Kickback

by

The Meters

Edit

For anybody interested in more than a 'best of' from New Orleans' seminal funk band, the Sundazed reissues are the way to go. The label issued all of the group's studio albums in expanded editions as well as two volumes of singles and outtakes. Sonically they are superior to both the 1995 comp on Rhino and the Rounder collections from the early '90s. Start with any of the Josie material (recorded 1968 - 71)including the original albums "Look-Ka-Py-Py"('70), the slightly harder-edged "Struttin'('70)", "The Meters('69)" and the superb collection of non-lp singles and outtakes "Zony Mash". By the time the group signed with Reprise they had begun to integrate more vocals and a broader array of influences. The first two Reprise/Warner Bros. discs - "Cabbage Alley" ('72)and the classic "Rejuvenation" ('74)- are their best for the label, and the uneven "Fire On The Bayou" ('75) also has some very strong material. "Kickback", compiled from mid-70s outtakes, is much better than the Rounder collection covering the same era, and better than the last couple of official albums, "Trick Bag" ('76) and the David Rubinson-produced "New Directions" ('77).

Sundazed has done a great job reissuing each Meters album, but with this one they can make like the dragon. All but two of these 'rarities' have been released elsewhere in some form, while two of these titles are keepers as they're significantly longer versions of the more common ones. The KICKBACK version of "He Bite Me" is so excellent it's nearly worth the price of admission. A faster, more harmonized, less electrified guitar version with extra lyrics and devastatingly supreme "dragon breath" keyboards. Wow! Though not as different as say; Funkadelic's two different versions of "Red Hot Mamma", these two are just as essential for any geeked out funkophile. Both "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Hang 'Em High" were featured on the 1976 album TRICK BAG, as they are here; though if all you have is the trimmed version of "Hang 'Em High" found on the second disc of the FUNKIFY YOUR LIFE compilation, you'll find this original far superior. "Love The One You're With" only ever appeared on the LIVE ON THE QUEEN MARY album, so this studio version is a nice treat. "Easy (Trip)" and "Big Chief" were both featured on the album THE METERS JAM in identical form; while "All I Do Everyday" is 31 more seconds of the same undeveloped demo that appeared on that album. Yawn. Admitedly the versions on KICKBACK are mastered slightly hotter, but if you own THE METERS JAM, just turn up your bass EQ 2 clicks and you've got the same song. Those I've not mentioned, are similar carbon copies of material most Meters fans will already have. One song; "A Mother's Love", is entirely new to KICKBACK and to my knowledge, never been released in any form. As such, it's a nice mellow Blues number worthy of attention, but though an admittedly fine addition with wonderful lyrics; not essential to their body of work. It's not blisteringly funky or mindblowingly different; which is actually a good summation of this compilation. If it weren't for "He Bite Me" and "A Mother's Love" I wouldn't recommend this set at all; so it gets one star for each song. As has happened before, Meters fans are expected to dish out big bucks for 1 new song, 1 great revision, and 1 nice studio version. What a rip-off. He Bite Me.