''Metaphysical Graffiti'' is the fifth studio album by

the Dead Milkmen The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Dav ...

, released by

Enigma Records Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. History Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...

in 1990. The album title and cover art, the latter designed by the band's drummer

Dean Clean Dean Sabatino (born 21 May 1962) is an American musician, best known as Dean Clean, the drummer of the satirical punk rock group the Dead Milkmen. Sabatino lives with his family in Media, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Having earned a d ...

, parody the 1975 album '' Physical Graffiti'' by

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

. Two tracks ("Do the Brown Nose" and "If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire") appear on '' Death Rides a Pale Cow''. The album peaked at No. 164 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Production

Like '' Bucky Fellini'' and ''

Beelzebubba ''Beelzebubba'' is the fourth studio album by the American satirical punk rock band the Dead Milkmen, released in 1988. It peaked at No. 101 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album contains perhaps the band's best-known song, " Punk Rock Girl". Fi ...

'', ''Metaphysical Graffiti'' was recorded in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, and was produced by Brian Beattie.

Gibby Haynes Gibson Jerome Haynes (born September 30, 1957) is an American musician, radio personality, painter, author and the lead singer of the band Butthole Surfers. Early life and career Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Gibby Haynes is the son of acto ...

, of

Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has ...

, appears on "Anderson, Walkman, Buttholes and How!" The video for "Methodist Coloring Book" had to be reedited before

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

would agree to play it, due to imagery the network was worried may be offensive. Enigma printed and mailed coloring books to promote the track.

Critical reception

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'' wrote: "When the Milkmen played their first punk parodies in the mid-1980s, they sounded appropriately fresh. Now they sometimes seem to be as dated as the music they ridicule." The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' deemed the album "more screaming, more production and less melody." The ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as the Bytown ''Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the ''Ci ...

'' called it "funny, loud, fast and violent." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote that "parody is in safe hands with the Dead Milkmen." The ''

Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph ''The Gazette'' is a daily newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It has operated since 1873. History The publication began as ''Out West'', beginning March 23, 1872, but failed in its endeavor. The company relaunched ...

'' called ''Metaphysical Graffiti'' "a savagely sarcastic collection of commentaries on greed and religion." ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' thought that "Milkmen albums usually turn on the existence of a single standout tune-'Bitchin' Camaro', for example, or 'Punk Rock Girl'-and this outing doesn't seem to have one."

Track listing

All songs written by the Dead Milkmen # "Beige Sunshine" – 3:37 # "Do the Brown Nose" – 4:41 # "Methodist Coloring Book" – 2:38 # "Part 3" – 2:20 # "I Tripped Over the Ottoman" – 3:05 # "The Big Sleazy" – 4:08 # "If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire" – 2:01 # "Dollar Signs in Her Eyes" – 3:37 # "In Praise of Sha Na Na" – 3:25 # "Epic Tales of Adventure" – 2:55 # "I Hate You, I Love You" – 1:58 # "Now Everybody’s Me" – 3:55 # "Little Man in My Head" – 3:48 # "Anderson, Walkman, Buttholes and How!" – 3:25 # "Cousin Earl" – 6:36

References

1990 albums The Dead Milkmen albums Restless Records albums {{1990s-punk-album-stub