Meat Puppets - No Joke (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Not The Album To Judge Meat Puppets By

Daniel C. Alward | FRANKLIN, PA USA | 04/17/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I only write this to say that of course Meat Puppets fans must have this album. "Taste of the Sun" rates among the finer Meat Puppets tunes. Others like "Scum" and "Head" are pretty darn good too. But this isn't an album that's likely to impress anyone who has heard other Meat Puppets albums. I've heard them all and have been a devoted fan for too many years to count - so I feel half-ways qualified to say that this should probably be the last Meat Puppets album one adds to their collection. Get Meat Puppets II, Up On The Sun, Too High To Die, Mirage, Huevos, Golden Lies, Forbidden Places, Out My Way, Meat Puppets, Monsters and the miscellaneous stuff first!

UPDATE: Here it is 6-odd years after writing this little review. In that time No Joke has grown on me some. I can't help but like most anything that Curt Kirkwood does. No Joke is still my least favorite Meat Puppets album, but one of them has to be that after all. It's time to up the rating from 3 stars to 4 (if allowed). Don't avoid this album - just don't let it be the one to judge Meat Puppets by."

Please. This is one of their BEST.

Daniel Wilk | Upstate NY | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it, we've all got our opinions, but after reading the subpar reviews of "No Joke," I couldn't sit idly by.

In and of itself, "No Joke" is not only one of the Meat Puppets' best albums, it's also one of the best albums- PERIOD.

There's not a single bad song, and each one is actually quite excellent. Notables: Scum, Nothing, Head, Taste of the Sun, Vampires, Predator, Poison Arrow, Eyeball, For Free, Cobbler, Inflatable, Sweet Ammonia, and ESPECIALLY Chemical Garden.

Yes, I know that's all 13 songs. Go out, find it, obtain it, listen to it. THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT ALBUM.

Other great Meat Puppets albums:

TOO HIGH TO DIE (just as good, if not better than "No Joke," but they're close)

GOLDEN LIES (same as above, but this is not the same band)

UP ON THE SUN

FORBIDDEN PLACES

MONSTERS

HUEVOS

MIRAGE

Other GREAT Curt Kirkwood related items:

EYES ADRIFT - "Eyes Adrift" (notables: Untried, Telescope, Alaska, Solid, Pyramids,Sleight of Hand)

VOLCANO - "Volcano" (notables: Love Mine, Pine Cone, Run Aground, Blown Away)

CURT KIRKWOOD - "Snow" (notables: Here Comes Forever, Beautiful Weapon, Box of Limes, In Bone, Circles)

The man is a genius. Get his stuff."

Only a true fan could appreciate....

Music Fanatic | 08/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is amazing. Vampires and Taste of the Sun are great. This is one of my favorite puppet albums along with II and Up On the Sun."

We'll Let Them Get Away With This Because They're MP

Andrew | the cornfield between Nebraska and Illinois | 08/02/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I can fully understand other reviewer' accusations of "Who are these guys and what have they done with the Meat Puppets?" One really can't help but wonder if the Pups were trying to be ironic calling the album "No Joke!" when track 8 on the disc is built on an over-the-top Sabbath style riff and a chorus of "Suuuuuck.... my eyeball!"

And granted, there are some pretty unforgivable songs here; more specifically Cris' contributions (Curt's most embarrassing fare probably being "Predator"). A lot of the album recalls the post-Nirvana sleaze grunge that infected most of the mid 90s, combined with the Kirkwood brothers' own trainwreck melodies and earthy lyrical nonsense.

For me it took a listen on a road trip to finally begin to enjoy this album. I first began to appreciate the blend of psychedelia and Native American spirituality that call home in songs like "Taste of the Sun" and "Poison Arrow." I also grew fond of "For Free" for Curt's ability to ironically sound so defeated when he announces that "the battle for the future has been won." However, it will probably be years before I allow myself to listen to "Cobbler" or "Inflatable" again.

If you'd like to get into the 80's Meat Puppets, I would recommend Meat Puppets II or Up On the Sun, but if you'd prefer 90's MP, check out Too High to Die."

Shamelessly underplayed!

Andrew | 10/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am shocked to be the second reviewer! My predecessor tells no lies. This album is among the Puppets' best. "Taste of the Sun" has the same type of inescapable melody as "Whirlpool" from Forbidden Places. "Scum" combines Byrds-like harmonies with a totally rocking beat that kicks the equally cool film "Suburbia" into gear. "Nothing" and "Eyeball" bring out the Pups' psychedelic side while tunes like "Cobbler" bring out their country twang amidst a series of tunes that rock with the intensity of Too High Too Die's "We Don't Exist!""

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	Meat Puppets No Joke Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (13) - Disc #1 Scum Nothing Head Taste of the Sun Vampires Predator Poison Arrow Eyeball For Free Cobbler - Meat Puppets, Kirkwood, Cris Inflatable - Meat Puppets, Kirkwood, Cris Sweet Ammonia Chemical Garden
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