Meat Puppets - "Out My Way" CD

Originally a 1986 EP, this reissue adds 7 mostly unreleased tracks, making for a more substantial 52-minute album. Coming from the diverse, but punk-affiliated SST label, no doubt these boys confused many a listener. Having much more in common with country and folk than punk, per se, "Out My Way" is full of chiming indie pop tunes. Covers of "Good Golly Miss Molly", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", and "Burn The Honky Tonk Down" show that the brothers Kirkwood and friends were drawing inspiration from such disparate sources as early rock and roll, blues, and country -- all filtered through the Puppets' sun-baked Arizona psychedelic mindset. "Out My Way" may have been little more than a stop-gap release in its day, but it holds up remarkably well now. (MVD Audio)

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Meat Puppets - "Mirage" CD

The band's 5th album, originally from 1987, is here reissued with an additional 5 previously unreleased tracks appended. On "Mirage", the band's unique amalgam of post-punk, bluegrass, classic rock, and psychedelia congealed into a highly listenable, and distinctive whole. Consisting solely of brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood with drummer Derrick Bostrom, "Mirage" contains certifiable classics like "The Wind And The Rain", or and the rollicking Western hoedown of "Get On Down", which garnered some MTV airplay back in the day. "Beauty" showcases the Curt's prowess on guitar, with lightning-fast licks that, if electrified, could double as thrash metal. "A Hundred Miles" is a calliope of chiming guitars amidst the sing-a-long pop-song structure. A strong album, and one that still sounds relatively fresh, save for the drum machine pulsing through most of the tracks. (MVD Audio)

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Meat Puppets - "Monsters" CD

The band's 1989 LP was to be their final for SST Records, and it begins with the stomping heavy rock of "Attacked By Monsters". More electric and "rock" than previous Meat Puppets offerings, this album shows another leap by the band, further upping the ante with better harmonies, and an arguably more "mainstream" sound. But rather than "selling out" (as some accused them of, especially as they were to soon signing to major label London Records), this seems, in retrospect, to be more a gradual and natural move towards more accessible songwriting.

"The Void" is another swaggering boogie-rock monsterpiece that reminds a little of a slightly psychedelic ZZ Top, believe it or not, as does the blazing "Flight Of The Fire Weasel". But there's still plenty of meandering, freaky guitar fireworks otherwise, a specialty that the brothers Kirkwood are renowned for. As it stands, "Monster" is a solid effort, and holds up well, even over 20 years later. (MVD Audio)

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