Search - Meat Puppets :: Huevos

The one I keep going back to

Eric Hamen | Hilliard, OH United States | 08/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge fan of all things Meat Puppet-y. Huevos was the most difficult one to warm up to. The vocals are WAY out front, most obviously with the song "Look at the Rain".



Having said that, this is the album I put on most frequently. "Fruit" and "Sexy Music" are my two favorite MP songs. The rhythm section takes a ZZ Top-ish "southern boogie" tack that the Puppets really used to their advantage to propel the songs along. They used the same technique in the subsequent "Monsters" (which contains the fabulous "Light"...)



I kinda like that they got a little Billy Gibbons in my Meat Puppets...both bands have a similar fried from the desert sun sensibility and it gives you a reason to go back and rediscover ZZ Top.

"

Their power-trio album

John Alapick | Wilkes-Barre, PA United States | 04/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On Huevos, the Meat Puppets continued to expand their musical palette. While their previous release Mirage was a more diverse but less focused affair, Huevos saw the band concentrating on blues-based hard rock. While many have called Huevos the band's ode to ZZ Top, the band makes the sound truly their own as the spirited performances show a sense of urgency lost on their previous album.



Every track here is very solid. The tracks "Paradise", "Bad Love", "Dry Rain", and "Automatic Mojo" are great hard rockers driven by Curt Kirkwood's meaty riffs and his loud and occassionally off-key lead vocals. His solos do sound similar to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on many songs, getting more feeling out of a few notes than most bands do out of their 100 mph excursions. The songs "Fruit", "Look At The Rain", and "Crazy" are more rooted in melody and are very good as well. "I Can't Be Counted On" is another great track featuring a catchy melody and chorus. Ironically, the best track here is the only one that's not a hard rocker. "Sexy Music" is one of their best tracks featuring great work from bassist Cris Kirkwood and drummer Derrick Bostrom, great vocals and lyrics from Curt, and a simple keyboard line which adds to the moodiness of the song. The bonus tracks includes four instrumental versions of the album's original tracks. The tracks "Paradise", "Sexy Music", and "Automatic Mojo" are a little heavier than the vocal versions with "Automatic Mojo" actually being stronger than the original. The final track "Fruit" is a showcase for Curt as he solos nearly the entire track, proving he could also play 100 mph if he so chooses. A fine album, it's probably their least diverse release as they stick to hard rock for the most part. If you like great power-trio hard rock, it's an essential purchase. Newcomers may want to check out Too High To Die, Meat Puppets II, or Up On The Sun first."