Hawk’s Friday Funk for February 19, 2010

Posted by Michael on Feb 19, 2010 in Funky Stuff | 0 comments

There’s something really special about a band that truly has its own sound.  Sly and the Family Stone had it, James Brown had it, Parliament-Funkadelic had it and so did The Meters.

The Meters, based in New Orleans, started pumping out the funk in 1969 with their self-titled debut.  Sparse on vocals but heavy on funky riffs and hooks, their sound was against the grain and innovative.   They would release two more instrumental-heavy albums on the Josie label, Look Ka Py Py and Struttin, before switching labels as well as their sound, adding more instruments, vocals and a more radio-friendly-while-still-super-funky feel.   Check out Cabbage Alley, Rejuvenation and the fantastic Fire on the Bayou for other great tracks from the mid-70s by The Meters.

But back to their debut, Here Comes the Meter Man is a great slice of funky drumming and jamming.  I found an original copy of this record in Boston about 17 years ago for a paltry $25 and still treasure it.

The Meters – Here Comes the Meter Man