Album: Meat Puppets II
Artist: Meat Puppets
Release Date: April 1984
Genre: Punk
Length: 0:29:57
Label: SST Records
Producer: Spot
1,001 Album Book: Yes
A confusing mix, but an influencer none-the-less...
The second studio album by Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II combines multiple genres throughout and features three songs that were later covered by Nirvana from their "Unplugged" showcase on MTV.
The thrash punk opening of the track "Split Myself in Two" features very punk ideas with heavy bass guitar punches, frantic hi-hat focused drum playing and crunchy guitar chords. The quick, incomprehensible lyrics coming from lead singer, Curt Kirkwood are combined smoothly with the style of playing, even if you cannot understand what he's singing. The shocking part of this track is the fact there are only three band members because the sound that emits easily fills the entire headspace with ruckus instrumentation and sounds.
Moving on to the second track "Magic Toy Missing" transports you to an entirely different album sound. The guitar plays melodies worthy of country-western movies, and the galloping of the snare drum throughout showcase the group's ability to stylistically play anything they want. The track is completely instrumental which serves its purpose well as it is hard to imagine Curt Kirkwood's voice singing something in a country style, especially after the first tune.
However, in shocking fashion, the third track is not an instrumental but is still in the style of country-blues. "Lost" opens up with a distorted guitar riff and leads into a bouncing drum pattern. The bass throughout the song isn't very noticeable but provides a nice background boom when everything else is a cheerful country beat. The voice from Kirkwood in this track is sometimes great, but sometimes sounds like he is straining too hard, but that could be because he isn't a country artist. The various cowboy licks played by the guitar throughout are interesting payoffs that add to the elements of the song.
The fourth track "Plateau" is the first of the three covered by Kurt Cobain in the "Unplugged" broadcast. While the Nirvana version is better, this track gives a nice look at the influence the group had on Cobain. The laid back drum beat with the bass guitar pounding away whenever the kick drum is hit, along with the slight guitar riff across this song all behind the early grunge sound from Kirkwood's singing make this an excellent window into the influence they had on the grunge movement.
Showcasing their psychedelic influences, the group has another completely instrumental song in "Aurora Borealis" which pairs perfectly with the following track "We're Here". Once again providing a different sound than some of the other tracks on the album, "Aurora Borealis" features a simple drum beat with sing-song guitar riffs that contribute the "voice" of the song, whereas "We're Here" is another laid back melodic jam that allows the group to show off their musical talents. The trippy guitar sounds, the complex drum sounds, and the various spatial elements transport the listener to an alien-like headspace, worthy of psychedelia of the 1960s.
Another song covered by Nirvana, "Lake of Fire" is a hard rock original song that is otherwise beautifully done. The strain from Kirkwood's voice once again is humorous at best, even if it was an influence for the 90s music movement in grunge. The distorted guitar throughout makes this a sad original that Nirvana eventually covered in a better rendition. The best part of the song is the influence it had on Cobain and how Nirvana expanded the Meat Puppets original ideas.
An interesting mix of garage punk, country-western rock and psychedelic rock, Meat Puppets II features a large mix of everything within the rock world. While this album is entertaining, I'm not sure I enjoy it. The lead singer's voice doesn't do it for me and some of the tracks quickly transition from being a little too hectic to then switching to a more laid back sound on the next track. If you're into headbanging and whiplash but also have a soft side, this album is an easy recommendation from me. If you don't encompass any of that though, stay away as it will not be a fun thirty minutes for you...
Favorite Songs: "Oh, Me", "Plateau", "Aurora Borealis", "I'm a Mindless Idiot"
Least Favorite Songs: "Lake of Fire"
Production Quality:
Mix = 6.5/10
Innovation = 9/10 (Influenced multiple artist's and helped form an entire genre)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 5.5/10
Lyricism = 9/10 (Original storytelling)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 4.5/10
Instrumental Timbre = 7/10
Group Chemistry = 8.5/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 6.5/10
Overall Rating: 6.95/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!