Little Feat
Little Feat
Ry Cooder
Engineer: Rudy Hill, Bob Kovach,
Producer: Russ Titelman
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, 2007
1 CD
Catalogue #: UDCD770
EAN: 0821797077064
UPC: 821797077064
You save: 20%
Little Feat: Lowell George (guitar); Ry Cooder (bottleneck guitar); Kirby Johnson (horns); Sneaky Pete (pedal clavichord); Bill Payne (keyboard); Russ Titleman, Roy Estrada (background vocals).
There was a time, back in its early days, when Little Feat was a country-rock band, perhaps THE quintessential country-rock band. While other contenders for this mantle leaned heavily in one direction or another, Little Feat truly mixed equal parts country twang and experimental rock. Each of the group's first three albums--LITTLE FEAT was their debut--point to how great country-rock might have become, if only (1) country rockers were as brilliant as Lowell George, and (2) fans had shown the slightest interest in the genre as Little Feat created it.
Fortunately, before the band moved onto the fusion-inspired funk with which it made its mark, the early Little Feat left a wonderful recorded legacy. LITTLE FEAT is a prime example of that. From the slide trill that kicks off the first track, the album alerts listeners that they are about to experience something raw and wonderful. The album rocks hard, occasionally boogies, intermittently slows down to shed some tears, and always, always swings. The lyrics don't always make sense, but it hardly matters: all the meaning you need can be found in George's growling vocals and screaming guitar.
Tracklist
Little Feat
Los Angeles' Little Feat served up a polymorphic gumbo of New Orleans funk, southern boogie, and blues rock with the soulful slide guitar, worn voice, and tremendous country-tinged songwriting of leader Lowell George as its main ingredients. Founded by George and pianist Bill Payne in 1969, Little Feat released a couple of straighter blues rock albums before embracing an infectious, Meters-like groove in their rhythm section (Roy Estrada and Richie Hayward of the Mothers of Invention). Despite a run of critically acclaimed albums throughout the '70s--and George's continuing excellence as a songwriter--the band broke up in 1979 shortly after George died. Reformed versions of Little Feat continued to release records and tour in the ensuing decades.
Ry Cooder
L.A.-based guitarist Ry Cooder learned from the best, getting lessons from legendary bluesman Rev. Gary Davis at an early age. In the mid 1960s, he formed pioneering blues-rock band the Rising Sons with Taj Mahal. When that dissolved, he became an in-demand session player for everyone from Captain Beefheart to Randy Newman. He worked with the Rolling Stones in the late '60s, and nearly became Brian Jones's replacement. Over the years he released numerous quirky solo albums venturing into folk, blues, country, and even Hawaiian music. In the late '90s he instigated the Buena Vista Social Club project, getting veteran Cuban musicians together and presenting their sound to the world via shockingly successful albums, concerts, and a documentary.
