Cabbage Alley
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, New Orleans's Meters churned out irresistible funk instrumentals that were distilled to their essence and intended to get people up and shaking. When the Josie label went bankrupt in 1971, the band moved over to the Reprise label and began to broaden their horizons, expanding their sonic palette and putting more emphasis on vocals.Cabbage Alley, their Reprise debut, finds them experimenting with tropical sounds ("Soul Island"),Allman Brothers-style guitar leads ("Stay Away"),Neil Youngcovers ("Birds"), and socially conscious lyrics ("Lonesome and Unwanted People"). Still, it's the simple funk anthems that hit home on cuts such as "You've Got to Change," "Do the Dirt," and "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug" (a single added here as a bonus). This and its follow up, 1974'sRejuvenation, offer many prime Meters moments, though neither are as consistently brilliant as their Josie recordings found onThe Meters,Struttin', andLook-Ka Py Py.--Marc Greilsamer