"Gettin' Funkier All The Time: The Complete Josie/Reprise & Warner Recordings 1969-1977" by THE METERS – Including Eight Albums, Album Outtakes, Single Edits, Stand-Alone Singles and Rarities – Band featuring Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter and Joseph Modeliste with guests Allen Toussaint and Lowell George (January 2020 UK SoulMusic 6CD 116-Track Clamshell Box Set of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Fire On The Bayou..."

What a balls-to-the-wall winner this is. And past the obvious, let me explain why...

Like their 'Doctor Bird' label imprint that has been reissuing stunning Reggae, Ska and Dub CDs for years now (often doubles with large wads on unreleased and first time on digital stuff) - 'SoulMusic Records' is another imprint of 'Cherry Red UK' - and it does what it says on the tin, deals with Soul and R&B Music (vintage stuff mostly). 

So being a collector and sometime nutter for all things 60ts and 70ts - I've nabbed their exemplary Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Dells, Staples Singers and Mother's Finest sets and duly raved unto the joy fantastic about them (see separate reviews). But this reissue is the big league, because for SoulMusic to collate together the entirety of The Meters New Orleans Soul and Bayou Funk output is a very big feather indeed - and in an increasingly huge hat. It's obvious from their thank-you list on the back-page of a pleasingly chockers-booklet, that they are proud of their funky little beast - and damn rightly. So what's shakin' a cissy strut tail feather within...

Across six CDs packing a huge 116-tracks - you get eight full albums in Stereo from their tenure at Josie, Reprise and Warner Brothers Records between 1969 and 1977 - all of it housed inside a glossy mini clamshell box set accompanied by a jam-packed 40-page booklet and dual-sided mini LP card sleeves (matt). As if that's not enough, four of the albums are the Rhino 'Expanded Edition' versions remastered by Giovanni Scatola in 2001 that came with loads of tasty extras, and the last disc here even tags on 4 single edits plus a rare 12" Disco Mix that is first time on CD anywhere in the World. It’s all here. To the truncated details...

UK released Friday, 24 January 2020 - "Gettin' Funkier All The Time: The Complete Josie/Reprise & Warner Recordings 1969-1977" by THE METERS on SoulMusic Records QSMCR-5190BX (Barcode 5013929089006) is a 116-Track, 6CD Clamshell Box Set of Remasters with Six Themed Card Sleeves and a 40-Page Booklet that plays out as follows: 

Disc 1 "Here Comes The Meter Man" (26 Tracks, 75:11 minutes): 

Tracks 1 to 12 are their debut album "The Meters" – released May 1969 in the USA on Josie Records JOS 4010 in Stereo 

Tracks 13 and 14 were first issued as Bonus Outtakes on the 2001 Expanded Edition CD of "The Meters" on Rhino 

Tracks 15 to 26 are their second studio album "Look-Ka Py Py" – released December 1969 in the USA on Josie JOS 4011 in Stereo

Disc 2 "A Message From The Meters" (24 Tracks, 66:35 minutes):

Tracks 1 and 2 and 5 to 14 are their third studio album "Struttin'" – released June 1970 in the USA on Josie JOS 4012 in Stereo

Tracks 3 and 4 are "Grass" and "Borro" – Bonus Outtakes on the 2001 Rhino Expanded Edition CD reissue of "Look-Ka Py Py"

Tracks 15 and 16 "Funky Meters Soul" and "Meter Strut" – Bonus Outtakes on the 2001 Rhino Expanded Edition CD reissue of "Struttin'"

Tracks 17 to 24 are Non-Album A&B-sides of Josie Records 45-singles

Disc 3 "Just Kissed My Baby" (18 Tracks, 71:25 minutes):

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

Tracks 11 and 12 are a Non-Album A&B-side of a 45 single for "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push And Shove)"

Tracks 13 to 18 are Side 1 of the album "Rejuvenation" - released October 1974 in the USA on Reprise MS 2200 and October 1974 in the UK on Reprise K 54027

Disc 4 "Mardi Gras Mambo" (18 Tracks, 75:47 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 3 are Side 2 of the album "Rejuvenation" - released October 1974 in the USA on Reprise MS 2200 and October 1974 in the UK on Reprise K 54027

Tracks 4 to 14 are the album "Fire On The Bayou" - released August 1975 in the USA on Reprise MS 2228 and August 1975 in the UK on Reprise K 54044

Tracks 15 to 18 first issued 2001 as Album Outtake Bonus Tracks on the Rhino 2CD Expanded Edition Reissue of "Fire On The Bayou"

Disc 5 "Mister Moon" (16 Tracks, 63:36 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 11 are the album "Trick Bag" - released September 1976 in the USA on Reprise MS 2252 and September 1976 in the UK on Reprise K 54078. Note: the final tenth song on Side 2 of the original 1976 LP was a medley of two songs "Hang 'Em High/Honky Tonk Woman". However, the 2001 Rhino Remastered Reissue split them into two separate tracks, so that’s what’s been used here

Tracks 12 to 16 first issued 2001 as Album Outtake Bonus Tracks on the Rhino 2CD Expanded Edition Reissue of "Trick Bag"

Disc 6 "Be My Lady" (14 Tracks, 65:44 minutes): 

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "New Directions" - released June 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 3042 (No UK release)

Track 9 is a Bonus Track Outtake that first appeared on the 2001 CD Remaster of the "New Directions" album

Tracks 10 to 14 are Various Single Edits - Track 13 is the Disco Mix of "Disco Is The Thing Today". At 6:27 minutes, it was issued June 1976 as a Promotional-Only 12" Single in the USA on Warner Brothers PRO 636 and is exclusive to this CD reissue

Long-standing Audio Engineer for Ace and Kent Soul reissues - NICK ROBBINS has done the superb mastering and CHARLES WARING of Mojo and Record Collector contributing fame pours on the factoids and photos in the booklet. The attention to minutiae is everywhere - the card sleeves show you both front and rear cover of the LPs AND the labels - there are repros of promo 45s and black and white publicity snaps - unused artwork and proof sheets for photos shoots - and the whole thing id dedicated to Art Neville who passed in July 2019. Here is a simplified breakdown...

All five of the Reprise and Warners LP have been available since 2014 as part of WEA's Original Album Series for about ten to twelve quid - so the prize here is the first three records, those 2001 bonus cuts only hitherto available on long-deleted CDs and that exclusive twelve-inch. There is also tasty presentation and new mastering. 

Fronted by Art Neville (brother of Aaron Neville) - The Meters quickly established their New Orleans Funk-Soul sound by punching out three rapid succession albums on Josie Records - "The Meters" and "Look Ka Py-Py" from May and December 1969 and "Struttin'" from June 1970. With Art Neville on Keyboards - Leo Nocentelli played Guitar; George Porter handled Bass while Joseph Modeliste whacking the Drums. 

Fellow musical traveller in all things Bayou Funk – we must also mention ALLEN TOUSSAINT in relation to The Meters. The dapper songwriting gent produced those three albums on Josie and after the release of his own second solo album "Life, Love And Faith" on Reprise Records in July 1972 – was instrumental in bringing the band to Sinatra’s old label. The Reprise/Warner Brothers albums refined and upgraded their Josie-years style and sound with guest spots by the likes of Lowell George from Little Feat. Toussaint is even listed as co-producer for "Cabbage Alley" – their debut for Reprise Records released a month before his own LP in June 1972. But you find out in the digs-deep liner-notes that he took a very real back seat – was rarely at any sessions even though he is contractually credited on the LP cover as such - and simply let the band self-produce and explore their own new sound. Three of The Meters - George Porter, Jr., Joseph (Ziggy) Modeliste and Leo Nocentelli – are essentially the backbones of his band for the "Life, Love And Faith" album. All of The Meters (including Art Neville) and three members of Little Feat (including Lowell George) also famously acted as back-up band for Robert Palmer's solo debut album after he'd left Vinegar Joe - "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" – released September 1974 in the UK on Island Records. Palmer even does the Allen Toussaint classic "From A Whisper To A Scream" on that album. In short, there was a whole lotta funkiness going on around The Meters and their pal Toussaint. 

Our Louisiana heroes were no slouches on the seven-inch single front either. Between 1969 and 1977, they punched out a whopping twenty-one 45s across the three labels (charting nine of them on R&B). Impressively, all forty-two A&B-sides are here, including stand-alones. Best-loved grooves include "Sophisticated Cissy”, "Cissy Strut", "Ease Back", "Dry Spell" and "Look-Ka Py Py" (1969), "Chicken Strut", "Hand Clapping Song" and "A Message From The Meters" (1970), "Do The Dirt",  "Cabbage Alley" and "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Parts 1 & 2)" (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). 

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).

One of the prizes on here is the stunning "Fire On The Bayou" album from 1975 - which is a wonderful combo of sophisticated Soul meets their unique brand of Orleans Funk. It opens on a nasty groover "Out In The Country" – followed by the guitar chug of "Fire On The Bayou" where they sound like the title – on 'fire' – the tightest rhythm section ever. 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. Things get mellow with "You're A Friend Of Mine" – so Allen Toussaint – so sweet. A keyboard tinkle introduces the Little Feat/Atlanta Rhythm Section slink of "Middle Of The Road" – a fantastic 8-minute instrumental that has been a Jazz-Funk prize for decades. What a winner this track is and it features gorgeous audio too as Leon Nocentelli lets rip with those warm summer evening fret flourishes – sounding not unlike an ultra-inspired George Benson circa "Breezin'".

I've always loved the "Trick Bag" album too 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 Woman" while their cover of Earl King's "Trick Bag" is superb also. They get a great groove going on "Doodle Loop..." too.

The final album "New Directions" saw the Funk and Brass get louder - more Isley Brothers - opening with the fab groove 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".

Amongst the Outtake Bonuses and Stand-Alone Singles – I’m loving a nine-minute keyboard and guitar workout from the "Trick Bag" sessions of Neil Young’s "Down By The River" - or even the frantic simplicity of "Meter Strut" – a 2:47 minute guitar-flicking drum-whacking instrumental outtake from the "Struttin'" LP sessions. It's hardly surprising too that the non-LP "Chug Chug Chug-A-Bug (Push And Show)" had its Side B Part 2 shouter groove featured on the award-winning "What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves From The Vaults Of Atlantic, Atco & Warner Bros. Records 1969-1977" 4CD Box Set - issued by Rhino in October 2006 in a cool-looking cigar-box-type set up. A nugget tucked away on a single flipside. It's just yet another primo example of The Meters and their seemingly effortless Average White Band 'Pick Up The Pieces' groovy groove-ness. And on it goes...

Probably a Soul and Funk 'Reissue of the Year 2020' accolade to SoulMusic Records - and most definitely a big thank you from all of us in the netherworld of Post Covid-19 to all of the good Trick Bag folks involved. Fab and then some...