The Meters: New Directions : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Meters define the steamy, hard-edged New Orleans funk sound much as the Section is synonymous with the soft-focus, blue-eyed soul of Los Angeles studios. Both work from clearly defined traditions: the rhythmically intricate ensemble philosophy of Dixieland survives in the Meters, while the Section is a group of virtuoso improvisation-alists who epitomize the "cool" (now "laid-back") Latin-jazz ambiance perfected by Wes Montgomery. In other words, the Meters play dance music, and the Section programs music for penthouse seductions.

New Directions and Fork It Over are both attempts to consolidate group styles into a commercial formula. Neither really succeeds, but a lot of fiery playing goes down before the verdict can be reached. The Meters tapped the Tower of Power horn section and pop/soul producer David Rubinson for New Directions, and the resultant sound is predictably commercial and facelessly funky R&B. This strategy doesn't utilize the Meters' collaborative ensemble instinct; instead, it breaks down the sound into individual parts held together by the arrangement. There are musical rewards—a bass line here, a sweating drum pattern there—but none of the looseness that lets this band fly.

The Section, meanwhile, tries its hand at fusion music, and there are moments—particularly guitarist Danny Kortchmar's "Suckers on Parade" and "L.A. Changes"—where the band pumps out a supple wash of tastetempting soul food. Leland Sklar's bass line on the opening track combines elements of "Car Wash" and Weather Report, a handy little move. But in the end, the album succumbs to a gloss of musical appetizers with no bulk to satisfy the desires they raise.