The Meters (album)
| The Meters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Meters | ||||
| Released | May 1969 | |||
| Recorded | 1969 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 43:05 | |||
| Label | Josie (JOS-4010) | |||
| Producer | Allen Toussaint, Marshall Sehorn | |||
| The Meters chronology | ||||
| ||||
Album's back cover depicting band members in 1969. Left to right: Modeliste, Neville, Porter, Nocentelli.
The Meters is the debut studio album by the American funk group The Meters. It was released in May 1969 and is the first of eight albums by the band. The band's early works were developed through improvisation.[1] Band members had spent most of the 1960s performing together in nightclubs of New Orleans. They had a fluid musical style that included elements of R&B, rock and jazz.[1][2] The variety of instruments on the album cover symbolizes the diversity of compositions and rhythms.[3](p199) The album's back-cover depicts the band members in the early phase of their career.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
| Revive Music | Positive[5] |
| Vermont Review | Positive[6] |
A review by AllMusic noted the music's simplicity and nuance and called it "impressive".[4] Tamara Davidson of Revive Music had a positive review and stated "the album is filled with infectious grooves, filthy bass lines, and revolutionary drum rhythms."[5] According to Brian Knight of The Vermont Review, the album "set the pace for both the Meters and the entire New Orleans funk sound."[6]
Jeff Chang described the band in relation to the cultural backdrop of the 1960s, their influences, and their influence on music. He wrote: "Modeliste once described the songs as 'soundbites,' as 'entries of different grooves and different ideas about groove.' Indeed, they could fill a jam-band encyclopedia, hundreds of little ideas that could each be stretched out like twenty-minute rubber bands."[3](p206)
Track listing
All tracks written by Art Neville, Ziggy Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter, Jr., except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cissy Strut" | 3:06 | |
| 2. | "Here Comes the Meter Man" | 2:55 | |
| 3. | "Cardova" | 4:35 | |
| 4. | "Live Wire" | 2:40 | |
| 5. | "Art" | 2:35 | |
| 6. | "Sophisticated Cissy" | 2:56 | |
| 7. | "Ease Back" | 3:14 | |
| 8. | "6V6 LA" | 2:26 | |
| 9. | "Sehorn's Farm" | 2:31 | |
| 10. | "Ann" | 2:46 | |
| 11. | "Stormy" | Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Sing a Simple Song" | Sly Stone | 3:06 |
| 2001 CD bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "The Look of Love" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) | 3:39 |
| 14. | "Soul Machine" | 3:28 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[7]
- Art Neville – organ, keyboards, composer
- Ziggy Modeliste – drums, composer
- Leo Nocentelli – guitar, composer
- George Porter Jr. – bass guitar, composer
- Production
- Allen Toussaint – producer
- Marshall Sehorn – producer
- Giovanni Scatola – remastering
- Janie Gans – art supervisor
- Jake Kennedy – liner notes
- Composition (track 13) – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Charts
- Weekly charts
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US R&B Albums (Billboard)[8] | 23 |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 108 |
- Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] |
R&B [8] | |||
| "Cissy Strut" | 1969 | 23 | 4 | The Meters |
| "Sophisticated Cissy" | 34 | 7 | ||
| "Ease Back" | 61 | 20 | ||
Further reading
- Jeff Chang (2007). "The Meters". In Phil Freeman. Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs. Da Dapo Press. pp. 195–208. ISBN 9780306816406. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
References
- 1 2 Dave Thompson (2001). Funk, Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Hal Leonard. pp. 164–169. ISBN 9780879306298. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ↑ Grace Lichtenstein; Laura Dankner (1993). Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans. W.W. Norton. pp. 153–160. ISBN 9780393034684. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- 1 2 Jeff Chang (2007). Phil Freeman, ed. Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs. Da Dapo Press. pp. 195–208. ISBN 9780306816406. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- 1 2 "Allmusic – The Meters album – review". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
- 1 2 Tamara Davidson (September 13, 2011). "The Meters, Self-Titled Album". Revive Music. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- 1 2 Brian Knight. "Get Dazed by the Meters". The Vermont Review. Archived from the original on November 10, 2004. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Allmusic – The Meters album – credits". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 Dave Thompson (2001). Funk, Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Hal Leonard. pp. 167–168. ISBN 9780879306298.