I’ve been meaning to share these demos for a while, but they moved to the top of the list last week, when country legend (and local Mesa boy made good) Buck Owens died at the age of 76. Since these sessions include our previously unreleased version of Buck’s instrumental hit “Buckaroo,” it seemed a fitting tribute.
The demos for “No Joke!” were made at Phase Four Studio, the same studio used to record the album itself. In addition to “Buckaroo,” the sessions included two other unreleased songs. “Not Now” was completed for inclusion in the final album, but was shelved at the last minute to make room for an extra Cris tune. “Vaseline,” on the other hand, never appeared again in our repertoire after it was demoed; likewise with “Buckaroo,” which was recorded as a lark, just to help us warm up. I don’t even think we ever played it live.
There’s really not much else that I remember about the band from this period. There’s not much to remember. We spent as much time enjoying the fruits of our hard-won long-overdue success (and recuperating from the hectic schedule we’d kept up throughout 1994) as we did plotting our next move. Rehearsals for “No Joke!” were much more informal and less intensive than in the past. We mostly learned the songs on our own, using Curt’s rough solo demos as a guide, getting together once or twice to run through them as a band. We let momentum to do the majority of the heavy lifting.
If you ask me, we could have been entirely rested, focused and hungry, and we wouldn’t have withstood industry fluctuations any better than we did. We played the the major label game as well as we could, but once you get in bed with big corporations like that, it’s only a matter of time before you get burned by events entirely outside your control. Before the disks were off the stampers, the majors were ditching their “rawer” acts in favor of safer ones. And in the wings, they were preparing for the next act: mergers and acquisitions.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these tracks, and when you listen to them, give a toast to Buck, another great performer who knew the sting of a capricious marketplace. (Was there ever one that didn’t?)
(Note: Please be advised that this is a large file, and some ‘net connections will be unable to handle it. The file has been tested on both Macintosh and Windows platforms and it work fine. Files on this site are presented “as is.†I can’t offer tech support, nor can I mail them to folks unable to download them. Let the browser beware.)
Download (56 mg)
“No Joke!” Demos – Recorded Dec. 94 & Feb 95
1. Poisoned Arrows
2. Predator
3. Vaseline
4. Sweet Ammonia
5. Buckaroo
6. Not Now
7. For Free
8. Beware Of The Rustic (Vampires)
9. Taste Of The Sun
10. Chemical Garden
11. Think Positive (Suck My Eyeball)
april fools?.. wait its no joke. thanks Bosrom. you made a fool of everyone
Left by HeyHeyHey on April 1st, 2006
wow vaseline is incredible! please get back together you guys are incredible!
Left by Tom on April 2nd, 2006
Thanks for this post, Derrick. I look forward to checking out the tracks. Your comments regarding the label illustrate why it’s unfair that Cris takes the majority of the blame for the breakup of the band, when, in reality, the suits never really knew what to “do” with the Meat Puppets in the first place- certainly in terms of marketing beyond the association with Cobain. Also, I’m guessing that the people assigned the task of working for you guys never really understood the band at all, just the “cool factor” that was current at the time. Obviously Cris has his demons, and his addiction certainly was a major catalyst to the band’s eventual collapse, but I can’t believe he was too jazzed with “life in the majors” either, being the artist and lover of music that he is (art vs. commerce). Did you feel that you had enough with the music biz by that point (touring, big label nonsense, etc.) too? I suppose what I’m asking is…though inevitable, do you think the Meat Puppets’ switch to the majors was ultimately the wrong turn/environment for the band? My guess is that probably to a significant degree it was, but then again it was also time for you guys to roll the dice.
Left by PRK on April 3rd, 2006
By the end of the 80s, we were just too big to play in the indies any more. Going to the majors was the next step. Without that option, we might have hung it up even earlier than we did. We were getting too old to slog it out on a shoestring, and our energy was starting to flag. Beyond that, by the time “Monsters” came out, so many bands were moving towards the bigs that the indie network was starting to crumble anyway. So we really didn’t have much choice.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on April 3rd, 2006
OK, THIS is something. I don’t hear’em yet but No Joke is one of my all time favorite records. And I think that the 90′s were the higher point in the Puppets history.
Excuse my english… it sucks, I know, but it would be worst if I wrote in spanish (I’m from Argentina).
Bye and thanks for this gift.
Nenemalo
Left by Nenemalo on April 3rd, 2006
I’m from Chile, land of wine!
Thank you Derrick!
I love this blog
and I love meat puppets…
this gift is
I love every song, every picture and every drawing
(sorry, my english is not good)
once more time, Thank You!
Left by Miminette on April 3rd, 2006
Chile: land of winter produce!
Left by Derrick Bostrom on April 3rd, 2006
Thanks for the rock treasure trove. Unreleased Meat Puppets!
Left by Todd Thurman on April 4th, 2006
Holy shit Derrick , you’ve surpassed yourself here mate, makes me wonder if there are Forbbiden Places and Too High To Die demos on there way.
Anyhow, great site. I’m a long term fan, first picked up your records back in ’86 and still go through periods where I listen to you fellers all the time (I’m in the middle of one such phase right now) and then I don’t play a Meat Puppets record for 6 months.
I saw you fellers a couple of times in London on your tour for Forbidden Places, managed to get Curt’s brown woolly hat (long scince gone), also had Cris’s bass for about a minute (he threw it into the crowd after the encore) before a bouncer grabbed it back from me.
I really liked that Today’s Sounds ep of yours from the 90′s. I never got around to picking up the album you put out though, any idea where I can pick one of them up???
Anyhow, Keep up the good work.
Cheers Mike
Left by Mike Bloodless-Coup on April 12th, 2006
Awesome! Thanks for sharing these songs. It made my day considerably brighter.
I’m with Mike. I’d also love to pick up the Today’s Sounds album if it’s still available for purchase. The EP is great!
Take care.
Left by Matt T. on April 13th, 2006
dearest Bostrom,
SCREW the corperations! if they want “we the people” to dominate the underground culture, that’s fine…old white guys have no place in rock and roll (unless they are playing it, HA HA), but GOD dammit they think they do…we call people like that in my ‘hood “PECKERWOODS”. That is some East Coast black slang for ya.
y’all on the west coast don’t understand that whitey IS the devil…or maybe you do : ) ??? y’all over there don’t have bad weather, pissed off Republicans or anything shitty, really. Us folks on the East Coast have to slug it out every day with THE MAN. god damn…i mean, it’s a battle EVERY DAY. every day, there’s someone that wants to stomp on the beautiful thing you got going on…EVERY DAY.
i quoteth one Woody Guthrie: “California is a garden of Eden…A paradise to live in, or be…” in fact i heard Curt cover that song in Jan….i’m pretty sure i was the only weirdo there that knew it was my man Woody…
they don’t write songs about that for the East Coast…listen to the Bad Brains…THAT’s how we feel over here…just fucking repressed, dogged, BANNED…they don’t want us here AT ALL. Minor Threat sucks. I met Ian MacKaye last year at an H.R. show here in Falls Church…that guy is aligned with the powers that be. he’s got nothing beautiful to contribute. He is a capitalist of the highest order…screw him. his music bites. you want East Coast? It’s the Bad Brains, man…and the Concrete Valley Band if you want some beauty with your anger!
i love the Pups and anyone who doesn’t understand it, has no business being in music.
how ’bout this! how ’bout i say you all’s best days are ahead of you! man, there is a lack of positivity in the world today, Bostrom, ya know? you guys are so brilliant…keep things in perspective… know who your fans are and who loves you ( we do!!!), and FUCK EVERYONE ELSE.
i love you guys
MIGUEL
Left by Miguel on April 15th, 2006
hey derrick,
good to see these up….thanks!
as for buckaroo, you guys closed with it at tramps 11nov95 (opening for big star)…i think it was kyle’s first gig and curt told him to sit it out…i think he figured it out and joined in towards end.
mike
Left by mikeL on April 15th, 2006
hey derrick,
cheers for this man, its awesome
wondering if you have lyrics to any of the songs that didnt make no joke?
Left by nigel quest on April 19th, 2006
Long overdue answers:
1. I need to put up some Today’s Sounds info, but it will probably be on my other blog.
2. I confess, all my 1995 shows are on DAT, and I haven’t yet transcribed the set lists from them.
3. I don’t think I have the lyrics to the unreleased songs from this session, but if I ever find them, I’ll be sure to post them.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on April 19th, 2006
you guys should release a 45 with buckaroo/vasaline and then tour.
Left by smokey on April 25th, 2006
45?? Hell, I’m giving them away right here!
Left by Derrick Bostrom on April 25th, 2006
yeah but i can’t figure out how to play a file on my record player?
…besides…i don’t trust digital samples…i hear massive silence between each sample.
Left by smokey on April 26th, 2006
Thanks a bunch for posting this Derrick . No Joke is possibly my favorite album of all time and to hear a new take on the entire album is amazing.
Left by Brian on April 27th, 2006
wow these songs are class stuff.
yet another exaple of how much ass you guys did/do kick.
you are one hell of a drummer. haha.
Left by charlie on April 28th, 2006
I really like these demos a lot. but one thing I find interesting, is that the demos, to me, (and I’m not sure if this makes sense) sound more like something from the Out My Way / Mirage era stuff and not just in that they’re less produced, though there’s that… It’s as if underneath the more soaring glossiness of the last couple albums, the demos show even more clearly the consistency of the Meat Puppets sound.
that’s my take.
I do really like the other songs on here… and I’ve had the “tater chip” line in my head a lot now.
thanks again for posting this stuff…
I hope for more goodies in store…
Left by mike on May 3rd, 2006
I don’t know a lot about computers, but I do know that zip files don’t work for whatever reason. However, I am on a Mac, if you can tell me how to do this, I’d love to hear Buckaroo!!!
Left by Jerry on May 6th, 2006
Sorry, we can’t offer tech support on this site. The only support we offer is emotional support for the terminally nostalgic. If the below link doesn’t work for you, then you may be out of luck:
http://www.stuffit.com/mac/expander/download.html
Left by Derrick Bostrom on May 6th, 2006
Worked great Derrick, thanks.
Left by Jerry on May 13th, 2006
Hey Derrick, these recording are great!
Do you happen to have any Forbidden Places-era demos?
Left by Dace on May 16th, 2006
Thank You Derrick.
This stuff sounds awesome. I would expect no less..
Left by rob on May 18th, 2006
“Too High to Die” demos, anyone ? (:
I’m happy like a child with his Xmas gifts ! I love you guys.
I’m from france and my english is fucking good ! (;
Keept the punk rock elite !!
Pier
Left by Pier on May 29th, 2006
I just want to say “Thank you” for posting these demos. I love how poison arrow sounds different than the album version.Great lyrics and sound.The radio shows are very funny! Ever since i downloaded these shows i am hooked to the puppets lately. Did Kyle Ellison play any instruments on the no Joke! album or did you guys just bring him as a second guitar player for the tour? Just curious.Anyway i love the shows etc. and i think you are a solid drummer! Thanks Derrick!
Best Regards,
Phil from N.H
Re
Left by Phil on June 6th, 2006
Phil:
Thanks for the kudos — Kyle did not play on “No Joke!” He was hired later.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on June 6th, 2006
Hi Derrick – thank you very much for sharing all the stories and music here. I love the demos included in the CD reissues of earlier albums, and it will be a real treat to hear the ones from No Joke. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!
Much respect, and good luck with your present and future projects. (I have some catching up to do!)
Milton (the Monster)
Left by Milton on September 17th, 2006
Meat Puppets kicks ass!!!!! ‘no joke’ is kinda a little sarcastic for the Puppets. just check out their live session. too many joke i guess, haha!
well yea, dis is one of my favourite record this last three days.
thanx dude! you got other studio album, bro?
Left by Antaresta Evol on September 23rd, 2006
cheers 4 this stuff!
I kept hearing about ‘The meat puppets’, now finally i have something substantial 2 listen 2.
Thank you again,
Baz.
Left by baz. on May 10th, 2007
dear derrick, i just discovered that you had posted the no joke demos- how did i miss that? it is one of my favorite mp records. actually many are my favorites. everytime i got a new one of your records my life was changed. i’m sure the same with be true of these. thanks. forever in your debt. tmz
Left by tmz on May 7th, 2008
This is a very good album! Thanks for the Demos!!
Do you know if there’s any demo version of “Nothing” around?
cheers!
Left by chilean whirlpool on January 29th, 2009
“Nothing” was originally recorded in the spring of 1993 as a demo for a project that I no longer remember — a film or something. It was ultimately rejected. It wasn’t a Meat Puppets recording; it just featured Curt, along with with Abby Travis, with Geza X producing. It features a pretty tame drum program, as I recall.
Left by Derrick Bostrom on January 29th, 2009