The Meters (album)

Last updated
The Meters
Meters meters.jpg
Studio album by
The Meters
ReleasedMay 1969
Recorded1969
Genre Funk
Length43:05
Label Josie (JOS-4010)
Producer Allen Toussaint, Marshall Sehorn
The Meters chronology
The Meters
(1969)		 Look-Ka Py Py
(1969)
Singles from The Meters
  1. "Sophisticated Cissy"
    Released: October 1968
  2. "Cissy Strut"
    Released: March 1969
  3. "Ease Back"
    Released: July 1969
The-Meters-band-the-meters-album-back-cover-May-1969.jpg
Album's back cover depicting band members in 1969. Left to right: Modeliste, Neville, Porter, Nocentelli.

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. [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]

Contents

Background

The first track, "Cissy Strut," was the band's opening song during their residency at the Ivanhoe nightclub in late 1960s. The original melody was introduced by Leo Nocentelli. The song was not yet titled, and the band's name was Art Neville and the Neville Sounds. [3] : 2  The song was recorded at the Cosimo Studios. [3] : 1  It was first released as a single and sold 200,000 copies in two weeks. Its commercial success became an impetus for the band's name change and subsequent recording career. [3] : 2 

The variety of instruments on the album's cover symbolizes the diversity of compositions and rhythms. [4] : 199  Its back cover depicts the band members in the early phase of their career. Many of the band's early instrumental tracks were named only after they were recorded. The album's eighth track was named for the 6V6 vacuum tube, which is commonly used in guitar amplifiers. [5] [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Revive MusicPositive [8]
Vermont ReviewPositive [9]

A review by AllMusic noted the music's simplicity and nuance and called it "impressive". [7] Tamara Davidson of Revive Music had a positive review and wrote "the album is filled with infectious grooves, filthy bass lines, and revolutionary drum rhythms." [8] According to Brian Knight of The Vermont Review, the album "set the pace for both the Meters and the entire New Orleans funk sound." [9]

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." [4] : 206 

Track listing

All tracks are written by Art Neville, Ziggy Modeliste, Leo Nocentelli and George Porter Jr., except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(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 Farm1" 2:31
10."Ann" 2:46
11."Stormy" Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb 3:40
12."Simple Song" Sly Stone 3:06
2001 CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."The Look of Love" Burt Bacharach, Hal David 3:39
14."Soul Machine" 3:28

1 Listed as "Sehorns Farm" on original LP release; and "Sehorns Farms" on original 45rpm single.

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic. [10]

The Meters
Production

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1969)Peak
position
US R&B Albums (Billboard) [11] 23
US Billboard 200 [11] 108
Singles
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
[11] 		R&B
[11]
"Cissy Strut"1969234The Meters
"Sophisticated Cissy"347
"Ease Back"6120

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Meters</span> American funk band

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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziggy Modeliste</span> American funk drummer

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<i>Funky Miracle</i> 1991 compilation album by The Meters

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.

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References

  1. 1 2 Dave Thompson (2001). Funk, Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Hal Leonard. pp. 164–169. ISBN   9780879306298 . Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ Grace Lichtenstein; Laura Dankner (1993). Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans . W.W. Norton. pp.  153–160. ISBN   9780393034684 . Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Randy Ray (January 25, 2011). "Leo Nocentelli and That Original Spark". jambands.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2016. Archive page 2
  4. 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.
  5. ↑ Bryan Wawzenek (July 16, 2010). "The Gibson Interview – Leo Nocentelli of The Meters". Gibson.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  6. ↑ 6V6 tube:
  7. 1 2 "Allmusic – The Meters album – review". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  8. 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.
  9. 1 2 Brian Knight. "Get Dazed by the Meters". The Vermont Review. Archived from the original on November 10, 2004. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Allmusic – The Meters album – credits". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Dave Thompson (2001). Funk, Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Hal Leonard. pp. 167–168. ISBN   9780879306298.
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