The quartet's seminal Josie recordings utterly revitalized their hometown's music scene - of the eleven singles issued on Josie during three prolific years, beginning with 'Sophisticated Cissy'in November 1968 and continuing until the label went bankrupt in late 1971, ten were national hits. And the city's indigenous rhythmic identity - emphasisizing a laconic sense of syncopation rooted in a century of musical history and cultural cross-pollination, was reconfigured and reinvigorated by the Meters, who posessed individual virtuosity and the collective musical telepathy that makes great bands more than the sum of their parts. After decades during which the Crescent City made its mark on the national conciousness, as jazz, r&b, soul, and rock 'n' roll records broke out of the region and climbed the national charts, The Metres emrged during a post-Motown/post-British Invasion lull, quickly established themselves as central in the evolution of soul into funk. "Sturttin'" itself has remarkable variety within a seemingly restrictive framework. On "The Meters", 'singing' was restricted to the grunt that opens the very first song. The hit 'Look-Ka Py Py' opened the second album, and offered a bit more, as the band, led by Joseph Modeliste, 'sang' variations of the title phrase (inspired by the sounds emitted by their car's engine on the trip to Atlanta) as pure rhythm

There is funk, and there is Funk. This here is of course the latter! Hey, some just got it to give...
So stacked with soulful, tasteful, delicate melodies, intricately woven to create a breathing continuum of FUNK that one just needs to play replay and replay again in order to bask in the glory of this sound. Unbelivably creative, unforced and pure, just laying it on in layers! it's amazing that the tracks are comprised of several instruments, and far from the multi-tracking that has become standard routine, because it is so full. reminds me of a musical trio (i.e. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, The Police, Stevie Ray Vaughn) where each musician - and his part - are so dynamic and could easily stand on their own, that put together the parts are sufficiently impressive and enticing so as to leave upon the listener the impression that he is listening to many more musicians playing at once. i could easily go on, but i'll stop here. This is the distinct New Orleans Crescent City Sound, which rivaled the Chicago sound, the Memphis Sound, the Philly Sound, and we are lucky to have these recordings available to us in crystal clear quality. Sounds as good now as it has ever sounded!

Track Listings

High definition  vinyl pressing for superior fidelity. The nicest thing you can do for your stylus and ears. The ultimate record – the way music was meant to be heard. Out of Print.

LASTLY FOR COLLECTORS A MINT 5 CD SET OF THE METERS AS A ONE TIME BONUS - 2014 five CD box set containing a quintet of releases from the influential New Orleans-based outfit. Includes the albums Rejuvenation, Fire on the Bayou, Cabbage Alley, New Directions and Trick Bag. Rhino

This brilliant addition to the Warners Music Group "Original Album Series" strips the five 2001 Rhino remasters of The Meters Seventies LPs of their CD bonus tracks and presents them in simple album form/card repro sleeves. And what a New Orleans blast they are too. Here are the rejuvenating details...

UK released January 2014 - "Original Album Series" by THE METERS on Rhino/Warner Music Group  

Disc 1 (40:27 minutes):
1. You've Got To Change (You've Got To Reform)
2. Stay Away
3. Birds
4. The Flower Song
5. Soul Island
6. Do The Dirt - [Side 2]
7. Smiling
8. Lonesome And Unwanted People
9. Getting' Funkier All The Time
10. Cabbage Alley
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Cabbage Alley" - released June 1972 in the USA on Reprise Records MS 2076 and in the UK on Reprise K 44242

Disc 2 (44:13 minutes):
1. People Say
2. Love Is For Me
3. Just Kissed My Baby
4. What'cha Say
5. Jungle Man
6. Hey Pocky A-way - [Side 2]
7. It Ain't No Use
8. Loving You Is On My Mind
9. Africa
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Rejuvenation" - released October 1974 in the USA on Reprise MS 2200 and in the UK on Reprise K 54027

Disc 3 (45:59 minutes):
1. Out In The Country
2. Fire On The Bayou
3. Love Slip Upon Ya
4. Talkin' 'Bout New Orleans
5. They All Ask'd About You
6. Can You Do Without? - [Side 2]
7. Liar
8. You're A Friend Of Mine
9. Middle Of The Road
10. Running Fast
11. Mardi Gras Mambo
Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Fire On The Bayou" - released August 1975 in the USA on Reprise MS 2228 and in the UK on Reprise K 54044

Disc 4 (42:16 minutes):
1. Disco Is The Thing Today
2. Find Yourself
3. All These Things
4. I Want To Be Love By You
5. Suite For 20 G
6. (Doodle Loop) The World Is A Little Bit Under The Weather - [Side 2]
7. Trick Bag
8. Mister Moon
9. Chug-A-Lug
10. Hang 'Em High/Honky Tonk Women
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Trick Bag" - released September 1976 in the USA on Reprise MS 2252 and in the UK on Reprise K 54078

Disc 5 (41:10 minutes)
1. No More Okey Doke
2. I'm Gone
3. Be My Lady
4. My Name Up In Lights
5. Funkify Your Life - [Side 2]
6. Stop That Train
7. We Got The Kind Of A Love
8. Give It What You Can
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "New Directions" - released June 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 3042 (No UK release)

There's no booklet as is usual with these card packs but the front and rear album artwork looks great. Also there's no mention of who mastered what but on comparing with my "Rejuvenation" CD of old - these are all the 2001 Rhino remasters done by GIOVANNI SCATOLA - and they boogie like a mother. There's fantastic presence and warmth to these discs that clobbers you time and time again as you go through the albums.

Fronted by Art Neville (brother of Aaron Neville) - The Meters already three albums under their belt on Josie Records before they signed to Reprise ("The Meters" their debut from 1969 and "Look Ka Py-Py" and Struttin'" both from 1970) - so their New Orleans choppy-guitar bad backbeat Funk style was well established. The Reprise/Warner Brothers albums refined it, featured ALLEN TOUSSAINT productions and some of their best-loved songs like "Do The Dirt" and "Cabbage Alley" (1972), "Hey Pocky A-way" and "People Say" (1974), "Running Fast" (1975), "Disco Is The Thing Today" and "Trick Bag" (1976) and "Be My Lady" (1977). The non-album single "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Parts 1 & 2)" is not here - they're bonus tracks on the Rhino 2001 CD of "Cabbage Alley" if you want them.

Killer album cuts include the Little Feat Funk of "Stay Away", "Getting' Funkier All The Time" and their mellow cover of Neil Young's "Birds" (all on "Cabbage Alley") while "Rejuvenation" provides unexpected moments of melody warmth and mid-tempo Hall & Oates soulfulness amidst the butt-boogie - "Love Is For Me" and "It Ain't No Use" while "Jungle Man" has a fantastic nasty groove (might just be their best album). They go a bit Funk-Rock with their cover of the Russ Ballard/Argent song "Liar" while nasty returns with "Can You Do Without?" complete with "Meow! Vocals. I've always loved the "Trick Bag" album because of their funkified covers of an obscure James Taylor instrumental from "One Man Dog" called "Suite For 20 G" and their New Orleans version of the Stones "Honky Tonk Women" while their cover of Earl King's "Trick Bag" is superb too. They get a great groove going on "Doodle Loop..." too.

The final album "New Directions" sees the Funk and Brass get louder and more Isley Brothers - opening with the fab funk of "No More Okey Doke". Their New Orleans roots come out in their cover of Allen Toussaint's "I'm Gone" and a nod is given to Reggae in their take of Peter Tosh's "Stop That Train" (sounding contemporary). But the tune for me is "Funkify Your Life" which is just fantastic - a guaranteed floor-filler and a sure fire way to lose a few pounds after those Festive indulgences. "New Directions" ends with another dancefloor winner in the shape of "Give It What You Can".

So there you have it - Funky, Soulful and Nasty - The Meters had it all. A properly great addition to a series that's getting better and better...

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