Trick Bag

Released in 1976 on Warner Bros., Trick Bag is the seventh studio album by The Meters and represents a significant shift toward a more mainstream, vocal-heavy R&B sound. Recorded partially during their 1976 European tour with the Rolling Stones, the album is famously composed of what some members considered preliminary recordings, released by the label while the band was still on the road. This gives the record a loose, almost improvisational feel in spots, contrasted by the slicker production of tracks like 'Disco Is The Thing Today.' The album features several notable covers, including Earl King's 'Trick Bag' and a medley of 'Hang 'Em High' and 'Honky Tonk Woman,' the latter nodding to their tour mates. While critics at the time, including Stephen Erlewine and Robert Christgau, were cool toward its commercial aspirations, the album has aged into a cult favorite for its unique blend of swamp-funk and disco-era polish.