Meat Puppets - In A Car

Oh maaan i'm looking forward to next May. In that uber-anticipated month, the Meat Puppets will play what I believe is the first gig played by original duo of Cris and Curt Kirkwood (unfortunately without original drummer Derrick Bostrom) in the UK for around 15 years! Last year saw the release of the first MP's album to feature both Kirkwoods since 1995's No Joke, the shape of the rather good Rise To Your Knees. First reports back on the American shows that have been played so far have been pretty good, the brothers apparently not being afraid to play pretty much all of the classics, and in a time when more and more bands seem to be reuniting, this is one of the ones where i'm reaaally excited.

The Puppets started out in Phoenix, Arizona back in 1980, and just one year later released the In A Car EP as a (according to Wikipedia!) 3" record on World Imitations records. One year after that, they signed to SST for the release of their debut album and started the process which saw them slowly shifting from their initial hardcore sound into the more psychedelic country-rock direction that most people know them for. It's a pretty cool release, very short and sharp (5 songs in 5 mins), very early 80s hardcore at its roots, but from the twisting jangle of the lead guitar you can just about hear a glimpse of future ventures. Big House sounds like a sort of hardcore bluegrass hybrid, and Out In The Gardener is a little reminiscent of some of the ZZ Topish nuances of their later Huevos LP. Hope you like it!

Meat Puppets - 01 In A Car
Meat Puppets - 02 Big House
Meat Puppets - 03 Dolphin Field
Meat Puppets - 04 Out In the Gardener
Meat Puppets - 05 Foreign Lawns