Meat Puppets - "Swimming Ground" & "Maiden's Milk" - Summer, 1985

[@Lester-Bangs]

The word Curt was fishing for was Metaphor.

[@wks7696]

😂 poor guy, painful to watch interview, but I get it. Many creatives are shy.

[@paulvanreesch2493]

​@@wks7696or high

[@iamtheai2759]

I took some acid and randomly went to see this band. I couldn’t believe what I heard. As completely awestruck as I was, there were only about 50 people in the club. What a band.

[@peterpretzer3602]

I made some friends come see them with me on this tour and they were scratching their heads, "Whuh...this is like Hee-Haw on speed!"

[@jmp352]

@@peterpretzer3602 Buck Owens and Roy Clark were amazing! Also, the Marty Robbins influence in some of the Meat Puppets music, unmistakable.

[@scotty2tone]

@@jmp352hey I know this is an old comment but if you have any other recommendations like that, I’d love to hear em. Artists or releases, doesn’t matter

[@chapmyers9272]

@@scotty2tone, David Allan Coe.

[@jmp352]

@@scotty2tone roky Erickson

[@jimstephenson8816]

I am in the front row - wearing one of my finest thrift shop shirts. I emailed Derrick about 6 years ago asking if he had this vid and his reply was "sigh, yet another performance to search for" Glad he found it!

[@pacu9]

THANK YOU!

[@sammyscotch9945]

I see you! Front row thrift shirt guy!

[@devildoll9929]

Jim Stephenson who give a shit moron

[@lesfaul4924]

@@devildoll9929 Ya mam

[@lastnamefirst4035]

@@sammyscotch9945 I saw him too! Love thrift store/vintage clothing. Some good shops on 7th ave and indian school

[@void0094]

In my opinion they didn't write a single bad song from 1983 until the last record. I love listening to them all. This band is incredible and I'm grateful that they exist.

[@mrjon75]

💯

[@michaelbrown5382]

This album never fails to cheer me up. And the bass playing absolutely rocks.

[@deejaaywalker2314]

You're so right about that bass playing. It's like a secret weapon for three piece bands when it's played with such skill and allowed to shine bright in the sound mix like this.

[@nickstadler1906]

"It's post-punk, pre-grunge alt-rock that's kinda prog... but not really, more pop than prog, but not pop at all." - Meat Puppets fans trying to explain Meat Puppets to someone who's never heard Meat Puppets.

[@ColtraneTaylor]

"It's far better than Nirvana, you tasteless NOOB." How's that?

[@nickstadler1906]

@ColtraneTaylor Best not to mention Nirvana, otherwise you run the risk of hearing, "Nirvana's cover of 'Lake of Fire' is so much better than..."

[@ColtraneTaylor]

@@nickstadler1906 ugh ...

[@neonmeate8180]

@@ColtraneTaylorCringey as hell

[@ColtraneTaylor]

@@neonmeate8180 Hello Nirvana Noob.

[@garciansmith1460]

One of the most underrated bands of all time. Untouchably good, especially their first three releases

[@MrMicalo]

Wow they were on TV!

[@Nagz45]

Love this band. So original and no bs.

[@angelotro]

Dr Demento played "Swimming Ground" on his show. It was a summer themed show.

[@herbaljam-cd4pc]

😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[@comanchio1976]

Can't believe it's taken me nearly 30 years for me to check them out, since I was first really impressed by them on the Nirvana Unplugged session... 😑

[@JOHNWILLIAMS-yw5iv]

Chris's bounce is unmatched. These guys are legends.

[@mrjon75]

I frickin love Cris. He's the wild man of the bunch and that's great 👍

[@jamesmenzies7986]

Great download Derrick. Up on the Sun is my favourite album of all time.

[@d0pp3lgang3r]

You are my daughter

[@dftmmwgitd]

It can’t be.

[@strothermartin3369]

A long time ago, Gregory Phillips said to himself, that you...

[@ktk44man]

No shit lol. Much love of course

[@davidmurray591]

Severly underrated joke 5:50

[@langwaters9653]

THANK YOU!!! Up on the Sun is one of the greatest albums recorded by humans. This upload was a gem to find.

[@blonieamw2998]

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam Yea, you are right!!!!!

[@Jil8840]

Yes, one of the best.

[@user-oo8xp2rf1k]

Up on the Sun is my favorite album of any band. It was strange to be looking out across rainy, cold , misty Harrogate, England in 1986 listening to this music that really felt to me like it came from deserts. But wherever is came from I loved it.

[@NickGreiner1988]

I like that you left that limousine ad in this recording.

[@Icecreamforcrowtoo]

Thank you so much for uploading this! I've loved the Meat Puppets for many decades at this point and they're a huge part of my life. It's an absolute joy to see this vintage footage.

[@edcampbell6164]

That album was the soundtrack for the summer of 1985. Saw y’all so many times that summer

[@iranhubbard9918]

I had just graduated from college. I took a Part Time Job as a DJ at a place called Some Other Place in Palatine IL. I would get off at 3 in the morning. Since it was my first summer after college I was living at my parents house. Less than a mile from the club. But it wasn’t really an area you would walk. Four lane roads, no side walks. So I would drive to work. When I got off I would get ino my Mom’s Chevette, put on the Walkmen with Up on the Sun in it and spark up a joint. I always got to Two Rivers as I was driving along the shore of Lake Zurich i. lake Zurich IL. I would get home about the time the record was ending. Nice and high, a little alcohol buzz from work. I’d eat and sleep ‘til noon.

[@williamdunlop8191]

way ahead of their time. cosmic rock brillant album. like others have said. once you listen to the album you will never put it down. still playing mine after 30 years. i am now 60 and I am still amazed at their brilliance!

[@JettBrando]

Doing a deep dive with these guys lately. So enjoyable.

[@KingMob.]

Country/folk/ Punk/melodic rock, all sorts of stuff going on here... That why I love this album. 👍

[@motorbikeTim1]

I just worked my way backwards through 5 decades of Meat Puppets in youtube. The only thing thats the same is the Les Paul. That thing has some stories, for sure.

[@tessaburkhamer3856]

I guess I'm 36 year's to late on finding these D. It's never too late to find a unique band like this. Excellent sound's

[@paulinoaboitiz2133]

American cosmic music at its finest--long live the Meat Puppets!!!

[@myersred8]

Saw them open for Black Flag in Portland in the early 80s--totally different every year like country punk (at the starry night) to ambient lounge (at Portland State) to their own spacy brand of awesomeness at Salazars lamp emporium when they started to headline and Reed's Slack opened for them.

[@jasonpeters9865]

SST

[@AppleOno]

That whole scene was so creative.

[@ACrackInTheWall2006]

Wow I had no idea this existed! 1985 was one of their best years! Up On The Sun!

[@MrNoneskull]

Amazing sound on this clip. Crystal clear.

[@jesusislord7526]

The pups are one of my favorites, completely unique.

[@thor1to3for5]

These guys are really brilliant. Really ahead of their time (cliché I know) and made tons of great music.

[@hazysativa3045]

Saw them summer of 91 at U of Wisconsin. That summer changed my life.

[@jlouis4407]

I listen to Up on the Sun all the time

[@tduncan113]

"Why do you guys stay here in Phoenix and not go to LA?""Clean watering hole"😂😂😂

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

What the hell was he talking about?

[@Orangibus]

@@Carlos-xz3vi Think what he meant by "everybody drinks from the same water" is that all the bands in LA were doing the same shit and they didn't want to be in that trend, they wanted to be themselves and experiment and keep developing their identity without being associated to any trend or genre or scene That's more or less what transpires in the book Too High to Die by Greg Prato (it's a must read for any Meathead btw!)

[@bricology]

It's impossible to imagine that a crowd of people could be watching the Pups, and just sitting there, stock-still, like here!

[@mrjon75]

Meh, they were probably told to. They still loved it.

[@martchef]

there is literally nothing bad anyone can say about this band ..perfect

[@cawtaba44]

So cool! I was 5 years old. Grew up a few houses down from them. Hope to see them play in AZ again soon!

[@kylebookout1789]

Fantastic upload! Thanks for this and for some of the best music I've ever heard.

[@martinaxe6390]

I grew up in Tempe, I always associate the Meat Puppets with hot summer days, drinking cold beer on a patio, and fresh peaches from my mom’s backyard.

[@mrjon75]

Nice

[@karaamundson3964]

Green as grass! But I loved these dudes in '85...I just about wore a hole in this and that was after being a dedicated fan of the Beatles, Ives, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Bach, Shostakovich, George Crumb... These guys are awesome

[@tduncan113]

Cris Kirkwood looks like Bruce Campbell in the first Evil Dead movie here lol

[@RudeboyGroot]

Tyler V: Curt even more minus the hair

[@CS-sf1rz]

So rad!!!

[@antholox]

groovy

[@r.sellers7477]

Ah yes "Huevos" 1987 (SST) is one of my most revered and cherished Meat Puppets albums, followed close behind by "No Joke" 1995, and "Forbidden Places" 1991...The cover art work on Huevos is my absolute favorite...I liked it so much that I made my own Meat Puppets shirt with the Huevos cover art....that album stirs up that era of the 1980's when long, heavy guitar solos ruled the air waves...but "Huevos" 1st. track, "Paradise" and 2nd track "Look at the Rain", seem to fire the senses, ears, and big hair styles with a heavy ZZ TOP influenced chord progression...speedy guitar licks and almost robotic, techno style drum beats...but regardless of any references to those main stream big hit songs that dominated the airwaves, and BillBoard charts in 1987 and onwards...'Huevos" remains a highly overlooked and underestimated album... Nevertheless it is an absolute genius, timeless, and pioneering piece of music..."Huevos" definitely deserves a closer look, and much more appreciation...something tells me this will happen in the not too distant future...oh the last and only time I saw the Meat Puppets perform live, was in the summer of 2008 at the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson, Az....where I have lived, worked, and collaborated musically and artistically with fellow Tucsonans since 2004...

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Are there still shows at the Congress?

[@r.sellers7477]

@@lastnamefirst4035 Yes they still have shows, but sadly the Covid bs has halted any shows for now...

[@davecooney1443]

So much fun to watch and hey, nice Mets shirt, Derrick!

[@robertclaramunt3050]

I saw them for the first time open for Black Flag at the Lawndale art annex in Houston. 1984. Absolutely incredible band. Never missed them after that

[@JTPrime08]

Great songs from a great album by an awesome band.

[@agustinpepe1289]

This video is incredible. From Buenos Aires with love.

[@Graciasholmes]

I wish I could find a live version of Endless Wave. One my favorite songs

[@zeroelliott]

such a stunning body of work!-I'm in awe....

[@Geoffrey_Cormier]

Amazing. Open stance drumming with that fast left hand!

[@Trainy2]

Remarkably good footage from this time period

[@aaronquy1968]

I saw them at the Mason Jar in the late 80s and also in Flagstaff at The Monsoons! They are amazing live!

[@mrjon75]

They are!

[@officialedge6163]

Man they’re just kids here. Crazy how time flies!

[@MarceloLaraM]

After many years I finally got to listen to these gems. MP Cheers 🥃

[@Alexpaka1111]

Awesome! Hope we get to see the new band live here in Portland again soon.✌️

[@davidbeddoe6670]

It's almost proto-mathrock with all the quirky phrasing and grace notes.

[@mrjon75]

Glad you're back, Cotton salesman :)

[@oscarrocabert6268]

Delicacy is a rare quality in rock music.

[@shovedhead]

I like how you hear!

[@smoofest]

Love this so sick

[@Electric.Spaghetti.Neon.Studio]

It’s so great to see this... loved this album for 35 years. Y’all are wonderful. Thank you for sharing!!

[@mattwhite4960]

I really enjoyed seeing these songs being performed live. Nice one. Made my day

[@fraserstephendop]

Damn... just discovering this band. Swimming Ground is so good!! Can't wait to listen to more.

[@godsfruit-official2555]

May be the best thing I've ever seen

[@mrjon75]

Hi Bostrom! Thanks for the cool tunes!

[@josephelza6033]

Thanks for sharing. Your my favorite drummer ever!

[@demevilwayz3230]

Wow amazing to see them perform these songs live when the album was new

[@anthonynavarro6074]

You're the best derrick! Saw you guys at bogarts in Cincinnati a few times. Excellent! First time I saw meat puppets there, We saw you walking around before the show and didn't know you were the drummer until you appeared behind the kit. Thank you for providing me great music and it's really helped me thru the years.

[@devildoll9929]

Goddamn that bass line

[@jimferoce4862]

The Living Room, Providence RI summer of 87…maybe 88? Such a cool and fun show.

[@ASaltyDogg]

everything about this is perfect

[@CS-sf1rz]

Thanks Derrick; great work on them skins!

[@uncooldispatch5438]

Yep 👍 I’m glad I said this 3 years ago hehe 😜

[@friendman1852]

What a bunch they are here... Kris is like a kind of wired caveman struggling to keep his bass in check, Kirk is a huge haired warbling flowerchild with his head in the clouds... by far the most erudite is Derrick who has to lean over his kit to crack a couple of gags. Great performance!

[@lesfaul4924]

Cris and Curt.

[@sammyscotch9945]

Thanks Derrick

[@lizardradio3027]

Thanks Derrick for the upload and all the great music.

[@Jason.Loewenstein]

Life changing. Thank you!

[@robcohen7678]

The song with the whistling is awesome. The awkwardness of the news caster TV format is really at odds with their vibe, its freaking me out man.

[@jankmedia1985]

Cris looks like Bruce Campbell from Evil Dead, lol. Great video!

[@shanepolard7916]

Cosmic, timeless and it F*****N Rocks!!!!!!!

[@kyfos6457]

hell yeah Arizona

[@michaelrow875]

Whistlin' kings!

Nice. Cris said he first picked up the bango after watching Deliverance...he moved to piano and then a bass.

[@bangtwang3835]

I like a lot of the 'Puppets ' stuff, but the shit that really influenced me was the undistorted sounds they embellished . Like this.

[@robertoferrerlemosdeolivei5588]

Love the Kirkwood harmonies

[@gregsonic]

A brilliant intro, such class .. then .. blammo .. our dudes

[@josephelza6033]

OMG it's so good! Thanks again

[@damoneubanks9075]

This is awesome! I met Cris once, and as a fellow bass player who loves his sound and technique, I did not think to ask him much about how he gets his tone particularly on those early records. This really makes it clear for me. Plectrum playing right next to the bridge on a single coil Fender (what model?) bass.

[@lesfaul4924]

Telecaster Bass. & That's one with a humbucker.

[@AppleOno]

I met Cris (and Curt & Derrick) - all super nice guys! (Ted Marcus too)

[@christopher9152]

Thanks so much for posting--I'm a long time fan, but I can't remember ever seeing live contemporaneous footage of the "Up on the Sun" period.

[@hardnetzip]

Amazing music meat pupets!!

[@TheLarryburns84]

I have watched this video probably 200 times and never got sick of it. I think the band and presenter are all high. maybe they were passing J's around

[@goodrob13]

How is Derrick's left arm not four times the size of his right arm?

[@McDoinky]

It’s all in the wrist

[@Metalwheel]

@@McDoinky yea, but his posture says "chiropractor appt" lol. Great stuff, "whenever I write something clever" ....an abundance of clever, witty lyrics in the Meat Puppets catalog....and some whistling too 😁

[@adderon]

@@Metalwheel definitely has the Buddy Rich posture going on

[@bonhamhouse1169]

Great find! Time capsule for sure!

[@liamstacey419]

Changed my life back in the 80s.

[@leebouldog]

This is great!

[@spinynorman5269]

Unreal! Thanks for posting.

[@pacu9]

God bless you Derrick

[@gabrielgolden4336]

Fantastic!

[@JPVanderbuilt]

Little known fact, that's Paul Stanley on vocals... without his makeup.

[@floodworshiper]

I wish the LP was faster and had more of a live sound. This is awesome.

[@Spectrescup]

Supposedly they recorded a more cosmic lp, without the Buckethead type bops, but it was on a borrowed machine with a proprietary access code meaning they couldn't retrieve the vast majority of the material. It's explained much better in the booklet of the expanded CD, which also includes a couple of tracks hinting at what coulda been. Still, pretty good consolation prize.

[@dewitthobson2279]

Boy, those Kirkwood boys were sure skinny back then. Up On the Sun was the first album by MP I ever got. Too High To Die and Rat Farm ( their latest) are also excellent.

[@TheLarryburns84]

their latest is Dusty Notes. that came out in 2019- Derrick is back on drums !!

[@BlakeBlackstone]

Guess you guys aren't ready for that yet…but your kids are gonna love it.

[@ahippy8972]

One of the best bands I seen at Newcastle RIVERSIDE.

[@bongdonkey]

The Brothers Meat had Mullets? wow! lol!