Fire on the Bayou

Background and release

This was the band's first album with Cyril Neville as a member. At the time, the band's headlining performances were receiving good reviews. According to a review in The Real Paper, "they could blow virtually any other band in the country right off the stage." The album was released in July 1975, at a time when the band was opening for the Rolling Stones on their U.S. Tour. The album sold 88,000 copies and didn't meet the record label's expectations. According to Rupert Surcouf, the band's road manager at the time, the record label realized "the Meters didn't fit into any conventional mold", and the label had difficulty promoting the music.

Reception

Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic had a positive view and wrote "there never seems to be a concession to mainstream funk" and called the music "simmering". Ed Ward of Rolling Stone had a negative view and called the music "aimless" in comparison to the band's early works. Robert Christgau had a mixed view and gave the album a B-rating.

Track listing

"Jambalaya" has wrongly been credited to the members of the Meters in this reissue.

Personnel

Credits adapted in part from AllMusic.

The Meters

George Porter Jr. – bass guitar, producer, backing vocals

Joseph Modeliste – drums, producer, vocals, graphic design, photo courtesy

Leo Nocentelli – guitar, producer, backing vocals

Art Neville – keyboards, producer, vocals

Cyril Neville – congas, percussion, producer, vocals

Additional composition

Wardell Quezergue – horn arrangements

Production

Allen Toussaint – producer

Marshall Sehorn – executive producer, remixing

Efram Turchick – project manager

Tim Livingston – project manager

Roberta Grace – engineer

Ken Laxton – engineer, remixing

Bob Irwin – mastering

Al Quaglieri – mastering

Bunny Matthews – liner notes

Rich Russell – design

Paul Howrilla (aka Paul Andrew) – graphic design, photo courtesy of Photographique Studios, Inc.