Official releases from the original trio, either still in print or still easily findable.
“In A Car” EP (1981)
The one that started it all.
All tracks are currently available on the reissue of our first album.
“Meat Puppets” (1982)
For most people, this one’s either their least favorite or their most favorite.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
“Meat Puppets II” (1983)
Thanks to Nirvana, this will be the only album casual visitors to this site will have ever heard of. (I guess that’s better than nothing.)
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
BUY IT NOW!
“Up On The Sun” (1985)
The Puppets hit their stride and head into orbit.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
“Out My Way” EP (1986)
The Puppets get guitar-god fever! First issued as a 12-inch EP, expanded later to album length.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
“Mirage” (1987)
“Psychedelic rock,” Meat Puppets style.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
“Huevos” (1987)
“Classic rock,” Meat Puppets style.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
“Monsters” (1989)
Searching for a major-label deal, the Puppets survey the late-80s musical landscape and act accordingly.
Originally released by SST Records, reissued by Rykodisc in 1999.
BUY IT NOW!
“Forbidden Places” (1991)
Joined by country producer Pete Anderson, the Puppets completely misread the impending “alternative” trend, releasing their least grungy album to date.
Released by London Records.
“Too High To Die” (1994)
Originally issued with endorsement stickers by Kurt Cobain and Dave Perner on the front. Sold over 500,000 copies.
Released by London Records
“No Joke!” (1995)
The one that ended it all.
Released by London Records.
“Live In Montana” (1999)
We were pretty stoked that Ryko agreed to put out a live album as part of their reissue of our back catalogue. We hope the fans agree.
Released by Rykodisc.
“Alive In The Nineties” (2003)
Some fan footage, a couple of teevee clips, an ureleased song or two, and you’ve got yourself shelf space in the DVD section. Nothing to it.
Released By Cornerstone RAS.
“Classic Puppets” (2004)
Not so much a “best of” as a “retrospective.” Features several previously-unissued tracks and excellent remastering.
Released by Rykodisc.
Compilations, tributes, soundtracks.
“Light Bulb” cassette (1981)
Features the original version “Meat Puppets,” currently available on the reissue of our first album.
“Keats Rides A Harely” Compilation (1981)
Features “H-Elenore,” currently available on the reissue of our first album. Also includes our 1981 cover of Neil Young’s “The Losing End,” unavailable elsewhere.
Originally released in 1981 by Happy Squid, reissued by Warning Label.
“Monitor” album (1981)
Features “Hair,” currently available on the reissue of our first album.
“Amuck” album (1982)
Compilation of Phoenix bands released by Placebo Records. Features “Unpleasant,” currently available on the reissue of our first album.
“Take It!” magazine (1982)
Includes flexidisc which features “Teenager(s),” currently available on the reissue of “Meat Puppets II.”
“The Blasting Concept” album (1983)
Compilation released by SST. Features “Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds,” from our first album.
“Bethel” cassette (1983)
Released in Germany by Power Focus. Features “Soup,” unreleased elsewhere.
“Basic Sampler” cassette (1984)
Released by Basic Cassettes. Features live versions of “”Aroura Borealis” and AC/DC’s “Problem Child,” unreleased elsewhere.
“Leather Chaps and Lace Petticoats” album (1985)
Compilation released by Anagram. Features “Magic Toy Missing,” from our first album.
“Lovedolls Superstar” album (1986)
Soundtrack released by SST Records. Features our 1981 recording of Black Flag’s “No Values,” unavailable elsewhere.
“The 7 Inch Wonders of the World ” album (1986)
Compilation released by SST Records. Features the “In A Car” EP, currently available on the reissue of our first album.
“The Blasting Concept Vol. 2″ album (1986)
Compilation released by SST Records. Features “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, currently available on the reissue of “Out My Way.”
“No Strings Attached” (1990)
Compilation released by SST Records
“Duck and Cover” (1990)
Compilation released by SST Records. Features “Good Golly Miss Molly,” from our “Out My Way” album.
“The Edge of Rock” (1990)
Compilation released by Era (K-Tel). Features “Light,” from our “Monsters” album.
“Chasers” (1994)
Soundtrack released by Morgan Creek. Features “Sam,” from our “Forbidden Places” album.
“Fast Track to Nowhere” (1994)
Compilation released by A&M. Features our 1994 recording of Chuck Berry’s “House Of Blue Lights,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Love & A 45″ (1994)
Soundtrack released by Epic. Features our 1994 recording of “Animal,” from the “Backwater” single.
“White Man’s Burden” (1994)
Soundtrack released by Atlantic. Features our 1994 recording of “Animal,” from the “Backwater” single.
“Alterno-Daze 90′s Natural Selection” (1995)
Compilation released by Rebound. Features “Sam,” from our “Forbidden Places” album.
“The X Factor” (1995)
Compilation released by Warner Special Products. Features “This Day,” from our “Forbidden Places” album.
“Songs In The Key Of X” (1995)
Features “Unexplained,” our last studio recording. (Well, kind of — that’s Curt on bass.)
Released by Warner Brothers.
“Our Band Could Be Your Life” album (1995)
Minutemen tribute released by Little Brother. Features our 1994 recording of “Not All Right,” unavailable elsewhere.
“A Small Circle of Friends” album (1996)
Germs tribute released by Grass. Features our 1994 recording of “The Price Of Paradise,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Barb Wire” album (1996)
Soundtrack released by London. Features the Vapourspace remix of “Scum,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Alt.Country Exposed Roots” album (1996)
Compilation released by K-Tel. Features “Lost” from “Meat Puppets II.”
Meat Puppets Discography Page Three
Meat Puppets Discography Page Two
Promotional items.
“Swimming Ground” single (1985)
Vinyl 7-inch 45 released by SST Records. Features “Swimming Ground” and “Up On The Sun” from “Up On The Sun.”
“Sam” single (1991)
Vinyl 7-inch 45 released by London. Features “Sam” from “Forbidden Places” and “Bali Hai,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Whirlpool” single (1991)
Released by London. Features “Whirlpool” from “Forbidden Places.” Also includes covers of Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel Of Love” and Led Zepplin’s “Rock And Roll,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Whirlpool” single (1991)
Seven-inch 45 version released by London, same contents as CD, with different cover.
“Stereophonic” cassette (1991)
Compilation released by London Records. Includes “That’s How It Goes” from “Forbidden Places.” Packaged in a film can.
“Aural Fixations” album (1991)
Compilation released by London Records. Includes “Funnel Of Love” from the “Whirlpool” single.
“Backwater” single (1993)
Released by London Records, Features “Backwater” and “Lake Of Fire” from “Too High To Die,” and our 1993 recording of the Feederz’s “Fuck You,” unavailable elsewhere.
“Raw Meat” 10-inch vinyl EP (1994)
Included with vinyl release of “Too High To Die.” Features 1993 recordings of “Up On The Sun,” “El Paso City,” “White Sport Coat” and “Goodnight Irene.”
“Backwater” CD-5 single (1994)
Released commerically by London Records. Features “Backwater” from “Too High To Die” and “Open Wide” from “Forbidden Places.” Also includes “Up On The Sun” and “White Sport Coat” from “Raw Meat” and the outtake “Animal.”
“Radio Meat” cassette (1994)
Released by London Records. Song selections & live music.
“We Don’t Exist” single (1994)
Released by London Records, features two mixes of “We Don’t Exist” and “El Paso City” from “Raw Meat.”
“Tender Cuts” EP (1994)
Released by London Records, features “Shine,” “Roof With a Hole” and “Flaming Heart” from “Too High To Die, and “Up on the Sun” from “Raw Meat.”
“Lake Of Fire” CD-5 single (1994)
Includes live and acoustic versions of “Lake Of Fire,” unavailable elsewhere.
Released by London Records.
“Roof With A Hole” single (1994)
Released by London Records in Canada.
“Cream Of Cuts” album (1994)
Compilation released by London Records. Includes “Backwater” from “Too High To Die.”
“Scum” single (1995)
Released by London Records.
“Taste Of The Sun” CD-5 single (1995)
Features remixes of “Taste Of The Sun,” studio recordings of “Tennessee Stud” and “Pee Pee The Sailor,” as well as live-in-studio versions of “Taste Of The Sun,” “Chemical Garden” and “Vampires,” all unavailable elsewhere.
Released by London Records. Notes
These are from the original online discography, written in 1995.
IN A CAR In A Car Big House Dolphin Field Out In The Gardener Foreign Lawns
Produced and engineered by Laurie O’Connell and Ed Barger. Cover art by Damon Bostrom and Giovanni Battista Gaulli.
Recorded 6/4/81 at Silver Lake Studio, Silver Lake, CA.
Original pressings (there were three: an initial one of a thousand andtwo subsequent ones of five hundred each) on World Imitation Records includedhand-drawn inserts by the band. The World Imitation pressings came in plasticbags and had a red label with a small hole and a picture of a rose on it.
It was rereleased in 1985 by SST Records in a regular 45-style sleeve,with a large hole and the standard SST label in yellow. this version was also released on 10 inch vinyl and on CD. The original CD was a 3 inchmini disk.
MEAT PUPPETS Reward Love Offreing Blue-Green God Walking Boss Melons Rising Saturday Morning Our Friends Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds Milo, Sorghum, And Maize Meat Puppets Playing Dead Litter Box Electromud The Gold Mine
Engineered by SPOT at Unicorn Studio 11/24/81. Mixed by SPOT at Music Lab 5/10/82. “The Gold Mine” mixed by Laurie O’Connell & Ed Barger. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood and Damon Bostrom.
Original pressings included a lyric sheetinsert with a drawing by Cris& Curt on the back. Also released in Europe on the Red Music label(RM003).
MEAT PUPPETS II Split Myself In Two Magic Toy Missing Lost Plateau Aurora Borealis We’re Here Climbing New Gods Oh, Me Lake Of Fire I’m A Mindless Idiot The Whistling Song
Engineered by SPOT. Recorded at Total Access, Redondo Beach, CA 4-5/83. Mixed at Chaton, Scottsdale, AZ 11/83. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood and Neal Holliday.
UP ON THE SUN Up On The Sun Maiden’s Milk Away Animal Kingdom Hot Pink Swimming Ground Buckethead Too Real Enchanted Porkfist Seal Whales Two Rivers Creator
Engineered by SPOT. Recorded and mixed at Total Access, Redondo Beach, CA 1/26-28/85. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood.
Originally released with band drawing by Derrick on inner sleeve.
OUT MY WAY She’ Hot Out My Way Other Kinds Of Love Not Swimming Ground Mountain Line Good Golly Miss Molly
Produced by the Meat Puppets. Engineered by Steven Escallier. Recorded and mixed at Chaton, Scottsdale, AZ 3 /86. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood.
Released without a lyrics sheet.
MIRAGE Mirage Quit It Confusion Fog The Wind And The Rain The Mighty Zero Get On Down Leaves I Am A Machine Beauty A Hundred Miles Love Our Children Forever Liquified
Produced by The Meat Puppets and Steven Escallier. Recorded and mixed at Chaton, Scottsdale, AZ 11/86 – 1/87. Cover art by Derrick Bostrom. Photos by Joseph Cultice. Sleeve art by Curt Kirkwood.
HUEVOS Paradise Look At The Rain Bad Love Sexy Music Crazy Fruit Automatic Mojo Dry Rain I Can’t Be Counted On
Produced by The Meat Puppets and Steven Escallier. Recorded and mixed at Pantheon, Phoenix, AZ 8/3-7/87. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood. Photo by Joseph Cultice.
Originally released with drawings by Cris and Curt on the inner sleeve.
MONSTERS Attacked By Monsters Light Meltdown In Love The Void Touchdown King Party Till The World Obeys Flight Of The Fire Weasel Strings On Your Heart Like Being Alive
Produced by The Meat Puppets. Recorded and mixed by E at For The Record, Orange, CA 4-5/89. Cover by Curt Kirkwood. Cover photo by Joseph Cultice. Neon by Nina Lazutin. Inner sleeve photos by Ian Harper, Raenie Kane, Janet McCracken, LindaEarly, and Christopher Garndiner.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED Big House In A Car Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds Reward The Whistling Song New Gods Lost Lake Of Fire Split Myself In Two Up On The Sun Swimming Ground Maiden’s Milk Buckethead Out My Way Confusion Fog I Am A Machine Quit It Beauty Look At The Rain I Can’t Be Counted On Automatic Mojo Meltdown Like Being Alive Attacked By Monters
This compilation was released after the band left SST to go to LondonRecords. The band had no input on it whatesoever, and it shows. From theslapdash cover, rife with misspellings and incorrect information, to thecrackbrained song selection, this head-scratcher stands out like the misfitthat it is. Nonetheless, it’s the only double-length Meat Puppets CD, whichmakes it a bargain as well as a good starting-point for the uninitiated. Snap it up quick, for it’s bound to be deleted in favor of a real greatest-hits package one day.
FORBIDDEN PLACES Sam Nail It Down This Day Open Wide Another Moon That’s How It Goes Whirlpool Popskull No Longer Gone Forbidden Places Six Gallon Pie
Produced by Pete Anderson. Recorded by Pete Doell & Dusty Wakeman at Capitol, Hollywood, CA3-5/91. Mixed by Judy Clapp at Sound Castle, Holly wood, CA 5/91. Cover art by Curt Kirkwood. Cover photo by Michael Lavine. Inside drawings by Cris Kirkwood.
TOO HIGH TO DIE Violet Eyes Never To Be Found We Don’t Exist Severed GOddsess Hand Flaming Heart Shine Backwater Roof With A Hole Station Things Why? Evil Love Comin’ Down Lake of Fire (unlisted bonus track)
Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets. Recorded by Stewart Sullivan and Brad Vosburg at The Warehouse, Memphis,TN. Mixed by Dave Jerden at Eldorado, Hollywood, CA and by. Paul Leary and Stewart Sullivan at Arrlyn, Austin, TX. Cover photo by Michael Halsband.
Also released on 12 inch vinyl with 10 inch vinyl bonus record:
RAW MEAT Up On The Sun El Paso City White Sport Coat Goodnight Irene
Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets. Recorded by Stewart Sullivan and Brad Vosburg at The Warehouse, Memphis,TN. Paul Leary and Stewart Sullivan at Arrlyn, Austin, TX. “White Sport Coat” mixed with additional production by Pat Dillett.
BACKWATER Backwater (from “Too High To Die”) Open Wide (from “Forbidden Places”) Animal (outtake from “Too High To Die”session) Up On The Sun (from “Raw Meat”) White Sport Coat (from “Raw Meat”)
Cover by Cris Kirkwood and Klotz. Cover photo by Michael Halsband.
NO JOKE! Scum Nothing Head Taste Of The Sun Vampires Predator Poison Arrow Eyeball For Free Cobbler Inflatable Sweet Ammonia Chemical Garden
Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets. Engineered and Mixed by Chris Shaw at Phase Four Studio, Phx,AZ, Westlake Studio, L.A.,CA, and Electric Ladyland, NYC cover by Katherine Kirkwood & Elmo Kirkwood (w/Cris Kirkwood, Derrick Bostrom, andPhil Smay)
Odds & Ends
“Meat Puppets” demo Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Darrell DeMarco. Recorded August 1980 at Derrick’s house.
“H-Elenore” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Darrell DeMarco. Recorded Spring 1981 at Darrell’s house.
“Hair” Produced and engineered by Laurie O’Connell and Ed Barger. Recorded June 4, 1981 at Silver Lake Studio, Silver Lake, CA. From the “In a Car” EP session.
“Unpleasant” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Sandy Lamont. Recorded March 18, 1982 at Desert Sound Studio, Phoenix, AZ.
“No Values” Engineered and mixed by SPOT. Recorded November 24, 1981 at Unicorn Studio, Los Angelels, CA. From the “Meat Puppets” LP session.
“Aroura Borealis” (live) / “Problem Child” (live) Produced by Derrick Bostrom and Darrell DeMarco. Engineered by Derrell DeMarco. Recorded May 18, 1982, live at Merlin’s, Tempe, AZ.
“Teenager(s)” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Allen Moore. Recorded August 31, 1982 at Cereus Studio, Scottsdale, AZ.
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Jeff Weatherby. Recorded August 31, 1982 at Cereus Studio, Scottsdale, AZ.
“Soup” Produced by Meat Puppets. Recorded Fall 1982, live at Cris and Curt’s house.
“Bali Ha’i” Produced by Meat Puppets. Recorded May 1991 by Derrick Bostrom and Cris Kirkwood at Crisis Studio,Tempe, AZ. Mix engineered by Allen Moore at Cereus Studio, Tempe, AZ.
“Funnel of Love” / “Rock and Roll” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Allen Moore. Recorded live, Summer 1991 at Cereus Studio, Tempe, AZ.
“Fuck You” Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets Recorded by Brad Vosburg at The Warehouse, Memphis, TN. Mixed by Paul Leary and Stewart Sullivan at Arrlyn, Austin, TX.
From the “Too High To Die” session.
“Animal” Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets Recorded by Brad Vosburg at The Warehouse, Memphis, TN. Mixed by Paul Leary and Stewart Sullivan at Arrlyn, Austin, TX.
From the “Too High To Die” session.
Radio Meat! Assembled and translated by Peter Bochan. Recorded April 1994 at WBAI Radio, NYC, NY. Side One: The Meat Puppets present the following songs:
“Pop A Top” – Jim Ed Brown “Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop” – Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band “Let’s Pretend” – Germs “The Ballad of Pee Pee The Sailor” – Bad Livers “Begin the Beguine” – Artie Shaw “Runaway” – Salsoul Orchestra w/ Loleatta Holloway “Burn Rubber” – Gap Band “El Paso City” – Marty Robbins “Downtown” – Petula Clark “Star Wars Theme” – Meco
Side Two: Live acoustic performance on WBAI Radio:
Big Iron River of the Lord The Ballad of Pee Pee the Sailor Another One Bites the Dust Shine Bud the Spud Sam S.W.A.T. (Get Down) Backwater I Wanna Be Your Dog Gut Feeling The Old Dope Peddler The Ride One Of These Days
Second guitar: Troy Meiss
“Lake of Fire” (acoustic) Produced by John Hancock for the Westwood One Networks. Recorded Summer 1994 in Los Angeles, CA. Second guitar: Troy Meiss
“Lake of Fire” (live) Recorded live while on tour somewhere in Europe, Spring 1994. Engineered by David Claassen. Second guitar: Troy Meiss
“House of Blue Lights” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Brian Krueger. Recorded and mixed June 14, 1994 at Phase Four Studio, Tempe, AZ.
“The Price of Paradise” Produced by Meat Puppets. Engineered by Brian Krueger. Recorded and mixed June 14, 1994 at Phase Four Studio, Tempe, AZ.
“Not All Right” Produced by Meat Puppets. Recorded Summer 1994 by Cris Kirkwood and mixed by Derrick Bostrom at Crisis Studio,Tempe, AZ.
“The Adventures of Pee Pee the Sailor” Recorded Spring 95 at Phase Four Studio Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets. Engineered and mixed by Chris Shaw.
“Tennessee Stud” Recorded Spring 95 at Phase Four Studio Produced by Paul Leary and Meat Puppets. Engineered and mixed by Chris Shaw.
Vapourspace remix of “Scum” Remixed 1995 by Mark Gage in Vapourspace.
“Unexplained” Produced by Curt Kirkwood. Engineered by Chad Fridirici. Recorded February, 1996 at Westlake Studio, Los Angeles, CA.
“Taste of the Sun” / “Vampires” / “Chemical Garden” (live acoustic in the studio) Recorded live 11/26/95 at Windmark Studios, Virginia Beach, VA. Thanks to Chris Corley, Al Mitchell and everyone at Windmark Studio.
You forgot the “Special Forces Radio Concert” : Meat Puppets at the Roxy in L.A. 1986, since then its been widely bootlegged of course, but you can still find the original.
That one’s beyond the scope of this discography. I have several syndicated radio shows on vinyl or CD, but those aren’t official releases, comps, or promos.
Two things: 1) I’d like to know where I could find the odd stuff. I mean, I’ve got some compilations with puppets songs (Songs in the key of X, Fast track to nowhere and a couple of soundtracks) but I don’t know where I look for the other stuff (the most part). 2) Let me tell you that I think Curt Kirkwood is the most talented and unappreciated guy in the music business. I’ve been tried to get all the stuff where he’s involved (Eyes Adrift and different colaborations) but it’s very hard to find some of this stuff. So, it would be great if you could include a related discography with all the records where all of you had been involved (as producers, musicians, etc.) Well, that’s it. Derrick, thanks for all you have been doing to keeping the puppets alive. Bye
1) You’re on your own there.
2) I’ll do a solo page eventually.
i just want to know who was the first one to put “lake of fire” in a song; by a simple search on google i allready found out that it’s from the bible ; so, my question is: in wich year did the meat puppets release “lake of fire”?(sorry i hadn’t time to actually look at the site)
I don’t know of any other songs called “Lake Of Fire” besides ours, which we first released in 1984 on the “II” album, then later released as a bonus track on “Too High To Die.” Nirvana didn’t cover it until 1993.
I do know of a lot of songs called “Halloween,” which is why we changed the name of our song from “Halloween” to “Lake Of Fire.”
Stupid question (waiting for a good answer) : why “halloween” ? I mean, for “Lake of Fire” the lyrics are ‘Where do bad folks go when they die? (…) go to the lake of fire and fry’. Did you first think they goes into Halloween ? (:
Ok, I go out.
chirac sucks, france rules
Uh, because it was WRITTEN on Halloween. Duh.
good answer ! Thanx Derrick ! (:
Derrick,
Are there any posters/lithographs, etc. available of any of the album cover/jacket artwork? II, Huevos, Monsters and Forbidden Places—oh hell I enjoyed them all.
Thanks for any info you have.
On a side note, I saw the Puppets (sans you unfortunately) in SF a few months ago. While Kris didn’t look that great (although who would!) he seemed revitalized. Glad to see the brothers back together.
The only posters that ever came out were promotional POS (point of sale) posters issued to record stores by the label. I see them show up on eBay from time to time.
Thanks Derrick. When my wife suggested the Forbidden Places cover would look good in our house, I thought I’d look into it a little further. I’ll assume that Curt kept all the original paintings.
Hello Derrick. I have just one very quick question. Recently, as a Meat Puppets music collector I bought Whirlpool 7″ over the ebay. It came from a seller in nice condition, however, what confuses me is the cover. I understand there is a ‘wrap-around’ cover in a form of a sheet of one side with very-Meat-Puppet-picture on it and other side with tour dates. However, my copy seems to be an ordinary photocopy on an ordinary paper, looking like anybody could have made one at home. My question is – was this the case for all the releases, or was I cheated by a seller who may not have a cover for his 7″ and hence sent me a photocopy of a sheet. (There’s no need to post my query to the public forum, a quick answer to my email address will be sufficient and very much appreciated.) Kind regards, Ivan
P.S.: Meat Puppets filled the soundtrack of my life for past 2 years. Thank you for all you’ve been doing.
Ivan –
That was the cover, believe it or not. It was never “released,” it was just released as a promo for the video and the current tour. MTV rejected the video over the grotesque stereotypes it contained, so the track never got a “proper” commercial release.
Thank you Derrick!
Hello again,
one more question – I have run accross the cassette called Bang Zoom #2, I think originally released with some magazine in 1983, containing 2 MP songs (Blue Green God and Our Friends), recorder live at CBGB.
Do you know the date of this performance?
Thanks again and best regards, Ivan
Ivan –
My records show that we played at CBGB on 11/21/82.