Paradise: Land of the Meat PuppetsIntroduction to the Meat Puppets
Welcome to the land of Meat Puppets... Here, there's a mountain line that runs down to the swimming ground, past the chemical garden. You might get lost in this shimmering desert paradise, so be wary on your way to the oasis--what you see might be a mirage...
Lost in this surreal desert, you will find the Meat Puppets, one of the music world's best kept secrets, a band Rolling Stone once dubbed the "best underground band in the world." What makes this band so great and yet so univerally unknown? In Meat Puppets music lies a blend of country, punk, hardcore, alternative, classic rock, Americana, and psychedelia all filtered through the band's warped and surreal vision. Few bands showcase such a diversity of styles with such skill, and yet this is unique music, music too "out there" to be embraced by your run-of-the-mill pop music fan.
So where did this band come from? The Meat Puppets started out as a trio composed of two brothers and a friend in the desert climes of and around Phoenix, AZ. The long career of Curt Kirkwood, Cris Kirkwood, and Derrick Bostrom lasted nearly two decades. The Meat Puppets gained respect as one of the best bands of the indie rock movement of the 1980s, recording for legendary label SST. The band continued their career long enough to sign to a major label, London Records, in the early Nineties, and managed to briefly ride the wave of "alternative" rock during and after the Nirvana years.
For the uninitiated, whether one likes or hates the Puppets largely depends on which album is grabbed from the shelf. The abrasive noise of Meat Puppets I is likely to confuse and alienate potential fans looking for a band respected for its tendency towards shimmering jazz-tinged jams, just as the country twinges and slick production of other records may alienate fans of the band who approach them from a punk angle. Many do not understand the band's history or realize how different each record is. Much has been done to correct this through the reissue of the Pups' classic SST albums with copious liner notes and bonus tracks.
Throughout its career, the band has done everything from off-key country tunes (Meat Puppets II) to hardcore minute-long pieces (Meat Puppets I and In A Car) to straightforward alt-rock (Too High To Die) to covers of every wacky tune you could imagine (Live In Montana and countless bootlegs). The music is punctuated with a unique sense of humour, yet the lyrics also lend themselves to deeper observations hidden among the gloriously vivid surreal imagery. The band's inspiration ranges from the highs of psychedelic drugs to the earthy appeal of down-home country and Americana.
Each individual band member contributed more than just mere instrumentation skills throughout the band's career. Curt Kirkwood is one of the best guitarists alive today, yet somewhat unknown to the majority of the public--Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers has called him "the best guitarist in the world." Cris Kirkwood played bass with the band as well as lending his multi-instrumental talents every now and then--his first musical pursuit was the banjo. His musicality has gotten him respect as a unique and talented bassist from fellow musicians such as Mike Watt. Drummer Derrick Bostrom not only provided the Puppets with his drumming duties throughout their career, he has also designed and maintained their official website for years. One of the first to create an innovative band site filled with great content, Derrick had his site up and running in 1995, before everything and everyone under the sun had a web domain. All three members contributed to music and lyric-writing efforts at some point.
After influencing countless bands who would go on to become more famous than they were (it's likely you've heard of them through Nirvana Unplugged at least), the original Meat Puppets dissolved in the late 90s due to bassist Cris Kirkwood's drug addiction. Curt Kirkwood went on to form a new band which he eventually renamed "Meat Puppets," making things a little confusing for old and new fans alike. This new band released a new album in September of 2000 entitled Golden Lies. As of 2001, Curt is touring as a solo artist and hopefully will release a solo album in the next year. For more information on this and the Meat Puppets' history, check out the Biography section of the site or thumb through some articles.