Meat Puppets II

5/10

I definitely understand why Kurt Cobain liked this band.

3.5

It was ok. I liked the variety but it wasn’t anything special.

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.

Plagsomt

3.5

3.5

Love it. Weird, endearing and charming, genre busting, fun. Curt's singing is terrible, there's no question about that - and I'm not sure how much of the bad singing is on purpose or not. But for whatever reason it works well enough (and sometimes wonderfully). It's also easy to see why Kurt Cobain played three of their songs on Unplugged and credited them as a strong influence - their stamp is all over Nirvana's music, and the Seattle scene in general. I loved this the first time through, and it just grows on me with every listen. Lots of musically interesting work on here. Overall the album is a DIY triumph.

Not my favourite.

What an adventure. Not bad.

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

Hørte ikke om dette før vi hadde Nirvana her forleden og de beste låtene på skiva var covre av Meat Puppets-låter. Hva kan man si, annet enn dritbra? En litt mer polert og laidback variant av Violent Femmes, kanskje, men fortsatt sin egen sound. Kan se dette som en fremtidig favoritt. Skal vi starte cowpunk-band?

Jeg er en cowpunk-fyr nå, og det har sikkert ligget latent hele livet. "Plateau" er nesten nok til å gi plata toppscore, men det er også litt skipbare låter.

Åjadda! Minner meg veldig og Morotpsycho sin skive the tussler, bare mer skranglete og punkete. Mer av dette!

Kinda drifted with this one, instrumentally there were some nice moments but not too big a fan of the voice

4/5

This album to me feels loose, intense, chaotic and all over the place. The instrumentation is very good and tight. I don't like the signing, I find it very whiny at times and very hard to get used to. I prefer the lower register singing as I feel it suits the music better than the high register. I enjoyed the blend of hardcore/punk with country/hillbilly... what an odd album. Nirvana covered three of their songs on MTV Unplugged live, Plateau, Oh Me and Lake of fire. I tend to very much prefer these covers rather than the original ones. Overall I ended up enjoying the instrumental tracks the most. My favourite songs are Aurora Borealis, We’re Here, Teenager(s).. but it’s not something I’d ever re-listen.

Glorious stuff from the days when weird was properly weird. A little too chaotic and uneven to be a 5, but that's kind of the point. The best bits are amazing though - as Kurt Cobain obviously recognised.

IDK man. Who knows what this album wanted to be. Why did it have to start loud and then mostly become vibey instrumentals.

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.

Lyrics I can barely hear combined with thin, dissonant scoring = not my thing

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.

Didn't do much for me.

I liked when the southern charm came out but there was too much MOR alt stuff for me to truly enjoy this

Tough to listen to. I get where they influenced bands that came later, with the obvious Nirvana link. But the music just isn’t well produced

É um disco interessante e bom, completamente arruinado pelos vocais porcos. Uma verdadeira pena, porque eu gostei bastante do trabalho instrumental da banda. Algumas faixas possuem uma progressão semelhante à uma fusão de country com punk, algo bem intrigante de se ouvir. Mas os vocais arruinam boa parte dessas canções, eu simplesmente achei intolerável a forma com que o vocalista entrega suas partes. Eu consigo até ver porque alguém daria 5 estrelas pra esse álbum e o declararia como um dos favoritos da lista. As partes boas são ótimas, sendo essas as instrumentais, como mencionei. E é aquilo, o vocalista é basicamente um gosto adquirido, é fácil imaginar alguém que adora este estilo vocal. Eu não sou essa pessoa, uma pena! Não quero falar mais desse disco, pra mim foi uma grande decepção e potencial perdido. É louvável o apreço da banda pela mescla de diferentes gêneros e pela experimentação, isso não vou negar, e por isso eles merecem uma alavancadazinha na nota, e também pela qualidade das composições. 2/5

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!

What a name. I was weirdly drawn to this album. I even thought the lows were pretty great.

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.

Not moved one way or the other tbh. Probably genre defining but didn’t care much.

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.

Thats SICK

Hey harry, you wanna hear the second most annoying sound in the world? "Plays this album"

I found this enjoyable and forgot it was the birth place of 'Plateau' and 'Oh, Me', and 'Lake of Fire'. A pleasant listen on first attempts. One to come back to after I've completed the project. If it got under Kurt's skin to inspire him, perhaps it's a classic, 7/10 (rounded up) seems more than fair at this stage.

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

Wow it has been a while since my last 1

More of a Up On The Sun guy, but a quality album of 'cowpunk.'

Punk beats and country rock, didn’t know it before listening, some songs feel familiar. Nice guitar sound, slightly grungy, Kurt Cobain definitely knew them. And then comes Lake of Fire, haha, called it. This is Nirvana‘s origin basically.

Fun jams

Sun-bleached, acid fried, country-tinged psychedelic punk. The Meat Puppets are in a league of their own on their second LP. Kurt Cobain pointed me this way and I am so thankful he was vocal about his music taste. Nothing I could possibly say can do this album justice. It captures a moment between immaturity and transcendence in the desert between life and death.

This LP was just meh

Really interesting and unique sound. I thought the songwriting was great. I am a big fan of both bluegrass and punk music so "cow punk" as I found out it's called, makes total sense to me as a genre! You can tell they're having a lot of fun and not taking things too seriously, while making some genuinely innovative and intriguing music. It makes total sense why this band is often cited as one of Kurt Cobain's favourites. They push back hard on the status quo but clearly have some deep down musical brilliance to create something totally worthwhile.

Noisy punk music with a bit of a country twist? I absolutely love it! I can see how this went on to influence Kurt Cobain and I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not having looked into Meat Puppets sooner as I was a huge Nirvana fan growing up.

Not too bad, but a little too zany.

Cowpunk, can’t sing

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

Ew

Really cool protogrunge record! Great lyrics great guitar riffs songs that don't overstay their welcome. I will have to revisit this album but I think it's a five star!

Setting aside the shouty parts this evolved into an entertaining journey. The softer vocals worked best and the guitar is sparkling throughout.

Not for everyone but this is my fucking jam. Great album, and "Lake On Fire" is legit a masterpiece. 9/10

Aujourd'hui, le grand livre sacré des "1001 Albums" m'a sorti une nouvelle pépite, ou du moins, un caillou à l'allure étrange qui pourrait bien contenir de l'or. Aujourd'hui, on plonge en 1984 avec les Meat Puppets et leur deuxième album, sobrement intitulé "Meat Puppets II". Avant de commencer, il faut se remettre dans le contexte. 1984, c'est le règne de la new wave synthétique, du hardcore pur et dur sur des labels comme SST (où ils étaient signés, d'ailleurs), et du rock de stade permanenté. Et au milieu de tout ça, trois frangins du désert de l'Arizona, les frères Kirkwood, qui décident de balancer un album qui sonne comme si Neil Young avait pris de l'acide avec des cow-boys punks sous un soleil de plomb. C'est débraillé, c'est bancal, mais bordel, qu'est-ce que c'est bon. "Meat Puppets II" est un putain d'ovni, un disque schizophrène qui refuse de choisir son camp. Ça part sur des arpèges countrysants, ça accélère sur des rythmiques punk, ça plane dans des délires psychédéliques, et la voix de Curt Kirkwood, nasillarde et faussement détachée, flotte au-dessus de tout ça comme un vautour au-dessus d'une carcasse. On est loin, très loin de la rage codifiée du hardcore de Black Flag ou des Minutemen, leurs colocs de label. Ici, la rage est diffuse, blanche, écrasée par la chaleur et la poussière. C'est une sorte de "country-punk psychédélique", un truc qui ne devrait pas exister mais qui, une fois que tu l'as entendu, te paraît d'une évidence confondante. Pour être tout à fait honnête, et pour que les plus jeunes d'entre vous situent la bête, il faut prononcer le mot magique : Nirvana. Voilà, c'est dit car pour 90% des gens de ma génération, les Meat Puppets sont avant tout "le groupe que Nirvana a repris pendant leur MTV Unplugged". Et quelles reprises ! "Plateau", "Oh, Me", "Lake of Fire"... Kurt Cobain, en invitant les frères Kirkwood sur scène ce soir-là, a fait plus pour leur popularité que dix ans de carrière. Il a rendu un hommage vibrant à un groupe qui, comme les Pixies ou Sonic Youth, a façonné en profondeur le son qui allait exploser au début des années 90. En écoutant "Meat Puppets II", on entend les prémices de ce rock alternatif, ce mélange de mélodies pop tordues et d'énergie punk brute. On comprend pourquoi un type comme Cobain, torturé et en quête d'authenticité, a pu se reconnaître dans ces chansons étranges et poétiques. Je me souviens, à l'époque où je tenais la caisse du magasin de disques, on avait tout le catalogue SST. Les disques des Meat Puppets prenaient un peu la poussière, et puis, paf, l'Unplugged de Nirvana. Le lendemain, tout le monde voulait du Meat Puppets et on a dû recommander des cartons entiers. C'était beau de voir un groupe aussi singulier enfin recevoir un peu de lumière, même si c'était par procuration. Alors, pourquoi 4/5 et pas le sans-faute, me direz-vous ? Eh bien, si l'album contient des chansons absolument parfaites, des perles brutes comme "Plateau", "Lost" ou "Climbing", sa cohérence est parfois mise à mal par des interludes instrumentaux un peu longuets. On sent le groupe qui part en jam, qui se fait plaisir, et c'est tout à leur honneur, mais ça casse un peu le rythme, faut bien l'avouer. Ces délires guitaristiques, bien que sympathiques, s'étirent un poil trop et nous sortent de la transe dans laquelle les chansons nous avaient plongés. C'est le seul petit reproche que je ferais à ce disque. C'est ce qui l'empêche, à mon sens, d'atteindre le statut de chef-d'œuvre absolu comme un "Daydream Nation" ou un "Doolittle". Mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir, cat Meat Puppets II reste un disque essentiel, un album charnière qui a prouvé qu'on pouvait être punk sans hurler, jouer de la country sans être un redneck, et être psychédélique sans se perdre dans des solos de vingt minutes (enfin, presque). C'est le son aride et hypnotique d'un groupe qui s'en foutait royalement des modes et qui traçait sa propre route, poussiéreuse et magnifique. Un disque qui sent le vécu, la sueur et la liberté. Et rien que pour ça, il mérite amplement sa place dans le grand livre. Un classique, un vrai, avec ses petites imperfections qui le rendent encore plus attachant.

Loved the guitar and the country punk.

cabilla

+ Må høres mer på

Split Myself in Two - 3/5 Magic Toy Missing - 4/5 Lost - 3/5 Plateau - 5/5 Aurora Borealis - 5/5 We're Here - 4/5 Climbing - 4/5 New Gods - 4/5 Oh, Me - 5/5 Lake of Fire - 5/5 I'm a Mindless Idiot - 4/5 The Whistling Song - 4/5 Average score: 4.2/5 not too bad at all. i think i've only heard one other cowpunk album and this is the first one I've liked at all tbh i enjoyed the instrumentals more than i did vocals, not sure i care for the singer's performance in some parts. still a pretty good listen overall, i could see myself coming back to a few tracks again

Very much enjoyed, especially the country elements. A few songs I’d save and listen to again. Felt very unique.

Like a lot of people I imagine, I heard these songs first via Nirvana’s unplugged album. Overall, the songs here are more frenetic and loose sounding, giving them a clear identity outside of those covers. Aurora Borealis might be one of my favourite instrumentals too.

Loved this, loved how chaotic and noisy it feels. I feel like his voice is either something you love or hate and for me it works with the chaos of the rest of the tracks.

I didn't mind it. I got some mild Nirvana vibes from it. Not something I'll listen to again.

I'm just now realizing that all the meat puppets covers on nirvanas MTV unplugged were better than all the other songs they did this is so fire

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.

wiedermol keeein plan was das isch. erste song mega punky zweite mega country. haha ui mega churz. okay sie sind nomel e band wo halt mega nirvana beiflusst het. i see. lost isch no cute haha sehr sogar mit de ultra höche gitarre. aurora borealis tönt wie moderne indie rock 1:1 peach pit. hä aber crazy dases 1984 so musig geh het. ich ghör au unknown mortal orchestra bi ihne gad bi new gods die gitarre. i'm a mindless idiot tönt au suuuper geil wow. jö d chords mit de klassische und denn die chratzig country giti cuuute. hä aso s tönt null noch 80er und s isch afoch easy guete indie? so s chönt 2005 usecho sii huuere crazy. whistling song au super herzig. mags mega fest. nöd alles glich fokussiert aber catchy und interessanti gutarreparts vorallem. rhythm section tönt tight. VIAAA

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

Nirvana did it better, but this album is great and worth a listen!

nice enough

This is ok as filler music for a psych rock playlist, but that's about it. Nothing really clicked with me.

garbage

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

Wow just fucking wow. As I listened to this my thought was “I really want to make sure everyone I care about has heard this album. Grungy psychosis amazing

Love it

Never knew they were around in the mid 80s. His album definitely feels different than I remember them in the 90s.

The whiplash I felt! I saw the first genre listed on Wikipedia was cowpunk. The first song certainly was punk, and when the country and bluegrass sound came through, I truly understood what the cowpunk genre meant. Meat Puppets II straddled themselves between genres well. When one song was more punk, the next picked up the country vibe. I found myself impressed how they effortlessly merged two genres that aren't ever combined. But other than that, the vocals were fine and the lyrics flat. I would've thought the other aspects of such an unusual album would be, well, not so poor, but here we are.

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.

Punky, but also folky? Intriguing blend

Wasn’t for me. Didn’t like the vocals, and a lot of the songs lacked substance. I will say that there were a lot of interesting sounds throughout the album. It definitely wasn’t a boring listen. I think it has its place on the list, but I just didn’t groove with this one.

pek begenmedim malesef

Magic Toy Missing was pretty cool. Then the album sucked again.

Good stuff. Lotta variety. Dig it. 4

I thought these guys would be way harder. Turned out to be some kind of weird punk that I mostly enjoyed.

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.

Instrumentals were good, otherwise not great.

I do love me the Meat Puppets. I hadn't heard this album. Started much more aggressive than their later albums I was more familiar with, but then drifted more into the sound they later leaned into, such as Aurora Borealis and Plateau. Shy of their peak, but still a great album and worthy of the 1001 list.

Wow, this was an unexpected pleasure. The first song is an all-out assault and must admit I read the Wikipedia review that talked about this album being a departure from their first that had “unintelligible vocals and chaos” - along those lines anyway - and thought, have they really departed from that? Luckily, they did, though this remains a chaotic piece of brilliance. Country instrumental has never sounded so good as when it’s put to punk/grungy vibes and I agree it’s more engaging than Nirvana where there are obvious parallels. I’m very on the fence but it’s maybe (just) not a 5 for me, but it’s darn close.

The Short Version: Get ready for punk, grunge, and country fusion with a vocalist who sounds like he's crying to his mummy. The Long Version: It jumps so many genres that for the first few seconds of each track, you're just trying to figure out what the hell you're listening to. Just when you think you've got it pegged, maybe with a nice, familiar twang that makes you wonder if a banjo is about to join the party, BAM! It whips back around, and suddenly you're hearing Nirvana. Literally. In the track "Plateau," I was half-expecting Kurt Cobain to materialise. The best part? It's like Nirvana, but without the messy "crash and distortion". (UPDATE: I just got to "Lake of Fire" and discovered that Nirvana covered them. WTF?!) Now, if I had to find a negative and it's a stretch it's the sheer, unadulterated chaos of the genre choices.  I genuinely enjoyed basically all of it, having never heard it before. I mean, the sloppy vocals on some songs like "Climbing" sound like a man mid-meltdown, and I have no fathomable idea why I was able to get past that. But I did. I can barely hate anything on this record. It's a mad, mad album with absolutely no plan, no genre to target, and no respect for your expectations. And that, made it super cool to listen to. These guys came out over 40 years ago and shows what sticking a finger up to the genre can do (and lots of drugs).

I listened once at work and was slightly underwhelmed, but there was enough that piqued my interest to give it a second listen. Although it's a bit whacky, there is a lot to like in this album. Some parts sound like a less annoying Neil Young, some parts reminded me of Jack White, and others are a type of proto-grunge. The first head turner was the instrumental "Aurora Borealis" which was interesting, warbly, and a bit chaotic but held together with a satisfying bassline and plodding drumbeat. A track so nice they played it twice... "I'm a Mindless Idiot" was another highlight with its satisfying blend of country motifs munged together into something a bit different. Munging definitely the overriding theme of this album. A really nice find and a great album to ponder over with repeat listens. It had me slightly bemused, thinking: "This is really good, isn't it? I'm not sure quite why but I think it is..."

Bored of the constraints of hardcore punk, they did what they wanted to here. Like Husker Du and Black Flag, they proved that Punk could be more than thrash and scream by just doing what they wanted to, even if it pissed off their core audience. I hate the term "important", but this is an important landmark in early punk rock that influenced grunge bands like Nirvana and pushed from punk into alternative before that was really a term. This is one of those great records that one doesn't often think about but once you're listening, you remember and "get" it.

I am probably in the minority here, but I think the Meat Puppets segment of Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance is the best part. I think Kurt really transforms those songs in a great way. They are still really good here, just not as intimate. Overall, this is a very good album, it is very unique, but there are a couple of songs I am not super crazy about. High 4.

Some good songs

Hit and miss. Another one of those male singing voices I don't like, like they're just powering through it.

a classic

fast chaotic music very interesting, feels like a new sound but looking at the album this was released during the mid 80s this was not a sound i expected during this era.

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.

Perfect dog walking music on a Saturday morning. It's a bit all over the place but really enjoyable. The guitar player knows what he's doing. Now I need to watched Unplugged.

Oooh really great album! Very fond of Cowpunk! I really liked and related to the song I’m a Mindless Idiot

cowpunk!! is !! epic!!!

Music good, vocals bad

I don’t get it.

Bon son rock alternatif, après j'ai pas trop cliqué et surtout je suis pas trop rock en ce moment.

Bang average

# Playlist Track - Magic Toy Missing # Notes - Didn't like a single song. Can't believe this, but I'm too old for this. - It's shapeless, formless, but not in an interesting way where you can explore and detach. It's noisy, annoying and with very very poor vocals. Sometimes the guitars are cool. Sometimes.

Not a huge fan of the vocals but obviously Cobain was a fan. Some good tunes in here and some might even make their way into my playlist. I dug this version of Lake of Fire having only heard the Nirvana version previously.

5/10

Very much my style, like it on first listen and could imagine loving it on a second or third. 4/5

- 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.

I hate this

Indie Rock before that really was a thing. But that's not a compliment, as it didn't forsee everything that's great about the genre, but rather focuses on the bland and uninspired aspects. Musicianship is above average, but the two bis S aren't there, at all: Songs and Singing. Thus, it's a rather dull affair. 2/5

It’s fun but nothing special

Extremely cool, definitely an oversight for me.

Fav: Plateau Least Fav: We’re Here Prefer these to the Nirvana MTV versions tbh

Nope.

If I hadn't known anything about The Meat Puppets and I read that they were a mix of punk and country, I think my eye would have started twitching. That sounds like a pretty obnoxious combination, like a proto-Kid Rock. Fortunately, this album is nothing like that. The band managed to take the best of both worlds and make something really unique for the music scene of the early 80s. It's the rural atmosphere of the American West that comes through, not the rigid and toxic Nashville sound. The punk side is more gritty and untidy than angry and fast. As with other punk bands, the unpolished sound is part of the experience, though it might feel jarring at first. This is another album that really benefits from multiple listens. The biggest claim to fame that The Meat Puppets ever had was at one time collaborators with Nirvana when Kurt Cobain invited them on stage for the famous MTV Unplugged performance. It's hard not to think about Cobain while listening to songs like "Plateau", "Oh Me" and "Lake of Fire". But the Meat Puppets deserve credit beyond simply having one high profile fan. They made a great album here that I'm sure I'll return to.

Disgusting band name. Great music from three blended genres. This album from Arizona begins to make up for all the moronic stuff that state sends out.

Mid. I did not like the leads voice at all.

Tycker ändå det här var intressant. Jag kommer definitivt lyssna igen

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.

The annoying untoned voice is definitely a choice.

Gross name, solid tunes

Truly terrible. The first track sucked so bad, i could’ve scored it right there. But i pressed on, not wanting to be too hasty. Now I want the extra 12 minutes of my life back. The bass sound is atrocious. Only the vocals are worse. Who allows such music to go into wide distribution? A 1 for the ages.

Not for me

Have a day off will ya

I should have taken note of what Kurt was trying to say more. Loose but clever and mysterious.

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.

Well that was god damn weird. Schizo genre post punk? This album doesn't feel like it came out in 1984 and would better fit in the 90s. It also must have been Kurt Cobain's favorite album as the only songs I recognized on here were covered during Nirvana's unplugged sessions, which is why I am giving it the ranking I did.

we’re all just meat puppets aren’t we

I cannot take this seriously

Not really sure what this was. Very strange experience.

Good music, good writing, excellent instrumentation, but a lousy vocalist - not as bad as the douche from Radiohead, but he's working on it.

It's cool

Well, I must admit it was not an unpleasant experiencia, but won't listen again. Well, no, just finished the album. It was a bit unpleasant many times. New Gods, bof. Well, everything from New Gods.

First learned of this the same way most people did, via nirvana unplugged. So I got this on tape and was disappointed. Re listening for the first time in a long time and it’s still disappointing

kinda only significant for the song that nirvana covered

One of my favorite albums. Lovely blend between punk and country going on. I really like how the album switches between chaotic and peaceful playing instantly and effortlessly. The albums barely feels like it has actual songs, it's more of a consistent type of riff combined with either nothing or some other song. Always a joy to put on.

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 nothing special. A few good guitar songs, but the vocals are so off-putting, I can't give this more than a 2. Disco is more relevant to music than whatever this is. 2/5

Surprising. Not what I expected. There were moments that I really enjoyed, and then others that I didn't. Cool to hear how it influenced Jeff Tweedy.

I don't know the band. Very grungy sound and poor vocals. Not a fan.

Better than I expected. But still not what I would classify as good. It did have a solid country rock vibe. Probably liked it better than I should because I had just listened to Captain Beefheart.

Wasn't prepared for as much country as I got. More Uncle Tupelo than Melvins.

It sometimes sounded like the singer was performing a different song to the rest of the band. I generally preferred what the band were playing.

Not very good.

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

Las instrumentales eran lo mejor del album

Ok

country is meant to be deranged and the Meat Puppets do it right

I knew I would like this but didn’t know it would be an easy 5. Excellent guitar playing, nice songs. Like a rougher Double Nickels, in a way. At least some spiritual similarity. I don’t know.

The vocals are atrocious, and the playing is often sloppy. Thank God for the instrumentals, they're the best songs musically anyway.

Interesting to hear this album after listening to Nirvana's Unplugged album, as so many iconic songs from that performance come from this album. Still- I wouldnt say I really enjoyed it. The Meat Puppets definitely have a unoqie sound- a mix of punk, alternative, and psychedelic rock. There were good songs that were catchy enough, but were a little too rough (especially the vocals). Overall- probably 2.5/5, not quite a 3

Welp, I was hoping that this album would show me Meat Puppets was more than just "Backwater" and "Lake of Fire". But...it just was not my favorite.

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.

countryfied desert rat Pavement (i know this pre-dates pavement bear with me)

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.

Crazy getting this only a few days after the Nirvana MTV live one because I guess it means I can remember all the songs which they played together. I do think Kurt Cobain is a better vocalist than this guy, but the songs which they played during the other album are really well written, and quite a lot of these have long instrumental parts or are totally instrumental. I really like the delays and effects on the guitars, I think its a great way of making it seem like there's lots of guitars, but actually only one. It makes parts more feel like 'dream pop'. I think this is the middle ground between punk and 'grunge', as the guitars sound very much like 90s stuff, so I think in that way its very ahead of its time. I thought I would hate the 'cowboy punk' thing, but I think it actually works quite well and I guess someone had to try it right? Favourite songs: split myself in two, lost, plateau, Aurora Borealis, we're here, climbing, new gods, Oh, Me, I'm a mindless Idiot, teenager(s), I'm not here, what to do, 100% of nothing. Overall around 8/10 (but quite close to 9 as it feels like you're getting a lot of quality and interesting stuff)

Insupportable sur la longueur, envie d'un anévrisme

II thumbs up

Quite an interesting but strange album. Thought it was ok,but don't think I'll be checking anything else out by them

Was ok

Chaotic and fun and foreshadowed so much of what was to come in the 90s

A real mixed bag, some good tracks, some nice guitar work, some awful vocals. It's ok.

A brilliant album. Such a great sound and variety on this. Very evocative of that alt. rock sound just before the emergence of grunge. I could see this becoming a a favourite album a band. I was familiar with them because of the Nirvana covers but first time I’ve listened to an album of theirs all the way through.

okay yay ❤️

Surprisingly good. Especially the alt country rock stuff.

Meh. 2 Stars

really dug the instrumental tracks

The album is quite interesting. But not more.

Some good tracks.

Remarkably forgettable.

There were parts that sounded fantastic and then there were parts that sounded a little too "out there" for my ears. I'd personally put it at 3.5 if I could.

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

Weird to hear traces of country in rock. Found it a bit too sloppy, and I didn’t quite like the vocals. An interesting mix, but not for me.

As I was listening to this one, I was thinking this sounds a lot like Nirvana Unplugged, and lo and behold several Meat Puppets songs were covered in that session. This was an unexpecetedly good album, pretty louche but cool

Do not recommend playing if you're trying to have a relaxing bath.

I’ve listened to this record a million times and it still is in heavy rotation. No other band sounds quite like the Puppets on this record, even their other records don’t sound quite the same as they do here. This one is special for some reason. It’s weird, wild, and perfect, and it’s over before you know it.

This one was so great. I loved every second of it. I honestly didn't know they were the mtv unplugged nirvarna people. great one.

What is this? Metal/country/proto-grunge? It's ok

Desert rock before Josh Homme discovered it.

thoughts: this is ‘mood whiplash: the album.’ it’s absolutely insane. it’s a trip across america. and it works. i didn’t know what to expect after the first track went so hard, but some of these instrumental tracks show a great level of talent and the ability to transform the band within its own album. songs: “split myself in two”, “aurora borealis”, “i’m a mindless idiot” rating: 7.5/10

Plateau Lake of Fire

Music ok but vocals awful

whiny old punk? kinda crappy annoying

I feel like this album is going to have a lot of one star reviews, from people who want singers to 'sound nice' and 'be able to sing'. To those people, I can only shake my head sadly. This album is so much fun and really interesting. Obviously, there are also the songs later covered by Nirvana on Unplugged, which are just good to hear - even if you do slightly wish it was Kurt and Co. But whatever, this was a great discovery. I'd reserve the right to give it 0.3 on another day.

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 is vibes, really good Will I listen to again: 100%

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.

Liked the instrumental only tracks but that’s about it

I whine about a lot of bad albums in a row, but I have been on a bit of a lucky streak of late. Like 98% of the population, I came to know the Meat Puppets based on Nirvana's Unplugged album. I bought Too High to Die and then worked my way through their back catalog as I got a bit older. The three songs from Unplugged are here but there are a lot of other really good songs. I'm not even sure what genre (cowpunk?) is represented by the Meat Puppets but I feel they were very ahead of their time. It's grunge that's not grunge and covers a lot of genres. The vocalist's voice doesn't bother me too much, as I grew up listening to vocalists that weren't incredibly great at actually singing. Plus, this is a pretty lo-fi effort, so I would not necessarily expect exemplary production. Great songs all around though. Split Myself In Two Plateau Lost Oh Me Aurora Borealis I'm a Mindless Idiot Lake of Fire The Whistling Song

Meat Puppets II is like Minutemen and Sonic Youth with some Dinosaur Jr and Built to Spill sprinkled into the mix. Possibly hearing some Butthole Surfers inspiration as well.

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

Oh, Me //

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.

Thoughts on this album: “Man, this really sounds a lot like Nirvana.” Then I realized Nirvana covered several songs from this album on their MTV Unplugged performance. Honestly, I think Nirvana’s versions are better. Overall, the songs were generally okay. “Lake of Fire” and “Plateau” stood out, probably because of their recognition through Nirvana. However, I just couldn’t get past the vocals enough to fully enjoy the album. A somewhat strong 2 stars.

Meat Puppets II is the second studio album from the Phoenix-based band. This is a dramatic departure from the band's first release, which was primarily noise-filled hardcore. Their second effort contains hints of hardcore, but is a mixture of country, punk, and some folk. The album was critically and commercially successful, and helped the Meat Puppets become one of the most successful bands on their label, SST. The mixture of genres in the band's music helped expand the range of music that's called "punk," and became part of a subgenre called "cowpunk." The band's ability to incorporate new sounds is evident in this early work, and helped propel their long career.

grunge, alternative

This is fantastic - it kind of both summarises and predicts decades of music. And yeah, it's kind of rough, but it's the real thing, kids taking drugs and heading into the desert to make rock n roll.

Instrumentals are great but can’t stand his voice

The Meat Puppets are a good listen. Some good song on this album.

This is a very interesting sound for a record that came out in 1984. It's a noisy, hardcore punk, garage rock feel with elements of country which you would think wouldn't mix at all, but I think it works really well. It's a little all over the place at times but I found myself enjoying it more often than not. There's some great guitar work here. The opener has a good riff and the next track 'Magic Toy Missing' takes the fantastic picking and soloing of country music and turns it into a fantastic instrumental complete with foot tapping drumming. 'Lost' also has a good solo. 'Aurora Borealis' is another instrumental that almost delves into psychedelic. Apparently Nirvana covered three tracks from this for their 'MTV Unplugged' album and you can see why. 'Lake Of Fire' in particular does sound like Nirvana, especially the vocals, I can see Kurt covering it for sure. Speaking of vocals I see a lot of reviews slating them but I'm not having it. On the more punky tracks like 'Split Myself In Two' he sounds over the top and I like it It's a very enjoyable half hour and I would definitely give it a spin if I had 30 minutes to spare.

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

It's trash but it's my type of trash.

Rating: 8/10 Singer can't sing for shit but this is great, nice combination of styles and quite catchy instrumentally.

Not a fan of punk, screaming metal

Punk / country / rock

It's ok...

Surprisingly good

Awesome sound, felt like it had a distinct identity and texture across the album. Will have to check out more of these guys

***An ok album

Surprisingly good despite this is hyped only because of nirvana

I expected more based on the awesome album cover + name combo

An interesting combination of punk rock, psychedelic music and southern vibe, resulting in a terrible mess that was not supposed to come to light at all. Few nice solos, but it wasn't enough to lift the album from the hole, or crater even. Never again.

Surprisingly fun album that gets better deeper into the tracks... might check out the expanded release

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.

I'm giving it a three because they obviously don't give a fuck about being polished and commercial. It's kinda country, kinda messy, and I'm here for it. And one more for the wankers who give it one star. And one for being better than Morrissey. That's five stars. Get you some Meat Puppets!

Waste of time.

Solid nirvana covers

Meat Puppets II is weird, messy, and kind of brilliant — in other words, classic underground punk. If The Brothers Meat are good enough for Kurt Cobain, they’re good enough for me. Hearing the original versions of “Plateau,” “Oh, Me,” and “Lake of Fire” is a trip after knowing the Nirvana Unplugged versions so well. They’ve got this spaced-out, twangy vibe that’s totally their own — part punk, part country, part whatever-the-hell-they-feel-like.

Boring

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.

Great record! Fav: Plateau

Worthy of list. Except 'Split Myself In Two', which is painful to listen to. I just can't do distortion that sounds like noise.

A lot of fun

Some band names are so bad you hesitate to listen to the music. Hello Meat Puppets. Once I got past the band name, I really enjoyed this album. It’s unfortunate that I won’t pursue additional music from the Meat Puppets. It was an enjoyable event but no more.

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.

This album had no idea what it wanted to be. So many genres and it does almost none of them well. Any halfway good instrumentals were overshadowed by how awful the singer is. The best songs were the ones where he didn’t open his mouth.

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

This album was trying to do several different things at once and I dont think it was successful at much. I wanted to like it, but it didn't leave an impression on me.

Folk, grunge, punk, this album has a lot going for it. I love Meat Puppets. The strained vocals, the ditsy instrumentation, all of it is this kaleidoscope of angry, sad and hopeful music.

unfortunately i did not dig this at all. two flops in a row. sad!

Think I heard the name Meat Puppets before, but never heard this. Not what I expected

Meh The singer is quite monotone Some cool guitar riffs and drums here amd there but overall quite average

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.

Sorry, this is rubbish, despite the Nirvana covers. The "singer" is anything but, the drums are amateur level, and the guitar work is just above average.

Listened Before? N These guys were relatively unknown until Nirvana invited them to participate in "Unplugged" and it shows - the 4 songs they played at that concert with Nirvana are light years ahead in streams on Spotify. That being said - Nirvana was right to give them exposure. These dudes created some great guitar-driven music in the 80s, with unique themes and sounds. I really enjoyed this whole album and will probably revisit it many times. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Plateau

p515. 1983. 2 stars. Some good songs and guitar playing let down by truly dreadful singing.

Musically kind of interesting. Dissonant but rhythmic. The singing is horrendous though. I guess that adds to the dissonance.

Feels a little Beck-like, especially the singers voice, Southern California easy listening.

lihanuket. quirky.. huumehörhökulttuurista syntyneet.. originaalia originaalia.. jos joskus jonkun on täytynyt leikata lettinsä niin tässä on muutama kandidaattia kuulkaas.. kuulkaas minuu.. envittu tiiä.emt.. mitä tähän nyt sanoisi taas kerran semmosta alikypseytettyä musiikkia ja saatana ei vaikuta kovin tärkeältä pläntiltä musiikkihistoriasta.. kuuntelinko taas vajaa tunnin musiikkia josta en oikeen tykkää ja lisäksi kukaan muu ei tiedä näistä ja ei kovin tärkeä ollut millään tasolla.. njojaa ei se nyt huonoin asia koskaan . ei se nynyt huono ole.. repsekti respektiä.. reseptiö.. daaaaaaggggggggggggggggggggg magic toy msisign

Punky, but theres better stuff out there

Original but technically quite approximate 3.3

can’t really go wrong w this kinda psychedelic rock shit, i like the diversity in this album tbh but its nothing special, i enjoyed oh,me and lake of fire those banged, some of this album is lowkey giving radiohead, why are there songs named the same thing

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.

I liked this. The singer is awful but the instrumental tracks are really cool. He’s also trying to be awful, which I don’t get, but it’s his jam. I'll be looking for more Cow Punk.

most palatable of its genre

top songs: aurora borealis, plateau, new gods, oh me, lake of fire, split myself in two weird but in the way that just hits perfectly from start to finish

rough as a badgers arse and I like it!

A love letter to ADHD.

Maso

2 estrelas :-(

Another gem that I wouldn't have found without this project. I knew of their Nirvana connection but never really listened before and this album rips. It's a little uneven but overall it answers a question I never thought of asking: What if "Nevermind" had been left out in the Arizona sun instead of the Seattle rain?

oddball rock for oddballs. this album is sponsored by kurt cobain. also fun

Sounded like somebody took their moody teenager to a karaoke bar and made him sing country songs in front of his classmates.

🎧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.

Not knowingly listened to this before, surprised to find some familiar sounding tracks..Overall, a mixed bag, interestingly eclectic rather than all over the place annoying and ultimately I rather enjoyed it.

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

3.7 2x didn't know much about this band or that they were the originators of Lake of Fire. great song and album.

eh

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.

Pretty chill album which also happened to be influential in making one of the most famous bands of all time (Nirvana).

Good album, seemed fairly experimental. Will check out more of their work.

Solid album, knew Kurt was into them but i never listened to them outside of his covers.

Classic

The two biggest influences on Kurt Cobain - Meat Puppets and Houmous & Chutney! 4.2

3.5/5

Well. I first heard of the meat puppets because it seemed like Cobain loved them. I always like following the thread of your favorite artists favorite artist. And for a time nirvana was it. But they covered plateau and lake of fire on that really nice unplugged. So I had some knowledge of who these guys were going into this. But I was blown away. It's so good. Packed with a ton of great songs and great instrumental jams. I can't usually abide those vocaless tracks but these kept my attention better than any others I've seen I'm a long time. Just tons of great riffs and melodies. Must listen for any grunge head

This was alright. Instrumentation and instrumental tracks i liked, but the singing and songwriting fell flat. Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me, was pretty grating at times.

An all-time favorite of mine. Psychedelic country punk that gives the feeling of laying in the dirt while gazing up at the heavens. It’s got everything you need - thrashy punkers, acid-fried country tunes, quality instrumental jams, obscure lyrics that have depth as you dig in, bad singing (in the most perfect and fitting way), great guitar (shredding pickers, spacey echoing spirals, nimble acoustic solos), and a band that stays tight despite feeling like they can fall apart at any minute. In other words, it’s perfect.