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The mere fact they've been able to come together to make an album as solid and coherent as Rise to Your Knees is little short of miraculous, but it pales in comparison to the Meat Puppets best music and suggests that they still have a ways to go before they're fully back in fighting shape.
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Generally speaking, the choruses on Rise far outshine the meandering verses, as the band snaps into a more simple and straightforward groove that highlights the trademark Kirkwood drawl.
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Though this comeback celebrates the parole of ex-junkie bassist Cris Kirkwood, tuneful it ain't.
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Under The RadarRise won't grab you like those classic Puppets records do. But upon several listens, the album offers definite pleasures, as well as a couple surefire tunes that stand with the band's bes. [Summer 2007, p.91]
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Barring two tracks of effects-happy hard rock, Rise To Your Knees is a pleasant collection of downplayed, mid-tempo, gently psychedelic Americana.
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SpinWhile the lyrics to 'On the Rise' never explicitly address the se-duction of addiction, the pretty drone that cuts through the jangly melody nails it exactly. [Aug 2007, p.104]
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The years, however, have worn on the Meat Puppets. Their unrestrained gusto has been replaced with a slower, methodical purging.
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Rise is a welcome, if uneven, return.
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Rise to Your Knees, the first album by reunited brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood since 1995's misleading "No Joke!," is a subdued and psychedelic affair, where the guitars melt instead of fry.
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BlenderCurt Kirkwood has written a gorgeous album that channels his brother's world-weary relief. [Aug 2007, p.116]
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Even without original drummer Derrick Bostrom, the Meat Puppets' magic is evident. The focused, yet relaxed, music throughout this album is among the best the band has ever made.
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In playing it straight, however, the Pups emphasize their abilities as skilled synthesists rather than merely falling back on their rep as inspired eccentrics, suggesting a band that, though grounded, has yet to plateau.
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In time-warp fashion, the band plays as distinctively and playfully as ever.
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Rise to Your Knees doesn't sound exactly like either previous incarnation. Those expecting a return to form will find this one decidedly mellow.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 7
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Mixed: 2 out of 7
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Negative: 1 out of 7
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FineTunedAug 13, 2007Better than it ought to be. The Puppets are back and this is only the start.
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DipsyP.Aug 12, 2007
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MKAug 11, 2007their best for a long time. nice to hear the puppets returning to good form.