description Cabbage Alley Overview
Cabbage Alley is a 1972 album by the Meters and the New Orleans funk group's first release for Reprise Records. Compared with their earlier, largely instrumental records, it gives greater space to vocals while retaining the syncopated drumming, economical guitar, organ, and bass interaction central to the band's sound. The title track and the group's version of Neil Young's "Birds" illustrate the broader repertoire explored on the album.
help Cabbage Alley FAQ
Why does Cabbage Alley sound different from the Meters' earlier albums?
Cabbage Alley gives vocals a larger role than the band's earlier, predominantly instrumental records for Josie. It was also the Meters' first album for Reprise Records, released in 1972.
Is the Meters' version of "Cabbage Alley" an original song?
No, the title track was written and first recorded by the New Orleans group the Gaturs. The Meters rebuilt it around their own clipped guitar, organ, bass, and syncopated rhythm section.
Does Cabbage Alley still feature the classic Meters lineup?
The album features the core New Orleans combination of Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter Jr., and Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste. Their economical interplay remains central even as the 1972 record expands the vocal and production palette.
Where does Cabbage Alley fit in the Meters' record-label history?
It begins the band's Reprise period after their early albums for Josie Records. Later Reprise releases included Rejuvenation, which continued the move toward fuller songs and vocals.
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