(Soul, Funk) [LP] [24/192] The Meters - Cabbage Alley - 1972/2001, FLAC (tracks)

Lineage:
KLAudio KL-LP-200 RCM > Rega P10 Turntable with Rega P10 PSU > Virgin Vinyl > Rega Apheta 3 Cartridge > PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter ADC > AudioQuest Carbon USB Cable > USB-IN > Audition CC 2019 @ 24bit float, 192kHz capture.
Processing:
24bit wav > Run through Click Repair 3.9.9 at 10/0 on DeClick > Volume Boost +4.5/2.8 DB > Remove DC Bias > Saved as 24bit,192kHz WAV > FLAC > Tagged with Discogs tagger through Foobar.
Scans:
Epson Expression 11000XL -> 16bit 600 DPI with Unsharp Mask -> Color Correction in Photoshop CC 2021 x64 -> 8bit 600DPI PNG.

foobar2000 1.6.11 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2022-06-23 10:31:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: The Meters / Cabbage Alley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR15 0.00 dB -15.90 dB 5:18 01-You've Got to Change (You've Got to Reform)
DR14 -0.77 dB -18.07 dB 5:24 02-Stay Away
DR15 0.00 dB -17.18 dB 4:29 03-Birds
DR14 -1.34 dB -17.31 dB 4:53 04-The Flower Song
DR15 -1.46 dB -17.86 dB 3:11 05-Soul Island
DR15 -0.06 dB -16.85 dB 2:36 06-Do the Dirt
DR14 -1.15 dB -17.17 dB 3:09 07-Smiling
DR14 -0.88 dB -17.41 dB 4:40 08-Lonesome and Unwanted People
DR14 -1.08 dB -16.29 dB 3:19 09-Gettin' Funkier All the Time
DR14 -0.96 dB -17.22 dB 3:34 10-Cabbage Alley
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 10
Official DR value: DR14
Samplerate: 192000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 5004 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

Leaving Josie for Reprise did change the Meters, even if the change wasn't necessarily for the better. They became slicker, jammier, and, in the conventional sense, funkier, even if the grit seemed to start to dissipate. So, even if this is just the Meters' fourth album, Cabbage Alley does mark a sea-change in their outlook, bringing them fully into the '70s and finding them sacrificing feel for texture, even if that's a very subtle transition. Part of the problem is that the group doesn't really have any good songs to hang their sounds onto, but, if you're looking just for sounds and groove, Cabbage Alley doesn't disappoint. The Meters' overall feel might have gotten a little softer than necessary, but they still are a remarkably sympathetic, supple group and it's a pleasure to hear them play. Still, there's not much here outside of hearing them play, and while that's pretty great, it's hard not to wish that there were songs, even when they delve into smooth soul like "Birds" or when the group simply jams on mid-tempo grooves, that stood out from the pack.