and I don’t think it makes any more sense after listening to this. Still, it was a decent album that I enjoyed some of the pieces and components of, particularly with the instrumentals. Best song: The Whistling Song
Only a couple skips but some amazing instrumentals
Really enjoyed this more than i thought i would from the initial song tbh. The structure of the songs as well as the songs themselves were funny and i loved the instrumental tracks. Something something illustrated book about birds
At no point did I know what was happened next but I quite enjoyed the ride!
Oof, that was a rough opening track. None of this album stood out to me but it was a-okay background noise!
I’m sorry this was a tough one for me
This is fantastic. You can hear the alt rock explosion of the 90s ten years before it happened, and with a fun country twist. I think it should be highlighted that Meat Puppets actually do have quite a nice sense of melody, and some of their calmer, country influenced songs are really quite sweet. Conversely, they’re not scared of straight up punk wailing. ‘nothing at the top but a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about birds’ is one of the all time great lyrics.
Not my cup if tea... Gave it a go. Tried to like it. Well produced. But not sounds i can warm to.
4.5/5 - very solid album with some amazing song writting. "Plateau", "Oh, Me", and "Lake of Fire" are some of the best songs on Nirvana unplugged, and equally good here
if i were drunk at a bar I’d dance to this
no thanks
This is definitely some unique music. I like how they mashed up blue grass/country, punk, rock, and other styles There's almost some jam band going on in Aurora Borealis. I found some of the vocals to be kind of annoying, but it wouldn't surprise me if that's exactly what they were going for. So punk. The question is, is this album really amateurish or is it a work of genius to make it sound that way?
Music for people smarter than me.
Kurt did it better.
What a multi-genre adventure this was! I enjoyed the instrumental tracks the most.
i did not think i could like meat puppets less
There would be no grunge without this album
it was fine. not really my thing
I can hear how it influenced Kurt/Nirvana but it’s not my bag. The singing is bad but works with the music. Early grunt with punk and country twists. Worth a listen at least once
Strong electric guitar, high energy. Vocals were weak.
Yee haw? Little hardcore, lotta twang. Interesting.
This is a foundational album that lead to much of the great music of the 90s.
Yeah no. This one was not good. If you like chaotic, out of tune, rough and all over the shop then maybe this is for you... but this certainly wasn't for me. I'm sure there are albums that fit the same description that I'd enjoy, but this one didn't redeem itself in other ways at all. Not my bag, sorry.
3.5
I actually liked this a fair amount considering how much i disliked the vocals. But truthfully I only see myself coming back to the instrumental tracks for this.
Some cool guitar parts, but hate the vocals. Would never in a million years have been on this list, or remembered past the year 1984 if it wasnt for Kurt Cobain.
On the first track they come on like Neil Young's noisier cousin, all discordant screaming and weird anger. Then they settle down into the sort of thing punk psychobilly cowboys might line dance to. The album is peppered with instrumentals, a bit of gospel, some Nashville, some flat out rock. It's all over the place like a madwoman's undies and exactly how well known they'd be if Kurt Cobain hadn't announced them on the Unplugged album is up for discussion, but they're kind of fascinating in a strange "can't look away" kind of manner
Interesting Not terrible
Plateau, New Gods (first one in album), Teenager(s) were my favourites!
The Meat Puppets are among my favorite bands, and this is among their best albums. This album saw the band shift a little more country, while maintaining their punk core, with a little psychedelia mixed in for good measure. The album was way ahead of its time, and it still holds up today. Fun story. After releasing this album the Meat Puppets opened for Black Flag whose audience didn’t quite get their shit-kicking spin on punk. Instead of attempting to appease them, the band went further in the opposite direction doing things like long Dead covers. When the crowd got pissed, the band just screamed back at them and kept doing their thing. How punk rock is that? It is easy to see why Nirvana (among many others) considered the band to be among their most important influences. It is interesting that despite Meat Puppets being a better band in my respects, they never achieved the same notoriety, even after the Kirkwood brothers guest appearance on Nivana’s infamous Unplugged set. Yet another reminder of the importance of serendipity, I suppose. Although, heroin addictions and a stint in prison by Cris Kirwood probably didn’t help.
Varies between kind of good to kind of unbearable. Reminds me of the Violent Femmes if the Violent Femmes were much less talented. Cut the unbearable tracks off and this would be a solid album for me.
Today’s album is the Meat Puppets II which I had never heard before. I’ve never heard an album that influenced a band more obviously than this did to nirvana. I know they’ve covered some of these songs in the unplugged album but nirvana wouldn’t have existed without this album. This album came out 5 years too early. It’s a raw nirvana sound and style before cobain came and locked it down.
Favorite track(s): Lost, Plateau, Oh, Me, I'm a Mindless Idiot
Genuinely thought this was Meet the Muppets 2 (I’m dyslexic) and was in for a rude shock. As far as cowpunk goes, it’s fine, whatever.
Jesus Christ this is all over the place
Idk. 2.5/5
Pretty good. I had listened to this album about 15 years ago and I remember thinking it was merely okay, but maybe I am more mature now. Like most people, I first heard of this band because of their guest spot on the Nirvana Unplugged album. The irony is that I think “Lake Of Fire” is probably the weakest song on the album. Some of the instrumental tracks are catchy and fun, the guitar work is solid and the melodies are upbeat. I would listen again and I would recommend.
Vocals a little meh, but what a jam. 4/5
the 80s were a hotbed of this sort of stuff. punk had cracked open the floodgates for raw and unpolished rock and the sterility of what was popular at the time made for noisy counterculture. this certainly isn't the furthest music out there, but it does carve a niche in that landscape. not really a favorite but not a bad album either. really sounds like arizona. deserves to be one of the 1001? yes
I don’t like this at all. Truly in the top 3 worst albums I’ve heard thus far. I almost cut the album off within the first minute of Split Myself In Two, but I’m determined to listen to the albums in their entirety. Even when it’s pitifully bad. There’s not an ounce of rhythm nor tactful pitch in the singing or the organization of the songs. It’s just chaotic garbage. 🗑️
2/3. Solid listen, some cool jams on here with a distinct southwestern US sound to it (makes sense given the guys are from AZ). I feel like this would benefit from a closer listen, there’s definitely some more to dig into.
The vocals killed what was, to me, a rather mediocre experience to begin with.
You probably know two tracks on this album from Nirvana's Unplugged (and they're both great here and there) but this is a really good album overall.
Before this, I'd only ever heard The Meat Puppets' one 90s radio hit, plus the cover versions that Nirvana did on Unplugged. Where has this album been all my life?? This was precisely my jam.
- nirvana antes do nirvana? dizer que eles são grunge é meio simplista, mas essa mistura de country com punk gerou um resultado que é muito semelhante, tanto no modo diy bagunçado e distorcido que virou sinônimo de grunge, quanto na raiz da música folclórica estado-unidense, que é mt presente no grunge também.
Pleasant
Prior to this my only knowledge of Meat Puppets was through Nirvana covering them. The vocals are shocking which makes the instrumentals a relief, even though they are hardly brilliant. Plateau, oh no and lake of fire are obvious standouts (despite the vocals) but i suspect my opinion is distorted on these by the Nirvana covers.
The highest compliment I can give is it had a lot of instrumentals, and I hate instrumentals as a rule. But the vocals were intolerable and out of tune, the band seemed - miraculously - to be both behind AND ahead of the music most of the time… it was just a total mess.
Well this is shouty. And also sort of initially sounds like a group of people having their own individual panic attacks while performing. And then goes a bit country. And then I recognised a song from a Nirvana Unplugged cover. And then we're back to a (new to me) dissonant guitar-noodling instrumental. It's sort of impressive to make an album that's so weirdly eclectic, and yet I don't really like any of it. I really debated the score here, because this absolutely isn't as offensive to me as other albums I've scored 1/5, but I didn't like the music that much and hated the singing. My only thing that really pushes the score a little is that the songs were mercifully short, and that doesn't get you a full star of recognition. A regrettable, not for me, 1/5
Interesting but also kind of tuneless
Beautiful album!!!
Fun
Can’t remember this at all and it was only yesterday
Hit and miss and a bit long but a few good songs. Nirvana definitely picked the best ones to cover.
Proto-nirvana. Class though.
Good stuff, very Pavement-esque
++: Split Myself in Two, Magic Toy Missing, Lost, Plateau, Aurora Borealis, Oh, Me, I'm a Mindless Idiot +: Climbing, The Whistling Song +-: We're Here, New Gods --: Lake of Fire 7,2/10
Loved it.
Nice to have finally heard the originals after knowing some of these songs from Nirvana Unplugged, but nothing grabbed me especially.
This album rules. Fun tunes, weird music, bad band name
Cool for them that they were influential, but I didn't hear anything I liked
Musically it’s fun but I found the singer’s voice almost unlistenable.
I had known of the Meat Puppets via Nirvana like a lot of people, but never listened to a whole album of theirs. It's a bit messy and chaotic but the musicianship is decent - the vocals are... Well they're a bit painful to listen to. I'm not sure how much of it is lack of ability vs stylistic choice, but either way it doesn't make listening easy. Which is a shame because the musical stylings here are good examples of their genres, stuff I'd been pretty into in my teen grunge era. It was cool to hear the original versions of Plateau and Lake of Fire, but I prefer to listen to Nirvana
Delightfully diverse and strange. 4/5
Pretty average and not good vocals at all. Couple of the instrumental tracks were good
The quality of the music is not that good. This sounds like some guys who are really trying, but are aiming too high for their playing ability. Having said that, somehow I like it. It works and I think it's the strength of the Meat Puppets' songwriting. Liked Songs Added: Plateau Oh, Me Lake Of Fire What To Do
Meh, I listened to previews of most of these tracks so I didn't hear the entire album but I've heard enough of it to form a 2 star opinion. I recognized a few songs that were covered by Nirvana.
Decent but a little all over the place. Nothing groundbreaking.
I really couldn't get into this and couldn't really put my finger on why. My favourite songs tended to actually be the instrumentals as I wasn't a fan of the vocal style which feels a bit hypocritical as someone into a lot heavier music with even more questionable vocals in some people's eyes.
5/10
Not a fan carthatic and chaotic
Country twang punk, essential listening
Que portada más cool tiene este álbum lol, valoro el aumento de bpm y escuchar COWPUNK según aoty? (me hizo reír un poco el género) y lo peor es que entiendo exactamente por qué se llama así, no hay otra manera de describirlo. Algunas canciones son un poquito más de relleno, pero esa mezcla de country con el aura un poco gótica o punk de alguna manera funciona super bien wtf. Escuchar este álbum fue toda una experiencia pero la verdad que sí lo considero un esencial para expandir gustos. Una de las reviews en aoty decía "I'm going to burn the barn to the ground" y me hizo mucha gracia también, un aesthetic muy específico. Encima es del 84 wtf suena perfectamente a algo que te encontrarías tranquilamente 10-15 años después
Lake a fire is a good song
Alright lets go! Not expecting the bluegrass vibes on Magic Toy Missing haha. Nor the country vibe on song 3.. Is this a cowpunk record?? I'm moderately into this. I think it's cool but I'm not like losing my mind over it. Teenager(s) is sick. Cool tape distortions/dropouts on Lost. 2nd version of Aurora Borealis to end the record? Or is it the exact same??
Mostly pretty boring for me. Not really up my alley.
At least it was short
Not really my jam, but I can see its appeal. Simpsons: No
I couldn't tell you what the first song was about. It was an 8-minute song crammed into 2 and a half. Things did get better from there, but not by much
With a name like Meat Puppets I was expecting something a bit heavier.
Unexpectedly good and great to hear the song I thought was a nirvana song all along
★★★★½
I, like many other, discovered this band after Nirvana covered three of their songs on the unplugged album. A mix of genres (hardcore, cowpunk, psychdelia, Americana) all add to the lo-fi messiness of the album. It's got character. Best Tracks: Plateau; Aurora Borealis; We're Here
Not my thing
231125 13:19 4 / highlights: split myself in two, lake of fire, plateau
Sometimes I wonder what it's like to like in Arizona.
Purposefully shitty vocals but I get it. It’s like this emoji 🤪
I saw the album art and the wiki summary and I was not looking forward to this. After listening, I wonder if the cover art works better in person, because it does a pretty good job of summing up the sound. It's a naive abstraction, a display of irregular patterns. Messy but cohesive. It felt like a dirty hardcore rockabilly project. A rebel sound, an energy that's willing to stick it to the industry and its generic standards. It's cool and fun to listen to, but I can't imagine actively seeking this out, or achieving a chaotic level of dopamine and thinking something along the lines of "this is a moment for the Meat Puppets!" even though that's the ideal energy for a record like this. 3.1/5
Love These Guys
Okay, so I know Meat Puppet because of Nirvana. The tracks on this album that I've already heard, both as covers by Nirvana and the originals, are great tracks. There others are good, but not as good. The country elements in some songs is not for me at all. I'd give a 3, but their influence on Kurt Cobain and the covers we got from Nirvana thereof allows me to give me a 4.
Meh
Ok. No more than ok, tho'.
Imagine having all of your best songs be more iconic when someone else does them. That has to sting a little, right? Anyway, assessing just this album, I can see where you could be into them but I find it a little too messy
My only knowledge of Meat Puppets is their brief appearance with Nirvana on Unplugged. Up until today I had no preconceptions, so this was a pleasant surprise. I like that a fair few instrumentals were in the running order, although a tiny bit of Americana did put me on the back-foot somewhat. Nearly, nearly purchase material... Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆ (6.5/10)
Okay, I have heard Nirvana cover Plateau, Oh, Me, and Lake of Fire, but it sounded better. What a trip back to my youth! It is very hard to listen to this guy sing off key, but it somehow makes the songs more interesting to listen to. I can't decide if I like it or hate it.
It's a 3 for me but I recognise this is an important album. My ears sharpened when I heard Plateau and immediately said, hey isn't this a Nirvana song. It was sung by Cobain et co during the famous MTV Unplugged concert. But generally speaking, I can see why the album is anticipating a lot of music that will come later, from the more niche Moldy Peaches style folk rock to Nuetral Milk Hotel all the way to Tame Impala. I'm not sure how much those artists were aware of the album, but the approach, sound and themes of the song reminded me of all those artists.
Not bad you know
decent
Well, it kind of sucks. It sounds like some grungy kids decide to kind of do grunge, and kind of do country. There are a couple good songs on this album, but those are pretty much the songs that Nirvana covered.
Nope. ⭐ Hated it
It's a no from me on the vocals. Big no. This was awful. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐: Hated it.
good and interesting statement in an era that could absorb and use it. not a musically excellent album, but deserves attention.
No idea what this is but here for it.
Liked some songs. Did not like others
Goes on a bit
4 star music that should be downgraded to a 3 because of the voice but is downgraded to a 2 because of the voice
The punkier stuff on here is decent. He doesn't have the voice for the slower stuff though.
Cacophonous
If someone gave this a one star I would totally get it but i thought it was great
it wasnt that bad, wasn't special either.
Somewhat interesting, as I heard some of the influences for Nirvana, but I do not think I will be revisiting this one soon. The instrumental tracks caught my ear a bit, but other than that it feels more like an experimental project rather than a real band with a real album. All in all, I am sad to say I did not like it!
I like this album.
Really lovely guitar whining but only in the mid-second half of the album - first quarter was a little bit odd.
I liked
Can't say I've ever spent a lot of time (or any?) with the Meat Puppets and it's probably because I cannot stand this dude's voice. 'Oh, Me', 'Plateau', and 'Lake of Fire' are obvious stand-outs due to the ever-popular Nirvana (unplugged) covers of them.
Very punky. Hectic sounds. Maybe could listen when ordering the house. Did not like it much, just a few songs.
80s country punk. Like if the Grateful Dead were a punk band. Super weird, catchy, and honest.
I understand the importance of using some of their punk dissonant noise, but I was not very into it, mostly for the vocals. Guitar and drums are probably the best part of the album, but not enough to make it a top.
I didn’t have particularly high hopes for this one but I was pleasantly surprised! I can see why Kurt liked them so much. Eclectic, challenging but never boring that’s for sure.