| Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1968–1977 | |||
| Genre | Funk | |||
| Length | 2:23:02 | |||
| Label | Rhino / WEA (B0000033GN) | |||
| The Meters chronology | ||||
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Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology is a compilation album by the funk group The Meters. The album was released in 1995 by Rhino Records. It is a comprehensive compilation of the band's work.
Disc one is a compilation of work released under Josie Records from 1969 to 1972. It includes 19 songs from the band's first three albums, arranged chronologically, followed by 7 songs released as singles. It starts off with instrumental tracks and vocal tracks appear later. In 1972 the band signed with Reprise Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. Disk two, also arranged chronologically, is a compilation of 17 songs from the band's five albums under Reprise from 1972 to 1977. Most tracks feature vocals and tracks 8 through 17 include Cyril Neville as a band member. [1] [2]
The Meters disbanded in 1979. [3] There have been several reincarnations and reunions including a 2015 performance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, [4] however, there were no studio album releases under the original band name after 1977. According to AllMusic, Funkify Your Life was "the first truly comprehensive and widely available" compilation of the band's work. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [5] |
Steve Huey of AllMusic wrote, what sets the music apart is the delivery of melody through single-note guitar lines and drummer Modeliste's "dominating" performance. He gave the album a five star rating and added "for devoted funk fans, Funkify Your Life should be considered essential listening." [1] In his reviews, Robert Christgau also noted Modeliste's "eccentric" articulation. He called the band "totally original" and said the music is "sometimes too minimal, and not devoid of dead spots. But seminal and essential – and fun." He placed the album on his top six New Orleans classics list. [5] [6]
All tracks are written by The Meters (George Porter Jr., Ziggy Modeliste, Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli), except as noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cissy Strut" | 3:07 | |
| 2. | "Here Comes the Meter Man" | 2:56 | |
| 3. | "Live Wire" | 2:40 | |
| 4. | "Sophisticated Cissy" | 2:57 | |
| 5. | "Ease Back" | 3:15 | |
| 6. | "Stormy" | Buddy Buie, James Cobb | 3:39 |
| 7. | "Look-Ka Py Py" | 3:19 | |
| 8. | "Pungee" | 3:00 | |
| 9. | "Thinking" | 1:42 | |
| 10. | "This Is My Last Affair" | 2:55 | |
| 11. | "Funky Miracle" | 2:28 | |
| 12. | "Yeah, You're Right" | 2:46 | |
| 13. | "Little Old Money Maker" | 2:41 | |
| 14. | "Dry Spell" | 2:30 | |
| 15. | "Chicken Strut" | 2:45 | |
| 16. | "Same Old Thing" | 2:50 | |
| 17. | "Darling Darling Darling" | The Meters, Roquel Davis, Maurice McAlister | 2:54 |
| 18. | "Tippi-Toes" | 2:27 | |
| 19. | "Ride Your Pony" | Naomi Neville (Allen Toussaint) | 3:18 |
| 20. | "A Message from the Meters" | Leo Nocentelli | 2:43 |
| 21. | "Zony Mash" | 3:01 | |
| 22. | "Stretch Your Rubber Band" | Leo Nocentelli | 2:44 |
| 23. | "Groovy Lady" | Ziggy Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli | 2:46 |
| 24. | "(The World Is a Bit Under the Weather) Doodle-Oop" | Leo Nocentelli, Vincent Toussaint | 2:37 |
| 25. | "I Need More Time" | Leo Nocentelli | 3:16 |
| 26. | "Good Old Funky Music" | 2:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay Away" | Leo Nocentelli | 5:22 |
| 2. | "Soul Island" | 3:10 | |
| 3. | "Do the Dirt" | Leo Nocentelli | 2:36 |
| 4. | "Cabbage Alley" | Art Neville | 3:30 |
| 5. | "People Say" | 5:16 | |
| 6. | "Hey Pocky A-Way" | 4:04 | |
| 7. | "Africa" | 3:58 | |
| 8. | "Fire on the Bayou" | The Meters, Cyril Neville | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Talkin' 'Bout New Orleans" | The Meters, Cyril Neville | 3:35 |
| 10. | "They All Ask'd for You" | 4:10 | |
| 11. | "Running Fast (Single Version)" | 3:22 | |
| 12. | "(Doodle Loop) the World Is a Little Bit Under the Weather" | Leo Nocentelli, Vincent Toussaint | 3:52 |
| 13. | "Trick Bag" | Earl King | 3:20 |
| 14. | "Hang 'Em High" | Dominic Frontiere | 2:20 |
| 15. | "Be My Lady" | The Meters, Cyril Neville | 6:27 |
| 16. | "Funkify Your Life" | The Meters, Cyril Neville | 5:42 |
| 17. | "Give It What You Can" | Steve Cropper, Carl Marsh, Jimmy Tarbutton | 4:35 |
Credits adapted from AllMusic, [7] with added primary artist vocal credits, and added 'select tracks' notation.
The Meters are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977 and played an influential role as backing musicians for other artists, including Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint. Their original songs "Cissy Strut" and "Look-Ka Py Py" are considered funk classics.
Rejuvenation is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans funk group The Meters. It was released in 1974. In 2003, the album was ranked number 138 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 139 in a 2012 revised list.
The Wild Tchoupitoulas is a 1976 album by the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe the Wild Tchoupitoulas. While not a commercial success, the effort was well received critically and the experience recording it encouraged the four Neville brothers to perform together for the first time as a group.
Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans.
Look-Ka Py Py is the second studio album by the American funk group The Meters. The instrumental album was ranked number 218 on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, 220 on the 2012 revised list and 415 on the 2020 revised list.
In the Right Place is the sixth album by the New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. The album was released on Atco Records in 1973, and became the biggest selling album of Dr. John's career.
Joseph "Ziggy" Modeliste, also known as Zigaboo Modeliste, is an American drummer best known as a founding member of the funk band the Meters. He is widely considered an innovator in the funk genre and New Orleans style drumming. The Meters' music had a defining role and set the stylistic tone of New Orleans funk. Due to his work with the band, Modeliste is credited as an integral part of bringing New Orleans second-line grooves into popular music.
The Meters is the debut album by the American funk group The Meters. It was released in May 1969, the first of eight albums by the band. The band's early works were developed through improvisation. 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.
Struttin' is the third studio album by the funk group The Meters. It is the band's first album featuring vocal performances.
Cabbage Alley is the fourth studio album by the funk group the Meters, produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn and released in May 1972 by Reprise Records. It was the band's first album for the label, following the demise of Josie Records a year earlier, and the signing afforded the group a higher recording budget and re-introduced organist and keyboardist Art Neville to the lineup, having briefly left the band some time earlier.
Fire on the Bayou is the sixth studio album by the funk band The Meters.
Trick Bag is the seventh studio album by the funk group The Meters. The name comes from their cover of the Earl King single of the same name.
New Directions is the eighth and final studio album by the funk band the Meters, released in 1977. Produced by David Rubinson in California, it is the band's only album recorded outside New Orleans. The album features the Oakland-based Tower of Power horn section.
Leo Nocentelli is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band the Meters. He wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Pocky A-Way". As a session musician he has recorded with a variety of notable artists such as Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Etta James. He is the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Meters.
Fiyo on the Bayou is the second studio album by the New Orleans four piece the Neville Brothers. It was released in 1981 on A&M.
Kickback is a collection of rare and unreleased material by the funk group the Meters.
Uptown Rulers: The Meters live on the Queen Mary is a live album by the funk group The Meters recorded on March 24, 1975. It was recorded at the Venus and Mars album release party hosted by Linda and Paul McCartney on board the Queen Mary ship. It captures the band's live sound at their peak in the mid 1970s. It is the only live recording of the band from that period.
Zony Mash is an album of vintage rarities and non-album B-sides by the funk group The Meters. The album consists of 13 tracks of the band's early works with Josie Records from 1968 to 1971. Eight tracks were originally released as singles, and five tracks were released as bonus tracks on re-issue albums.
The Best of the Meters is a compilation album by the funk group The Meters released in 1975. All tracks had been previously released as singles.
Funky Miracle is a compilation album from the funk group The Meters on the Charly Records label, containing re-issued material mainly from their first three albums with Josie Records: The Meters (1969), Look-Ka Py Py (1969) and Struttin' (1970). In fact, 35 of the 36 tracks from these albums are present on Funky Miracle with only "Wichita Lineman" from Struttin' missing.
