Reviews (page 4 of 7)
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
Enjoyable. I liked the tracks that Nirvana covered during unplugged.
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
6.5/10
This is interesting 80’s punk. I love the country influences jangly guitars. The whiny vocals slash a star for me.
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 was enjoyable, each song was different from the last. not much stood out for me though
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!
The original vinyl ran under 30 minutes and is not bad at all.
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
1 good dong
Ok. A bit of variety. Nothing that really moved me.
Good slacker rock.
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
At no point did I know what was happened next but I quite enjoyed the ride!
if i were drunk at a bar I’d dance to this
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 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
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.
Interesting Not terrible
Plateau, New Gods (first one in album), Teenager(s) were my favourites!
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.
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.
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
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.
Interesting but also kind of tuneless
Fun
Hit and miss and a bit long but a few good songs. Nirvana definitely picked the best ones to cover.
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
Nice to have finally heard the originals after knowing some of these songs from Nirvana Unplugged, but nothing grabbed me especially.
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
Decent but a little all over the place. Nothing groundbreaking.
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??
Not really my jam, but I can see its appeal. Simpsons: No
Unexpectedly good and great to hear the song I thought was a nirvana song all along
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
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)
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
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
The punkier stuff on here is decent. He doesn't have the voice for the slower stuff though.
it wasnt that bad, wasn't special either.
Really lovely guitar whining but only in the mid-second half of the album - first quarter was a little bit odd.
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.
5/10
3.5
Only know of the meat puppets because they performed on the Nirvana unplugged show/live album. This was cool though, kinda like country punk or something like that.
3.5
3.5
Based entirely on the name I was expecting loud and boring, but 1984 was a good year for music and this was quite all right.
Up on the Sun is the only Meat Puppets album I've spent any significant time with so I'm quite excited to listen to this. It's also apt for today cuz I was a Meat Puppet on set of Bad Day. This could grow into a 4 out of 5 but on one listen I'm unsure of a few tracks and even though I love the instrumentals it feels like they are structured to have lyrics and just don't.
I wish I could rate it more, but it has a few duds sprinkled in
Really like the first few tracks but interested faded after a while. Might give this a relisten
kind of just boring psych rock
A bit rough and ready but great.
They were an enormous deal when I was in school out in Arizona. It's not really my jam -- but it's interesting to hear the genesis of Nirvana Unplugged.
Instrumentals were often epic, vocals were hit and miss. Interesting mix of styles throughout.
Great instrumentals, but the singing… a not as good Grateful Dead.
Not really for me, the singer's voice unpolished, but that may have been the intention. it was good for work though!
Kind of a fascinating, unclassifiable band. Not exactly my thing, but I salute the Meat Puppets and mostly thought about how cool it was that Kurt Cobain at the height of his fame devoted 20% of their Unplugged show to this band and specifically this album.
I wanted to like this more, but the vocals were a bit too rough for me. Some great songs, but a few too many clunkers to get to the next level. Just shy of 3.5 stars so rounding down.
Pretty good, but not really my thing and probably won't come back to this again.
Better than I expected. Even recognized some songs. Some punkier songs but some had melodies.
Actually found it surprisingly interesting, some cool melodies, even cool folk-adjacent stuff. Although found the album a bit long and the heavier stuff not to my taste
This LP was just meh
Let's face it. Practically no one gave a damn about the Meat Puppets until Kurt Cobain named them one of this favorite bands (and this one of his favorite album), and Nirvana covered 3 songs from this album on their iconic MTV Unplugged set. Not to say this band didn't deserve to be rescued from obscurity. Listening to this album, they most certainly did. Here we have a very good slab of 80's indie with a folky bend and a psychedelic twist, something that was pretty much absent during that decade. Key tracks: Plateau Lake of Fire
Setting aside the shouty parts this evolved into an entertaining journey. The softer vocals worked best and the guitar is sparkling throughout.
+ Må høres mer på
Very much enjoyed, especially the country elements. A few songs I’d save and listen to again. Felt very unique.
I enjoyed it quite a bit. Some of the songs were really nice, I am glad I had an opportunity to emerge into the world of Meat Puppets, hence I shall give this album a positive thumbs up for an easy listen, short album. It was nothing very special though.
bin ja mal swhr gspannt, COWPUNK punk ghörtmer na sehr guet usse hahaha und de cow au fest jaa kei offebarig für mich bis jz aurora borealis isch na es cools instrumental gsi oh, me sehr e cooli stimmig ui ok ja höch chaner nöd singe the whistling song isch tatsächlich eine! joo isch easy, churzwilig und teils lustig aber das isches denn au
nice enough
i loved the first song, the album is so diverse though it has some country music too which i didnt like much. it might just be the most abstract thing ive heard. i kind of preffered the cover of plateu by nirvana. idt id come back to this album but it was amazing to listen to. some of them feel like phoebes songs from friends
Kinda fun, like a lot of people Ive heard the Nirvana versions of a few of these songs. I actually didnt know the album was 10 years older than Unplugged tho! Interesting how stark these few songs are against the rockabilly background.
Wow, what the hell I just listened too? Hillbilly Country Punks on Acid meets Nirvana? Damn, that was quiet an experience, still don't know what to make of it, although I start to think I like the original songs better than Nirvana covered on "Unplugged". But still, interesting? Yes, Listenable? Sort of. Pleasant? Not so sure. 3/5
This album found a way to tackle psychedelia from about every possible angle. There's rock, there's country, there's folk, there's Americana, there's punk, there's alternative...all through the lens of psychedelia. I liked it okay, but didn't find it to be great. A weak 3 from me.
I've listened to the Meat Puppets before, seemed like they were ahead of their time. Pretty good stuff on their, but not enough to get to a 4.
Hit and miss. Another one of those male singing voices I don't like, like they're just powering through it.
Die Meat Puppets aus den USA nahmen ihr zweites Album Meat Puppets II 1983 in den Total Access Studios in Redondo Beach, Kalifornien, auf. Nach dem noch rohen Hardcore-Debüt wechselte die Band hier deutlich den Kurs. Country-Elemente, Folk und psychedelische Passagen mischen sich mit Resten des Punk. Stücke wie „Plateau“, „Oh, Me“ und „Lake of Fire“ zeigen diese neue Mischung besonders deutlich. Die Songs wirken oft ungeschliffen und spontan, tragen aber eine besondere Atmosphäre, die später unter anderem Nirvana beeinflusste. Insgesamt entstand ein Album, das kantig, eigenwillig und zugleich richtungsweisend für alternative Rockmusik der 1980er war.
Bon son rock alternatif, après j'ai pas trop cliqué et surtout je suis pas trop rock en ce moment.
Bang average
- I'm a bit conflicted with this ; some good stuff, some not so good stuff .... but the energy and writing, pretty fuckin good. It's probably more art than product but I don't know if that's enough. i hate to say I want more polish but I can't get past the "we can't be bothered" vibe .... -
These guys are surprisingly versatile. Good album.
It’s fun but nothing special
Some weird vocal stuff throughout but cool guitars. Plateau had lyrics that I remembered the most, teenager one was artsy with symbolism. Overall pleasant experience, probably wouldn’t listen down again though.
Gross name, solid tunes
komisch gsi. zumteil covers gha und zum teil au ned glaub. ka was das album het welle sie. aber mer chönnt em en zweuti chacne geh
Very hostile to staying on the beat this one. I read the reviews and I thought it was gonna be something a lot more difficult than it is. Like Calexico if it was fronted by David Thomas. It upsets the dad rockers without actually being that weird. Magic Toy Missing has a good little deranged southern rock take on country. Middle of the album takes a great turn with some pleasant slow rock numbers on Plateau and Aurora Borealis. Kind of reminiscent of Don Caballero but without the time signature changes? We're Here stays slow but adds some vocals and some fun tinkling delay bits. New Gods goes back to a kind of post punk/hardcore thing. Fun clashing guitar wailing solos. Oh Me is basically grunge which is cool I suppose. Had never heard of Meat Puppets before but this feels like an Important Album. Not really my thing but definitely deserves a place on the list for bridging the gap between punk and grunge.
I remember the Meat Puppets from their 1994 semi-hit Backwater & for Kurt Cobain expressing his love for the band. Listening to II, it’s easy to see how Cobain’s vocal styling was influenced by Curt Kirkwood's singing. Kirkwood’s singing is not good, at least for my taste, but there are times you would swear it was Cobain singing. II is weird. The first MP’s album was a noisy hardcore punk, but for II the MP’s invented something called “cow punk.” Cow Punk is essentially punk country music. It’s hard to explain, but I like it, except that the vocals are terrible. While I was surprised by how much I liked the album, tho not Kirkwood’s vocals. The instrumentals are great. Highlights for me are Aurora Borealis, & I’m a Mindless Idiot. The Whistling Song & Lake of Fire are 2 good songs with vocals. Lake of Fire’s vocals especially sound like Cobain; in fact, the Meat Puppets joined Cobain on the Nirvana Unplugged show to sing 3 MP songs, including Lake of Fire. For history’s sake, it’s worth a listen, but for me, that’s about it.
I know a few of the songs because of Nirvana but had never heard the album before. The instrumentation is good and there are good songs here, except the vocals are weak and it often lets it down which is a shame.
This is an equally great album as it is a bit underwhelming. The instrumentation is often amazing, it's just a shame the vocals are weak and not at all to my tastes.
Interesante. El pavo no da ni una nota afinada cantando pero es que no puedes dejar de escucharlo. Raw se le queda corto
I can see both sides on this album. Lots of dissonance, noise and whining, but some interesting offbeat material as well. I wanted to like it more than I did. I understand why it is on this list. It is not one of the top thousand best albums ever, but it is something you should be exposed to at some point in your listening career.
split myself in two- 5 magic toy missing- 6 lost- 5 plateau- 5 aurora borealis- 5 we're here- 5 climbing- 5 new gods- 5 oh me- 5 lake of fire- 6 im a mindless idiot- me too. 5 or 6 the whistling song- 5 no more ive always wanted to get into the meat puppets but to be honest i think their name is more interesting than their music
Interesting one. Has moments where it sounds like they have some rhythm and good tunes, other moments where it sounds like disaster and dysfunction. The lead singer is not the most alluring, but the music sounds okay, I guess. Probably won't revisit this one.
Was ok
A real mixed bag, some good tracks, some nice guitar work, some awful vocals. It's ok.
really dug the instrumental tracks
The album is quite interesting. But not more.
Some good tracks.
The name rang a bell, but i had nothing so clicked the wiki link. I saw noisecore in the first sentence and wasnt enthused. I was hung over, with my kids and its biblically hit today. This was going to take some effort. Later that afternoon i decided to persevere and stuck it on. Firstly, this is really well done and tuneful. It took me a couple of minutes to place the songs that i recognised. You can see why Kurt held these guys as great songwriters and covered the tracks. Occasional detours into noisecore were not my bag, but this was a welcome introduction and ill go back again.
Not something I ever knew existed, even the Nirvana connection. It’s quirky, kind of interesting, slightly tuneless singing at times and OK as a cult thing .
Hillbilly metal and eclectic interludes
Interesante. No había pensado jamás en una combinación entre country y punk. En líneas generales es un disco bastante disfrutable incluso con la voz tan peculiar del cantante. Los instrumentales han sido de lo mejor del álbum. 3/5
What is this? Metal/country/proto-grunge? It's ok
Desert rock before Josh Homme discovered it.
Plateau Lake of Fire
Some good songs but going for the quirky song rather than an easier more melodic approach. Can see the influence they had on nirvana though. Not sure what to make of it.
This album was wild. Psychedelic country, punk rock, beautiful instrumental interludes. Had no clue three of the songs from Nirvana's unplugged album were from this record.
New to me, enjoyed this album and the links to Nirvana were interesting. I added Lake of Fire and I'm a Mindless Idiot to my playlist
Interesting album. Much of Nirvanas MTV Unplugged material, such as ‘Plateau’ and ‘Lake of Fire’, comes from here, and I guess that’s why it feels like it sounds more modern than it is. I personally enjoyed ‘Aurora Borealis’ quite a lot. In general it was a bit of hit or miss though. Many songs feels like filler material or lackluster, but there are some decent ones as well if you can stomach the singer’s unorthodox style.
For 1984 this is off the charts interesting. I never got into them in the late 80s when I was getting into hardcore and punk. But, if I listened I probably would have owned a record or 2
Punk / country / rock
***An ok album
If I hadn't seen the release date, I would have thought this came from the early 90s, due to its influence on a lot of the alternative/grunge acts of that time. Because of that, I'm glad I listened to this, even if I probably wouldn't seek it out again.
Vorallemm de instrumentali teil esch relativ guet. Sehr abwächsligsriich ond guet gspelt. Meischtens aber it rechtig vo enstpannte Rock. De gsang esch au ganz okay aber ech fühle die Art z senge ned so.
Some good tunes here
This is okay. It has some peaks and a generally good sound, but it really blends together rather indistinctly.
Impossible to rate this album without first addressing the elephant in the room - this feels like they stuck two different albums together. The more country sound does them a huge disservice. Their punk and psychedelic sound is incredible. If this was an album where all the songs were like Plateau, Aurora, Teenager(s), and The Whistling Song - this would be an easy 4. But Split Myself In Two was one of the worst songs I've heard in this challenge.
Consistently fun listen, but nothing especially special to me, and not something I can see myself returning to much. The track Plateau was a highlight, though.
Short and sweet listen. Bangin instrumentals. I can see how the singer's voice could be polarizing, but it never took me out of the songs too much. Standouts: Oh, Me • I'm A Mindless Idiot
Think I heard the name Meat Puppets before, but never heard this. Not what I expected
Weird 80s album. It is that quirky alternative that my dad likes, Byrds like psych country mix a la Notorious Byrd Brothers and punk. Will listen again, but at this point 3/5
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.
The Nirvana plug here makes sense. I can see how music like this led to what became Nirvana and the grunge movement in the future. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. 5/10
Now I know where I heard of these guys. For some reason was confusing them with screaming trees. Nirvana had covered them for the unplugged album. Interesting music. Unlike things at the time. Underground, melodies to be found. Not paying so much attention to the lyrics. I won’t listen again. Three stars.
Musically kind of interesting. Dissonant but rhythmic. The singing is horrendous though. I guess that adds to the dissonance.
Punky, but theres better stuff out there
Original but technically quite approximate 3.3
It was fun , wouldn’t listen again . I really liked aurora borealis that was a tuneee. The genre kept on like switching up it was a bit odd but I did enjoy listening to it . It felt like it dragged . Although the album seemed to flow very well if you know what I mean .
Har lyssnat på dem innan men inte detta albumet. Konstigt band, hälften jättebra hälften suger. Låter mycket nyare än de är. De får en trea men jag kommer lyssna mer för jag är nyfiken.
rough as a badgers arse and I like it!
oddball rock for oddballs. this album is sponsored by kurt cobain. also fun
🎧Cool slacker rock
Not very excited. Abrasive grateful dead melodies with some punk undertones. 3 stars for creativity.
So, Kurt Cobain was a fan, huh?
Obviously a big influence on the alternative rock scene, it's a mixed bag but does feature a bunch of catchy songs
I’ve not listened to these guys before, aside from the tracks Nirvana covered. Seems to be a collection of songs rather than an album, it lacks cohesion. It’s obvious that as an artist these guys have had a huge influence on the scene. I like the Nirvana versions better, but maybe that’s my teenage self being biased
They give it a go and what a go.
Standard young punk stuff.
Let's get the obvious out the way... **cough** Nirvana Unplugged **cough** I really like the artwork. The album is quite chaotic, lots going on and all over the place. I can't quite tell if that's the intention or poor production value. I like all the tracks that Nirvana covered, probably some sort of conformity bias going on there.
3.5
3.5
Thoughts before listening: Like many kids who came of age in the 90s, I first heard of the Meat Puppets when they sat in with Nirvana on Unplugged. I also owned their album that came out around that same time that included their alt rock radio hit "Backwater". I never really dove too deep into their back catalog however. I know they get a ton of praise as an influence on the alt-country scene as well as the 80s college rock scene in general. Review: Man, so many of the classics from the 80s punk and alternative scenes are plagued by poor production. Maybe at the time this was less noticeable since you would have probably been listening to the album on a tape with headphones, and it was likely a pleasant experience to hear something that sounds quaint compared to the excesses of 70s arena rock. However, in an era where high quality audio can be recorded in a bedroom, these rough 80s recordings can be distracting. That being said, I can hear the foundation of some great songs here. Under a different setting with better production and engineering, these could be classics. In fact, the 3 songs the Meat Puppets played on MTV with Nirvana DID become classics when recorded in a more professional manner. "Plateau", "Oh Me", and "Lake of Fire" are the best songs on this album, although the playing on the instrumental tracks is also very enjoyable. It was rare to see punk bands of the 80s show off their chops, so that is a refreshing addition to their sound. 3-stars
Influential band right here. Pretty terrible vocals throughout the album, but there some gems on this one; Plateau, Aurora Borealis, Oh, Me and Lake of Fire. I'll give this a 4 for its Influence on some epic bands, and for its originality, but bring it back down to a 3 for its quality. Not too many bands sounded like this in the early 80's.
Like almost everyone else, I knew a few songs from this album thanks to Nirvana’s Unplugged set, and I knew “Backwater,” but that’s where my familiarity ended. This album isn’t at all what I expected, though I’m not sure what I was expecting. I certainly wasn’t imagining this punk-Americana hybrid, or whatever we’re calling it. It doesn’t sound anything like the early ’80s I have in my head; it doesn’t even feel tied to a specific era. The record is full of ideas, each one explored just long enough to capture it before it flits away. Nothing feels refined or polished, especially the singer’s warbly tenor, yelping freely without much concern for pitch. And yet I can’t imagine any other voice fitting here. Despite the technical imperfections, you get the sense these guys are capable musicians who know exactly what they’re doing. The lyrics are clever and strange and conjure vivid little worlds. It felt like I was able to crawl into someone else's mind and see everything from their quirky perspective. I came away fascinated, and I think the album is worth spending more time with. I'm giving this a 3.5 now, but I feel like I could grow to really love this.
Noisy & unpolished, surprisingly varied
Sloppy but fun songs and tunes, I dug it. Really refreshing after all these big, self-important albums to have something so small-scale and garage band-y, but still sounding great.
It was ok, no stand out tracks for me I wouldn’t be in a rush to listen to it again, but if it was on I wouldn’t mind either
not bad
-very interesting sound… not like anything I’ve heard before. the word “cowpunk”, the apparent genre name, describes it perfectly I guess -I really loved the instrumentation actually! some of my favorite tracks were the guitar-driven instrumentals. maybe not the most mind-blowing thing I’ve ever heard but very cool and fun nonetheless -Favorites are Magic Toy Missing and Aurora Borealis
Listening to this sent me down a Nirvana MTV Unplugged rabbit hole (“the brothers meat”). If nothing else, it deserves 3 stars for that. May come back to this one at some point
Holy Kurt Cobain! First thing I thought was this band is a total rip off of Nirvana. Then I heard Plateau and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was Cobain/Nirvana that ripped off Meat Puppets, right down to the singing style. Now I'm sure my son has told me the story behind the Meat Puppets and Nirvana, especially the well known hit Lake of Fire. But as a person who isn't the biggest fan of Nirvana, Meat Puppets is Nirvana. Cobain just did it a little bit better. Not much, bit a little bit..... I thought the album was pretty good. Split Myself in Two was a great opener and my favorite song off the album. I think I was most surprised by the musical range, from the in your face punk to the mellower, dare I say, a little rock country kinda twang. Thought the album was solid. Kept my attention and I learned a few things today. Or maybe I should say I was reminded of a few things today. I can already hear Luke saying, "Dad, I already told you about this..... " I'll check out more of these guys . 3.5
3.5 I saw someone online describe this as sounding like “a half-drunk cover band playing the greatest album ever made, in a tiny, mostly vacant lounge at 1am,” and my God, is that accurate. It’s messy as hell and the singer can’t sing worth a damn, but man, does it have DIY, punk charm to it. THIS is how country and rock should be blended, Eagles, take note. Now, I feel like it’s impossible to talk about this album without mentioning Nirvana. Odds are, unless you’re truly an older indiehead, your first time hearing the Meat Puppets was via MTV Unplugged in New York, where Kurt and Co. covered three songs from this particular album - Plateau, Oh, Me, and Lake of Fire - alongside the actual band themselves (forever and always a bro move in my eyes). I’ve always thought Kurt had a knack for highlighting obscure bands with unconventional, raw talent (see: his Top 50 albums list), and these guys are no exception. Though, if I’m being honest… the Nirvana versions of these songs are better. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy them in their original form here - there’s admittedly a small sense of rudimentary quality to them, but for the most part, the energy and personality they carry sets them apart as works of their own. There’s certainly a place in my musical catalog for them, though Lake of Fire is one of those songs that always takes me back to a specific place and time - Walmart, 2020. As I was out grocery shopping for myself the first time during the pandemic, masked up, following the guiding arrows on the floor, trying to stay as far away from everyone as I possibly could, and without single cleaning supply or roll of toilet paper to be found, this song shuffled on in my earbuds, and I honestly don’t think there’s any other song that could have captured the moment better. For a sec there, I wondered if I was in Hell. Still, regardless of which version you’re listening to, Lake of Fire is a great song, as are Plateau and Oh, Me. As for the rest of this album… pretty decent. Kurt definitely went with the best three songs this has to offer, but there’s a degree of enjoyment to be had with most everything here. For the second review in a row, this was way more of a country album than I would have anticipated, though in this instance, I thought the fusion of it was really cool and well-done (I guess it’s called cowpunk?) While no track quite hit me like the big three did, I did think Aurora Borealis was a cool instrumental to come out of Plateau with, and there was something about Lost that reminded me of Another Travelin’ Song by Bright Eyes. If you make me think of Bright Eyes, you’re probably doing something right. Can’t say I quite fell in love with this, but as a Nirvana fan, I’m definitely happy to have explored the group’s catalog a little bit more.
It's alright. Very rough
I thought this album had a great alt-country sound that is 10 years ahead of its time. However, except for a couple great songs the writing was mediocre.
I liked the songs covered in the live Nirvana album I liked them more when they covered them..
A little groovy thing. Recognized a tune or two surprisingly. Didn't get me too excited but I enjoyed moments. 3.5
Surprised I enjoyed this more than I thought I would
A mixed bag - some really nice songs (Aura Borealis), some fine songs, and some terrible.
I liked some parts of it, but there were moments i couldn't understand if they were making music or mocking people that make music.
Interesting album. Highlights are obviously the songs Nirvana covered in their Unplugged. These guys were probably about 10 years ahead of their time.
Heck yeah, proto grunge
An interesting soup of genre.
Прикольная музыка, но не особо зацепила
emo
This album has the classic jams on it, and has a fun grungy crunchy energy. Maybe my favorite Meat Puppets album. It’s probably properly a 3.5?
Good Album, my entry point into this, for better or worse was Nirvana Unplugged. This album is quirky, but the songs are great, it's interesting to see how Nirvana made some of the material more accessible. But we need music like this to push us in new ways.
I did like a lot of the instrumental bits of this. Some of the straight instrumental tracks were a bit long and repetitive. The vocals were not my favorite but only really bothered me on a few songs. Overall, they have some tracks that have a good vibe but not a peak album.
Had some decent moments but generally pretty underwhelming
Really tempted to give it a 4 because there's some very pleasant songs but the voice itself is quite annoying and got tired by the of the album. I don't think I'll play them again except for some songs
I liked the music a decent amount, but found the vocals irritating and something I had to push through to enjoy the music underneath.
Muzycznie nie było najgorzej, ale ten wokal… Gość brzmiał, jak narąbany random pod koniec imprezy. Nie dało się tego słuchać. Instrumentalne kawałki dużo lepsze, ale ratują tego, co wyjec napsuł. 5/10 i niech się cieszą, że nie niżej.
Love, love the album art. I like the get up and go of the first few tracks. The occasional country inflection is fun. Where it reminds me of Violent Femmes or White Stripes I like it. Unfortunately there are some absolutely dreadful songs too. Ultimately it does matter some if the singer can sing. Even where it misses it is still creative and interesting and clearly influential.
Surprisingly solid. I prefer the Nirvana MTV Unplugged covers of Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire though.
the instrumentation on this album is so rad. aurora borealis is so fucking good. when I looked them up i read they were a big influence on dinosaur jr and you can really tell. vocals can be annoying as fuck
From the name "Meat Puppets" I was expecting this to be a lot heavier than it was, there was a lot more sort of blues inspiration than I was expecting
01) Split Myself in Two - 5,5 02) Magic Toy Missing - 6,5 03) Lost - 6,5 04) Plateau - 6,5 05) Aurora Borealis - 6,0 06) We're Here - 6,0 07) Climbing - 6,0 08) New Gods - 5,5 09) Oh, Me - 6,0 10) Lake of Fire - 6,0 11) I'm a Mindless Idiot - 6,5 12) The Whistling Song - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,08 (61/100) Current ranking:
I really liked Plateau and We're Here. I felt their vocalist didn't put in a lot of effort in on some of the other songs.
This is not a band I’ve listened to before but I was surprised at how much I liked them. Half the songs were really good and sounded like they could’ve been B sides to everything on WSP’s Space Wrangler. Very high 3.
This was a pretty fun listen! Folksy, spirited and a little twisted.
3/5
Most appropriate title on the list?
OK rock with bad vocal and terrible mix.
Fun, sort of upbeat
I think other bands have done this sound better but the ones I'm thinking of came after this came out so got to give respect for that. Still though, only a couple songs I will probably come back to. I didn't really dislike the other tracks but didn't think they were special either. Also cool to hear a band from Arizona, I think that's the first one I know. Rating: 3.3
Had to listen to this one twice because I quite liked the beginning, there was some out of place punk in the middle, then it just fell flat at the end. I was intrigued by the really good songs kin Aurora Borealis and I'm a Mindless Idiot. Unfortunately the good didnt outweigh the bad here and it'll find itself in as a square 3.
It was better than I expected but the songs blended together at the end.
Hmm, fun energy but the vocals were lacking and music at times good, overall mid.
All I can say is this sounded very Phoenix, AZ. It's like country rock, but then also psychedelic in ways, and somehow also grunge and punk-ish too. It's a Florida swamp man buying meth from a Mesa punk who wears cowboy boots everywhere so the fake leather is peeling. It was a little worn out, unformed, and off-putting but you just can't look away. There's some decent highs but the album is really all over the place, very rough. The best takes were later made famous by other musicians so there's some type of foundation to build upon but I'm not sure I like it in this form. I did enjoy the instrumental tracks but other ones cancel 'em out. Don't like the band name but 2.80 for the scuzziness.
This album covers a smattering (of music) and the album cover's a smattering (of paint). I liked the instrumental tracks most and some of the grunge. Could do without the ho downs and noise punk ones. I am most familiar with the Meat Puppets through Nirvana unplugged covers (which are better) and of course "Backwater." I can see the influence as well as a unique band for the early 80s. This got me craving meat pockets and for that 2.95 stars (mom I need the recipe).
OK, and reminded me of early Half Man Half Biscuit stuff which it’s contemporary with. I might occasionally listen again but there’s not a lot here to bring me back regularly.
Not bad
Interesting blend of noise and avant-country. Decent album but not surprised I never go into them the first time around. 3/5
Terrible band name. I enjoyed the album - although thought the lead vocals were awful. Highlights were instrumentals (which were more playful than the rest of the album) and three songs that Nirvana did on unplugged. Had not realised that the Meat Puppets played on the Nirvana versions - hence why they sound pretty similar - with the main (massive) difference being Kurt's vocals were so superior.
Fine, fun, trippy and hooky. What's not to like?
Mellow rock, nice variety of styles across songs. Nothing particularly stood out but I enjoyed it.
An unlikely combination of post punk angularity, country twang, and prog complexity with a vibe that presages much of the 90s slacker alt rock feel.
If you were around in 1994, you knew three of these songs, because Nirvana played them with some of the Meat Puppets on "Unplugged in NYC". The problem is, a number of the other songs sound like... they need more work (i.e. "Lost," "New Gods (too many words)" ) . Maybe it's the singer, I dunno. I get why Cobain was so attracted to the sound of the Meat Puppets. They sound similar in a lot of ways. I like the fact that it's just not punk screaming (not anything wrong with that, btw). They tried a bunch of new things, and I will give them credit. Just... it felt _TOO_ DIY. Top tracks: "Plateau," "Magic Toy Missing," "We're Here," "Oh, Me"
This album is like some sort of demented alt country rock. Arizona always had a different scene and generated some decent rock sounds. This isn't one that I'm familiar with, though I know who the Meat Puppets are given Kurt Cobain's love of them and a couple of their 90's tunes. It actually makes me think of Primus meets Dinosaur Jr between the sometimes frenetic pace & weird lyrics and the alt folk sound & vocals (when not straining). It's not amazing, but if you listen to it a couple times it's not bad. Lost, We're Here, and The Whistling Song are solid. Their instrumentals - Magic Toy Missing, Aurora Borealis, and I'm a Mindless Idiot - are also quite enjoyable. Nirvana covered all of Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire and the first and last are great tunes, but it's the sound in Split Myself in Two that I think their debut album Bleach really emulated. This album won't be for everyone but I can respect it.
Post-punk/post-rockabilly, proto-grunge - call it what you will, but this is fun. I’ve liked the Meat Puppets for a long time. Not my favorite album (that would be Too High to Die), but a good representation of their varied styles. 3⭐️
Come for the songs they performed with Nirvana on Unplugged, but stay for the distorted guitars and signs of proto-grunge
Perfectly fine. Nothing beyond that. Completely perfectly average.
Kind of a strange mix between rock/punk/chill/experimental. Vocals are pretty good and there are interesting guitar parts. Climbing and The Whistling Song are good songs.
Ingen skönsång direkt men ändå hyggliga låtar.
This album is a bit of a mess, but it was cool to hear the three songs from Nirvana's "Unplugged."
Pretty mixed bag, the vocals were a bit harsh and some of the songs were overly manic, but did enjoy the instrumental songs
Fine but instantly forgettable! 2.5 again!
This is a 3.5 in my book. A little too weird and intentionally awful to earn a higher rating (in my estimation, anyway), but also better crafted and competent than it lets on. It's never going to be my kind of album, it's just too loose and carefree in its purpose and execution. I get what's appealing, but I ain't giving it a 4. Not hard to see why Nirvana covered three tunes from this in their "Unplugged" set.
Hmm. It’s not bad, but I didn’t really like it. It’s weird in a way that failed to win me over. A Nirvana-loving friend introduced me to “Plateau” and “Lake of Fire” in middle school; I had never known they were covers. In particular, I remember singing “there’s nothing at the top but a bucket and a mop, and an illustrated book about birds” all the time. I haven’t thought about either song in years, and that little burst of nostalgia prompts me to rate this higher than I might otherwise.
Pretty good
I think I assumed a band named Meat Puppets would sound different? Not sure good or bad different, just different. This was a little uneven, but overall I enjoyed it. I don’t think I’d heard the original versions of “Plateau” and “Lake of Fire” before, but they were really good. I think I should have just listened to the original release tracks and not the extra tracks that were added later. They made the album drag near the end. Still, I liked this and understand why it’s on the list.
nur kurz reingehört. langsame akustische tracks gefallen mir, der rest eher nicht so.
Surprised me w being interesting
muy ciclotímico
es extraño y eso no está mal, pero tampoco me vueela. Se nota como influyo a kurco el cantante . Por este punto podria sumar estrella. No es un disco largo y aun asi se me hizo largo
You can see where Nirvana took some inspiration, overall though it was just OK.
A very good album from a band I could never quite get into. The songs kind of blend together and it's all so lethargic and mumbly. Still, some gems in here, just not my go-to band or album.
I love what happens when punk becomes post-modern. I fell hard for their first album and never really dove into the rest of their work so this was a great spin. I took the opportunity to revisit the first MP album and what surprises me is how much twang they throw around throughout the 2 albums. While the vocals are all over the place on the second album, they work within the confines of the universe that MP create. This album isn't as cohesive as their first album but it's got some really memorable songs (ask Kurt Cobain) and it's nice to hear them try new stuff. Psyched to dive into their subsequent material!
Without the Nirvana connection it would be harder to think why this was an important album. But it clearly was. Some great tracks on here, Plateau is even better than the Unplugged version, but also a lot of tracks that should have been clipped. Not one I'll have on rotation but an interesting listening experience.
A weak 3, but I think it would grow on me.
I liked the weirdo-texan punk vibe on this and especially enjoyed the syncopated grooves on the instrumental songs. They have a unique and original sound. Unfortunately the vocals are borderline intolerable to me, so I can't really go any higher than 3.
At least they are having fun.
decent album, variation of styles, but the vocals are not great
I've never even heard of Meat Puppets before. And I find myself not terribly surprised about that while listening. There are some good musical moments with the guitar, but it has some distortion that doesn't agree with me.
Might take another listen but began to appreciate it as it went on. Not the smoothest ride, but quite fun.
3,2
It has a rockabilly sensibility. Does that make me sound arrogant? Maybe, but I like some of the songs and could see some falling into a party playlist alongside the turnpike troubadours or Red clay strays. If a punk rock band made a country album, this is what it would sound like.
The song writing was good. The singing wasn’t.
To be a fly on the wall when these guys found out they were the biggest rock musician in the world's favorite performers
I think this is one of those albums you forget about as soon you finish them. The country elements were pretty cool; I liked the instrumental tracks the most, but nothing really gripped me while I was listening. 3 stars
The instrumentation is quite nice and the vocals are pretty weak, but I vibe with it. Nirvana did these songs better, though.
This is an interesting album. It starts off punk, then goes in all kinds of directions. There are some great instrumentals, particularly Aurora Borealis. As a whole, it’s really solid. The vocals, frequently out of key, leave a bit to be desired however. A lot of this album is closely tied to Nirvana now, thanks to their coverage of three albums off this list, with part of the band, during their MTV Unplugged show. As a result, I have the Nirvana version embedded in my brain. It’s good to hear the originals; the covers are quite faithful, and I generally prefer originals to covers, but I’d rather hear Cobain singing them.
Basically Dinosaur jr without the cool guitar riffs, surprisingly still pretty enjoyable
it's a solid little psych-alt-cowboy fusion
This was enjoyable enough, but wasn’t particularly interesting. Maybe I’ll come back and give it a little more attention at some point. 3/5 Highlights: Split Myself in Two I’m a Mindless Idiot
I can definitely hear how these guys influenced Nirvana (and the whole Grunge thing). It also makes sense how this guy ended up on Nirvana's MTV unplugged show. Pretty good. Extra props for being influential.
No les conocía. No están mal, pero hay muchos lps mejores.
Really cool in parts, but not my prefered musical style. Lake of Fire is fantastic, the rest merely good
3.5
Pretty good. Not thrilled with the vocals though I like them in some later stuff.
High energy, which I like. Nothing too special though.
My first encounter with Meat Puppets was on the Nirvana unplugged live album; it seems Kurt Cobain was a fan. I can see why, this is a whole collection of fun little nuggets of songs from lo-fi indie, folkish in places to angry little punk numbers. I like the pace of it; lots of 1-3 minute head nodders and all very listenable. Not one I can see myself buying but have had a good few days listening to it on and off.
Apart from the times the singer tries to sing in the upper register, it's alright.
What To Do about this one. Oh, Me, oh my. Felt a little Lost at times with this one. But don’t take my word for it, I’m a Mindless Idiot.
Generous 3. 53/100
I was previously only familiar with the artist through Nirvana's covers on the Unplugged album. This album was a bit of a surprise in terms of variety of sounds. There's some country and other influences in addition to the rock sound I was expecting. This was an interesting listen, and I would come back to it and seek out their other material.
interesting to hear the source of the tracks covered by Nirvana - 3.5
Cool
There were some very refreshing mixes on the album. Some tracks rather alienated me. It was interesting to listen to this album. It probably won't happen again so soon. 3/5
This album was sonically all over the place. Transitions between songs were not smooth. I was indifferent about maybe half of the songs on here. There were some I liked and some not so much.
This was really interesting and a unique sound, but had trouble separating it from the Nirvana unplugged songs.
Waffled between a 3 and 4 star with this. I tend to love roughly produced indie punk like this, and there's a lot of this to love in what feels like a mash up of the Pixies and Violent Fems. But even at 48 minutes it feels a little flabby, and they probably could have cut about half the instrumental numbers.
Good I liked it
159/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Musically this feels all over the place. Some stuff I liked. Mostly the instrumental stuff. Other stuff I actively disliked. But I respect the attempt at being different. 3/5
Yeah ok.. I’m down with the Meat Puppets. Nirvana must’ve been somewhat influenced by these guys, cause I noticed they covered one of their songs. I enjoyed listening, but once again.. not really my “cup of tea”
A mixed bag of great songs, cool instrumentals, and lesser additions. IIRC two of the Meat Puppets joined Nirvana for their Unplugged session which is why three of the songs from this album feature on that album.
Great music, terrible singing
Something completely strange, but not disgusting
Early grunge influences! I liked hearing this album. Indeed I am most familiar with these songs from Nirvana's MTV unplugged set, elsewhere on this list. Lake of Fire and Plateau I listened to twice, the rest of the album passed me by. A 3.5.
Some weird cross between rock and country music with bad vocals but some songs actually work.
I enjoyed this album when it was weird and countryish. Less so when they got thrashy. This didn’t grab me but I didn’t really mind it. I think it was worth hearing.
This was strangely uninspired drivel. I didn't hate it, but maybe it would have been more impactful if I had been of the right age rage when it was originally released back in 1984. I didn't hate it, but I can't see it moving past a 3/5 rating. Nothing stood out to push it past the normal threshold of adequate and/or average.
Love the instrumentals, less so the vocals. I had fun!
My favorite tracks were the ones Nirvana covered on their MTV Unplugged album. The rest of the album was fine
Well, a fun album - but is it a great album? I don't think so.
Strong music that’s not served well by the singer. Interestingly enough, Kurt Cobain’s voice would fit very well on every song here.
I like Magic Toy Missing, I kind of like Plateau, Aurora Borealis
The album Nirvana made famous? It’s not too bad.
Interesting
Am I the only one that think this sounds like Morty from the sci-fi animated show in a garage band?
Meaty
vegan warning: album title refers to meat
What was this? Punk? Rock? Noise? Country? ... wild one not sure how I feel about it.
Cowpunk, countryfolk. Escuchable ... Hay un punteo que me recuerda a Guedeon Della (Just For A Day).
I liked some of it a lot. And hated some of it a lot. Interesting that Nirvana chose to cover the three best songs off this for their unplugged gig. It was a bit all over the place
Not bad... Chilling and wibing tähtialennusäämtö..jonka piti olla 0 toleranssisääntö..mutta muuttuikin alennussäännöksi.. koska ole veraa 1 tähteen.. Aluksi enemmän huutamiats loppuun vähemmån.. näin..
3.5
I'm in two minds about this album because for every good track there's a really boring one. This album still has some really good tracks though
Pretty interesting