Little Feat

[mudshark]

It was a glorious morning. 65 degrees F with bright sunshine and blue skies. A 45 minute drive to the office with Waiting For Columbus blasting through the excellent speakers of my RAM 2500. It doesn't get much better than that. What a fantastic band and what a great live album. Lowell George was a great songwriter, musician and band leader. They produced a sound that was a unique bland of funk, jazz, blues, country, rock, gospel and everything in between. No band did, does or will do it better. George's solo album Thanks I'll Eat Here still gets a regular spin at home but not nearly as much as albums like Sailing Shoes and Feats Don't Fail Me Now. Just gorgeous luscious music that should make every listener happy. They're supposed to play in Houston in March. No idea who's in the band now but I'm pretty sure I will attend. Looking forward to the drive home.

[Neige]

It doesn't get much better than that. What a fantastic band and what a great live album. Lowell George was a great songwriter, musician and band leader. They produced a sound that was a unique bland of funk, jazz, blues, country, rock, gospel and everything in between. No band did, does or will do it better.

Word.

I've come to love Lowell's solo outing unreservedly and still mourn his loss everytime I hear it.

Little Feat went truckin' on without him, and while some spark was certainly missing, it was still fabulously groovy. I saw them twice and it was great!

...and if the remaining members Bill, Kenny, Sam and whoever plays with them today would play anywhere near, I'd still go.

[Mike Boom]

Wonderful band, I have been listening to the deluxe version of Waiting for Columbus a fair bit recently, why they would leave Red Streamliner off the original is beyond me.

[mudshark]

You're right Mike, it's a great song. On WTC Spanish Moon will forever be my favourite though.

Thanks for your input Neige. Now I'll definitely go see them in March.

[Matt Wilson]

Dixie Chicken was always my fave, but now it might be Sailin Shoes.

[robertff]

Great band and I don't listen to them nearly as much as I should do, have to rectify that.


.

[Rorschach]

I always thought they were 'not my kind of thing' and didn't bother to listen to them much.
Just last week, however, a song popped up in a Spotify playlist and loved it. Much funkier than I'd remembered.

Ok, where should I start?

[Mike Boom]

I always thought they were 'not my kind of thing' and didn't bother to listen to them much.
Just last week, however, a song popped up in a Spotify playlist and loved it. Much funkier than I'd remembered.

Ok, where should I start?

Dixie Chicken is a good start ,probably their best, tho personally I love Feats Don’t Fail Me Now most.

[Rorschach]

I always thought they were 'not my kind of thing' and didn't bother to listen to them much.
Just last week, however, a song popped up in a Spotify playlist and loved it. Much funkier than I'd remembered.

Ok, where should I start?

Dixie Chicken is a good start ,probably their best, tho personally I love Feats Don’t Fail Me Now most.

Cheers. I'll have a listen this afternoon.

[GoogaMooga]

Had all their albums incl Lowell George, but sold them. I got bored with them.

[mudshark]

Tym, it doesn't matter where you start as long as you pick an album in the '71-'79 period. That doesn't mean the post-George album aren't any good (really like Mambo and Fun) but the period with Lowell at the helm is without a doubt their best. I'd actually start with Waiting For Columbus because live they were at their very best,

[The Fish]

I've always found Columbus a bit too clean. It's fine but a bit like an antique table that's had it's patina polished away. There always seems like a layer of grit missing to me. The boots are much better. Electrif Lycanthrope is now readily available and better to my ears. Agree the Lowell line up is the best (lucky enough to have been at the Warner Brothers tour gig at the Rainbow when they blew the Doobie Brothers off stage - ooh matron!). I do love the post Lowell LIve From Neon Park though.

[mudshark]

Yes, I heard the Neon Park album is very good. I'm going to get it.

I think I know what you're saying about Columbus. I owned Electrif Lycanthrope in a former life. It's 'livelier', even funkier. But my copy was of pretty poor sound quality. I don't have it anymore but am happy with Columbus and Hotcakes & Outtakes. However, the original Columbus vinyl (which I have) is much groovier than the CD' versions that were issued thereafter. Bill Payne is a Steely Dan adept and tries to perfect the sound with overdubs to such an extent that it becomes too clean. That's what happened to the CD releases of that great great album. Same reason why there's no official Steely Dan live album that sounds really live.

[Charlie O.]

I would recommend NOT starting with Down On The Farm.

[trans-chigley express]

I always thought they were 'not my kind of thing' and didn't bother to listen to them much.

Same here. I gave them a listen and quickly decided they weren't my thing but that was decades ago and tastes change so I'd be prepared to try again.

[Rorschach]

Tym, it doesn't matter where you start as long as you pick an album in the '71-'79 period. That doesn't mean the post-George album aren't any good (really like Mambo and Fun) but the period with Lowell at the helm is without a doubt their best. I'd actually start with Waiting For Columbus because live they were at their very best,

I actually started with Dixie Chicken, which I thought was OK but nothing grabbed me on first listen. Then I tried Sailing Shoes, which I rather liked. I even knew on of the songs! (Willin').
I think I'll give these two a couple more spins before I decide where/whether to carry on. I'm not a huge fan of live albums generally.

[Rorschach]

I always thought they were 'not my kind of thing' and didn't bother to listen to them much.

Same here. I gave them a listen and quickly decided they weren't my thing but that was decades ago and tastes change so I'd be prepared to try again.

What I'm finding more and more is that it's not so much that my tastes have changed, but the way I listen to music has. Nowadays, I rarely enjoy listening to entire albums and I prefer to make playlists with individual tracks.
I can't see me becoming a fan of Little Feat albums but I'm sure I'm going to add a few tracks to my pool of playlist favourites.

I'm curious to know how you get on with them anyway. Do report back.

[trans-chigley express]

I'm curious to know how you get on with them anyway. Do report back.

I listened to the Dixie Chicken album and I must admit I liked it much more than I expected to. Some strong arrangements and tasteful use of keyboards. More good song craft than I can recall, but then this is not one of the albums I'd previously heard.