Up on the Sun

Studio album by Meat Puppets

Released

March 1985

Recorded

January 26–28, 1985

Genre

Alternative rock, psychedelic rock

Length

33:41

Meat Puppets chronology

Meat Puppets II
(1984)

Up on the Sun
(1985)

Out My Way
(EP)
(1986)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	B+

Up on the Sun is the third album by the Meat Puppets, released in 1985 by SST Records. The album features a cleaner and more technical sound with a more psychedelic rock feel, in contrast to the sloppy punk approach of their first album (1982), while continuing with the mystical, poetic lyrics and country-inflected songwriting of Meat Puppets II (1984).

Brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood came from an affluent, politically liberal family in Arizona and were interested in psychedelic rock. The pair often indulged in recreational drug use with Derrick Bostrom, who introduced them to punk rock. During a trip to Los Angeles the group got into the underground post-punk scene there.Joe Carducci invited the group to join SST Records, a record label associated with the early hardcore punk scene and home to Black Flag. The Meat Puppets first EP In a Car (1981) and first seven albums appeared through SST.

Meat Puppets (1981) featured fast-paced thrash punk mixed with psychedelic rock and country laden with guitar feedback and Curt screamed vocals. The group soon tired of hardcore; Meat Puppets II was slower and more emotional with psychedelic guitar effects and mystical, poetic lyrics by Curt. The release of Meat Puppets II was delayed until 1984, a peak year for SST which also saw the release of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade, Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime, and numerous albums by Black Flag who due to legal issues had not been able to release an album since 1981's Damaged. The Meat Puppets supported Meat Puppets II with a tour along with Black Flag and The Nig-Heist, where the band's long hair and jam-band approach displeased audiences.

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Wikipedia