Meat Puppets II

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Meat Puppets II
Studio album by Meat Puppets
Released	1984
Recorded	April - May, 1983
Genre	Alternative rock, grunge
Length	29:57 (original) 48:01 (reissue)
Label	SST Records
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A-) link Magnet (Favorable) (p. 102) NME (8/10) April 17, 1999 (p. 37) Rolling Stone April 26, 1984 Spin (Favorable) April 1999 (p. 165)
Meat Puppets chronology
Meat Puppets (1982) Meat Puppets II (1983) Up on the Sun (1985)

Meat Puppets II is the second album by the Tempe, Arizona band the Meat Puppets. It is completely unlike their self-titled debut album, which was furious noisy hardcore with unintelligible vocals, which were more nonsensical screams than lyrics. It covers many genres from country-style rock which is almost bluegrass at times ("Magic Toy Missing", "Climbing", Lost") to slow acoustic songs ("Plateau", "Oh Me") to psychedelic guitar effects ("Aurora Borealis") to hard rock ("Lake of Fire"). Rykodisc reissued the album in 1999 with extra tracks and b-sides, including a cover of the Rolling Stones' Aftermath-era track "What To Do."

The album is also known for its unique cover art. On the back of the original vinyl, the art is credited to Curt Kirkwood and Neal Holliday.

The Meat Puppets' SST labelmates The Minutemen covered "Lost" on the EP Tour-Spiel and their last studio album, 3-Way Tie (For Last). Three of the album's songs were covered by Nirvana during their "Unplugged" show for MTV ("Plateau", "Oh, Me", and "Lake of Fire").

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and was also listed on Pitchfork Media's "Best Albums of the 1980's".^[1]

The album was performed live in its entirety at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, New York as part of the ATP Don't Look Back season, and again in December at a performance in London.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Curt Kirkwood, unless otherwise noted.

1. "Split Myself in Two" – 2:22
2. "Magic Toy Missing" – 1:20
3. "Lost" – 3:24
4. "Plateau" – 2:22
5. "Aurora Borealis" – 2:44
6. "We're Here" – 2:40
7. "Climbing" – 2:41
8. "New Gods" – 2:09
9. "Oh, Me" – 2:59
10. "Lake of Fire" – 1:54
11. "I'm a Mindless Idiot" – 2:26
12. "The Whistling Song" – 2:56

[edit] CD Reissue

1. "Split Myself in Two" - 2:24
2. "Magic Toy Missing" - 1:22
3. "Lost" - 3:26
4. "Plateau" - 2:22
5. "Aurora Borealis" - 2:44
6. "We're Here" - 2:43
7. "Climbing" - 2:43
8. "New Gods" - 2:12
9. "Oh, Me" - 3:02
10. "Lake of Fire" - 1:57
11. "I'm a Mindless Idiot" - 2:29
12. "The Whistling Song" - 2:57
13. "Teenager(s)" (Meat Puppets) - 3:36
14. "I'm Not Here" - 1:55
15. "New Gods" (Demo Version) - 2:13
16. "Lost" (Demo Version) - 3:03
17. "What to Do" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) - 2:35
18. "100% of Nothing" - 1:50
19. "Aurora Borealis" (Demo Version) - 2:28

• Tracks 13-19 are bonus tracks on the Rykodisc reissue.

[edit] References

v • d • e Meat Puppets Curt Kirkwood | Cris Kirkwood | Ted Marcus Former members Kyle Ellison | Andrew Duplantis | Shandon Sahm | Derrick Bostrom Studio albums Meat Puppets | Meat Puppets II | Up on the Sun | Mirage | Huevos | Monsters | Forbidden Places | Too High to Die | No Joke! | Golden Lies | Rise to Your Knees | Sewn Together Singles Swimming Ground | I Am a Machine | I Can't Be Counted On | Sam | Whirlpool | Backwater | We Don’t Exist | Tender Cuts | Meat Puppets Promo | Roof with a Hole | Lake of Fire | Scum | Taste of the Sun | Armed and Stupid EPs In a Car | Out My Way | Raw Meat | You Love Me Live and compilation albums No Strings Attached | Live in Montana | Live | Classic Puppets