The Meters Struttin'

2021 repress.
Few funk groups have had as far-reaching
an influence as New Orleans band The
Meters, the project of keyboardist/vocalist
Art Neville, and the famed house band of
Allen Tousaint. During their
mid-60s-to-late-70s heyday they released a
heavy mixture of instrumental and vocal
albums and singles of Louisiana-inflected
soul, R&B, and funk music that continues to
inspire and marvel, and get covered by
groups and artists like Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Jaco Pastorius, Widespread Panic,
and even The Grateful Dead.
Fresh off the success of their acclaimed
1969 release Look-Ka Py Py, The Meters did
not rest on their laurels, and released the
album Struttin' the next year. Though similar
in sound to Look-Ka Py Py, Struttin'
distinguished itself with its' increased
emphasis on Art Neville's vocal stylings. (As
opposed to the call-and-response shouted
choruses from previous albums.) The album
included the R&B Singles hit "Chicken Strut",
soulful covers of Lee Dorsey, Ty Hunter, and
even Jimmy Webb, and directed the group
into a more expansive sound than before,
rendering one of the most organic sounds in
their discography.