The 1999 Rykodisc reissue features the entire In a Car EP as well as 13 other bonus tracks, many of them studio jams or outtakes, and a video clip of the band performing "Walking Boss" live.

[6] Like other early SST albums the sound quality is rather spotty; there is noticeable fuzz in the background of the music.

The band opted for this because they felt more comfortable recording live with only a few microphones rather than employing conventional studio separation techniques.

Unlike the band's later releases, Meat Puppets features a hardcore punk sound.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called Meat Puppets a "full-on punk record".