The Meters (album)

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]

The Meters
Studio album by
The Meters
ReleasedMay 1969
Recorded1969
GenreFunk
Length43:05
LabelJosie (JOS-4010)
ProducerAllen 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
Album's back cover depicting band members in 1969. Left to right: Modeliste, Neville, Porter, Nocentelli.
Album's back cover depicting band members in 1969. Left to right: Modeliste, Neville, Porter, Nocentelli.

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[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. Cobb3:40
12."Simple Song"Sly Stone3:06
2001 CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."The Look of Love"Burt Bacharach, Hal David3:39
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
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[11]		 R&B
[11]
"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 (ed.). Marooned: The Next Generation of Desert Island Discs. Da Dapo Press. pp. 195–208. ISBN 9780306816406. Retrieved July 26, 2016.

References
  1. 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. 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. 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. "Allmusic – The Meters album – review". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  8. 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. 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. Dave Thompson (2001). Funk, Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. Hal Leonard. pp. 167–168. ISBN 9780879306298.
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