Trick Bag is the seventh studio album by the funk group The Meters. The name comes from their cover of the Earl King single of the same name.

Trick Bag
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 22, 1976[1]
GenreFunk
Length42:11
LabelReprise (MS 2252)
ProducerAllen Toussaint, The Meters
The Meters chronology
Fire on the Bayou
(1975)
Trick Bag
(1976)
New Directions
(1977)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[3]

Background

edit

In spring of 1976 the band was on tour opening for the Rolling Stones on their Tour of Europe '76. According to Jason Berry's Up from the Cradle of Jazz, several tracks on this album are preliminary recordings and were selected for release in the absence of band members.[4]

Reception

edit

Stephen Erlewine had a negative view and critiqued the album's attempt to sound mainstream. He singles out three tracks as exceptions: "Mister Moon", "Doodle Loop" and "Honky Tonk Women".[2] Joe McEwen of Rolling Stone critiqued the song choices and the attempt to please the commercial market. He said two tracks are in-line with the band's style: "Doodle Loop" and "Chug-a-Lug", and had a positive view of the title track "Trick Bag".[5] Robert Christgau also critiqued the song choices and had a positive view of the title track.[3]

Track listing

edit

All tracks are written by The Meters, except as noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Disco Is the Thing Today" 4:21
2."Find Yourself" 4:12
3."All These Things"Naomi Neville3:32
4."I Want to Be Loved by You" 5:24
5."Suite for 20 G"James Taylor4:32
6."(Doodle Loop) The World Is a Little Bit Under the Weather"Leo Nocentelli, Vincent Toussaint3:52
7."Trick Bag"Earl King3:21
8."Mister Moon" 4:02
9."Chug-A-Lug" 3:22
10."Hang 'Em High"Dominic Frontiere2:17
11."Honky Tonk Women"Mick Jagger, Keith Richards3:16
2001 digitally remastered CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Love the One You're With"Stephen Stills3:31
13."What More Can I Do?" 2:47
14."Down by the River"Neil Young9:02
15."Come Together"John Lennon, Paul McCartney3:08
16."Big Chief"Earl King2:57

Personnel

edit

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[6]

Production

  • The Meters – producer
  • Allen Toussaint – producer
  • Bob Irwin – mastering
  • Bill Dahl – liner notes
  • Rich Russell – design
  • Ed Thrasher – art direction
  • Michael P. Smith – photography
  • Tom Copi – photography

References

edit
  1. ^ "Discogs: The Meters – Trick Bag – CD reissue". discogs.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Allmusic: Trick Bag – review". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ Jason Berry; Jonathan Foose; Tad Jones (1992). Up from the Cradle of Jazz. Da Capo Press. p. 199. ISBN 9780306804939. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Joe McEwen (October 7, 1976). "The Meters: Trick Bag". Rolling Stone. No. RS 223. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  6. ^ "Allmusic: Trick Bag – credits". allmusic.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  7. ^ "Discogs: The Meters – Trick Bag – Vinyl original". discogs.com. 1976. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2017.