The Meters

The Meters
". . . it's your body they're after." --writer Robert Palmer on the Meters, 1976

Who:
left to right: Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste (drums, vocals), George Porter (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), Cyril Neville (percussion, vocals; officially joined circa 1975), and Art Neville (keyboards, most vocals).

From the back of the Trick Bag cover. Photo by Johanna Van Zantwyk, 1976.

Discography:
The Meters (Josie, 1969), Look Ka Py Py (Josie, 1970), Struttin' (Josie, 1970), Cabbage Alley (Reprise, 1972), Rejuvenation (Reprise, 1974), Fire on the Bayou (Reprise, 1975), Trick Bag (Reprise, 1976), New Directions (Warner Bros., 1977)
Audio Clips
--coming soon--

Facts:
The Meters are the fathers of contemporary New Orleans funk and while they were not alone in the New Orleans funk scene of the late 60s and 70s, leaving their name out of a conversation about local funk music will guarantee to get you dirty looks. They are that important. Unfortunately, they are so great, their old records are now considered hip and trendy and many new listeners either feel that they were all New Orleans had to offer in terms of funk music, or that any band that doesn't sound just like them is no good.

The Meters began as a session band for Allen Toussaint's and Marshall Sehorn's Sansu Enterprises and released a number of catchy dance tunes ("Cissy Strut," "Sophisticated Sissy," etc.) for Josie records from 1969-1972. The success of those records led to a contract with major label Warner Bros' new Reprise records subsidiary. The sound of the Reprise records was different, yet still funky and heralded by critics and fans alike. Whereas the Josie material was shorter and choppier, with lyrics practically nonexistent, the Reprise songs were longer, more laid-back and had more of a stretched-out jam session feel. The soulful vocals of Art Neville were featured more prominently as well, and soon Art's brother Cyril would join the fold.

In addition to recording their own albums, the Meters still did plenty of session work on albums by Dr. John, Labelle, Robert Palmer, and Linda Lewis, for instance. Also in the mid-70s, they landed a number of high-profile gigs like a private party for Paul and Linda McCartney, an opening slot on a Rolling Stones tour, and an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, by the time they got to Saturday Night Live (circa '77), the Meters were practically all ticked out. Soon Cyril and Art would join with the Neville Brothers and the other members continued doing session work.

Cover of "Be My Lady" sheet music.

Today:
After a few reunion attempts, Art Neville and Porter split company with Modeliste and later Nocentelli. Neville and Porter created a new version of the Meters called the "funky Meters" who, while paling in comparison to the original Meters, are a favorite with the local college kids scene. When Neville is not busy with this new Meters incarnation, he still works with Cyril Neville and the rest of the Neville Brothers. George Porter Jr. also has a side project that he calls the Runnin' Pardners.

Modeliste lives in California where he still records and performs with his own solo act and has a website at www.zigaboo.com. Nocentelli has also released a few solo projects and also lives in California, I believe. All 4 have managed to patch up their differences and have recently been sitting in on each other's sets at appearances during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

The Meters in 1984, from Wavelength Magazine. Photo by rico.

Opinions:
I've been a Meters fan since I was a little girl, whether it was listening to the 8-track tape of Trick Bag in my dad's truck or playing the Fire on the Bayou album on the record box in the den for my pet turtle. But that's another story! I think that's why I prefer the Reprise records over the Josie stuff, for sentimental reasons, though I think both bodies of work are wonderful.

Since I feel more qualified to speak on the Reprise albums, I will say that while everyone in the world seems to swear by Rejuvenation, I'd rather listen to Fire on the Bayou. Trick Bag is not nearly as bad as people would have you believe. (I admit to having a soft spot for "Disco is the Thing Today.") And their final album, New Directions, is my least favorite by them. I don't own a copy of it anymore. I didn't even like it when I was little. But the only song I can get into on that record, "Be My Lady," is one of their best, and I will never get tired of listening to the unintended Mardi Gras classic "Hey Pocky-A-Way" from Rejuvenation.

Photo from the Funkify Your Life Meters CD anthology.

Collectors' Info:
Serious vinyl collectors know that for years and years, the Meters catalogue has been out-of-print. Due to some legal disputes or something, we all knew that the Meters stuff would never be released on CD, especially the Reprise albums. Well, now there is a new meaning to the Meters' song title "Funky Miracle" since Sundazed records has not only reissued their Josie albums, but Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation, and Fire on the Bayou too! And I hear that Trick Bag may be on the way. Glory Hallelujah!

So what does that mean for those of you who paid upwards of $75-$200+ for an original Meters album on vinyl? Will the market price go down on your piece? Probably so, especially since the market has been flooded with vinyl reissues of the Reprise records that look exactly like the original. Why pay $100 for Cabbage Alley when you can buy it for $9.99?! On vinyl! Why, because the original vinyl still sounds better than the reissue vinyl or the CD, but I only recommend that major collectors pay these prices. The rest of you, thank God, Goddess or whomever that you do not have to pay $75 for a copy of Cabbage Alley like I did years ago. I'm not complaining, though. ;-)

While the Meters' vinyl is not going to be worth as much as it used to since everything seems to be getting reissued, there is still one Meters vinyl mystery that even I, the cheapo, will pay top dollar for if I ever see it. There is a record floating around out there in this vast universe called Live at Rosie's by the Meters recorded in the 70s. I have no idea about the label, but it's not Josie and it's not Reprise or Warner Bros. This is completely different from the CD put out by Rounder called Live at the Queen Mary. This is quite a collector's item as even the staunchest of Meters fans have never heard of this record, much less seen it.

Another Meters collectable is the 45 single of "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove)" Part I/Part II, released in 1972 on Reprise. While a later reworked and watered-down version of this song was included on the Trick Bag LP, the great 1972 original was never released on any Meters album. However, it's been included as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Cabbage Alley, so the collectable value of that may go down too. Same goes for the 45 single version of "Running Fast" which is longer (featuring a nice breakbeat) than the version included on the Fire on the Bayou album. However, the long version has also been included as a bonus track on the CD reissue.

45 single of the original, non-album version of "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove), 1972.

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Who: left to right: Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste (drums, vocals), George Porter (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), Cyril Neville (percussion, vocals; officially joined circa 1975), and Art Neville (keyboards, most vocals).	From the back of the Trick Bag* cover. Photo by Johanna Van Zantwyk, 1976.*
Discography: The Meters (Josie, 1969), Look Ka Py Py (Josie, 1970), Struttin' (Josie, 1970), Cabbage Alley (Reprise, 1972), Rejuvenation (Reprise, 1974), Fire on the Bayou (Reprise, 1975), Trick Bag (Reprise, 1976), New Directions (Warner Bros., 1977)	Audio Clips --coming soon--
Facts: The Meters are the fathers of contemporary New Orleans funk and while they were not alone in the New Orleans funk scene of the late 60s and 70s, leaving their name out of a conversation about local funk music will guarantee to get you dirty looks. They are that important. Unfortunately, they are so great, their old records are now considered hip and trendy and many new listeners either feel that they were all New Orleans had to offer in terms of funk music, or that any band that doesn't sound just like them is no good. The Meters began as a session band for Allen Toussaint's and Marshall Sehorn's Sansu Enterprises and released a number of catchy dance tunes ("Cissy Strut," "Sophisticated Sissy," etc.) for Josie records from 1969-1972. The success of those records led to a contract with major label Warner Bros' new Reprise records subsidiary. The sound of the Reprise records was different, yet still funky and heralded by critics and fans alike. Whereas the Josie material was shorter and choppier, with lyrics practically nonexistent, the Reprise songs were longer, more laid-back and had more of a stretched-out jam session feel. The soulful vocals of Art Neville were featured more prominently as well, and soon Art's brother Cyril would join the fold. In addition to recording their own albums, the Meters still did plenty of session work on albums by Dr. John, Labelle, Robert Palmer, and Linda Lewis, for instance. Also in the mid-70s, they landed a number of high-profile gigs like a private party for Paul and Linda McCartney, an opening slot on a Rolling Stones tour, and an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Unfortunately, by the time they got to Saturday Night Live (circa '77), the Meters were practically all ticked out. Soon Cyril and Art would join with the Neville Brothers and the other members continued doing session work.	Cover of "Be My Lady" sheet music.
Today: After a few reunion attempts, Art Neville and Porter split company with Modeliste and later Nocentelli. Neville and Porter created a new version of the Meters called the "funky Meters" who, while paling in comparison to the original Meters, are a favorite with the local college kids scene. When Neville is not busy with this new Meters incarnation, he still works with Cyril Neville and the rest of the Neville Brothers. George Porter Jr. also has a side project that he calls the Runnin' Pardners. Modeliste lives in California where he still records and performs with his own solo act and has a website at www.zigaboo.com. Nocentelli has also released a few solo projects and also lives in California, I believe. All 4 have managed to patch up their differences and have recently been sitting in on each other's sets at appearances during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.	The Meters in 1984, from Wavelength Magazine. Photo by rico.
Opinions: I've been a Meters fan since I was a little girl, whether it was listening to the 8-track tape of Trick Bag in my dad's truck or playing the Fire on the Bayou album on the record box in the den for my pet turtle. But that's another story! I think that's why I prefer the Reprise records over the Josie stuff, for sentimental reasons, though I think both bodies of work are wonderful. Since I feel more qualified to speak on the Reprise albums, I will say that while everyone in the world seems to swear by Rejuvenation, I'd rather listen to Fire on the Bayou. Trick Bag is not nearly as bad as people would have you believe. (I admit to having a soft spot for "Disco is the Thing Today.") And their final album, New Directions, is my least favorite by them. I don't own a copy of it anymore. I didn't even like it when I was little. But the only song I can get into on that record, "Be My Lady," is one of their best, and I will never get tired of listening to the unintended Mardi Gras classic "Hey Pocky-A-Way" from Rejuvenation.	Photo from the Funkify Your Life Meters CD anthology.
Collectors' Info: Serious vinyl collectors know that for years and years, the Meters catalogue has been out-of-print. Due to some legal disputes or something, we all knew that the Meters stuff would never be released on CD, especially the Reprise albums. Well, now there is a new meaning to the Meters' song title "Funky Miracle" since Sundazed records has not only reissued their Josie albums, but Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation, and Fire on the Bayou too! And I hear that Trick Bag may be on the way. Glory Hallelujah! So what does that mean for those of you who paid upwards of $75-$200+ for an original Meters album on vinyl? Will the market price go down on your piece? Probably so, especially since the market has been flooded with vinyl reissues of the Reprise records that look exactly like the original. Why pay $100 for Cabbage Alley when you can buy it for $9.99?! On vinyl! Why, because the original vinyl still sounds better than the reissue vinyl or the CD, but I only recommend that major collectors pay these prices. The rest of you, thank God, Goddess or whomever that you do not have to pay $75 for a copy of Cabbage Alley like I did years ago. I'm not complaining, though. ;-) While the Meters' vinyl is not going to be worth as much as it used to since everything seems to be getting reissued, there is still one Meters vinyl mystery that even I, the cheapo, will pay top dollar for if I ever see it. There is a record floating around out there in this vast universe called Live at Rosie's by the Meters recorded in the 70s. I have no idea about the label, but it's not Josie and it's not Reprise or Warner Bros. This is completely different from the CD put out by Rounder called Live at the Queen Mary. This is quite a collector's item as even the staunchest of Meters fans have never heard of this record, much less seen it. Another Meters collectable is the 45 single of "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove)" Part I/Part II, released in 1972 on Reprise. While a later reworked and watered-down version of this song was included on the Trick Bag LP, the great 1972 original was never released on any Meters album. However, it's been included as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Cabbage Alley, so the collectable value of that may go down too. Same goes for the 45 single version of "Running Fast" which is longer (featuring a nice breakbeat) than the version included on the Fire on the Bayou album. However, the long version has also been included as a bonus track on the CD reissue.	45 single of the original, non-album version of "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove), 1972.