Little Feat

(Translated from my original Italian text by ChatGPT and Piero Scaruffi)

Little Feat emerged from the avant-garde circles of Los Angeles but made their mark with a sound that was an intelligent and ironic revision of roots rock in an era when all rock music was turning toward tradition. Little Feat had a unique touch in blending blues, country, soul, funk, and rock—a touch that others would have turned into currency, but they preferred to keep it in an “alternative” format. What distinguished them most were the instrumental parts which, although not extended jams, were always original and quirky. In many ways, they served as a bridge between the generation of The Band and that of the Doobie Brothers.

Lowell George had been the leader of the Factory, a 1965 folk-rock group whose repertoire was later released on Lightning Rod Man (Bizarre, 1993), and had also played with Frank Zappa (a schoolmate) and with the Standells.

Little Feat formed in 1970 in Los Angeles with Lowell George on vocals and guitar, Billy Payne on keyboards, Richard Hayward on drums (ex-Fraternity of Man, an eccentric blues-rock ensemble featuring Elliot Ingber, formerly of Captain Beefheart), and Roy Estrada on bass (ex-Frank Zappa).

Little Feat (Warner, 1971) was still tied to the “blues revival” patterns of the 1960s (Truck Stop Girl, the long Fortyfour Blues). The tracks that foreshadowed the band’s future quirky sound were especially Hamburger Midnight, Snakes And Everything, and the country-psychedelic ballad Willin', their first classic.

It was Sailin' Shoes (Warner, 1972) that properly highlighted the two artistic personalities of George and Payne. George wrote most of the material and made unorthodox use of the slide guitar, while Payne delighted with gospel, soul, and jazz touches. The unbridled inventiveness colored each track differently. Alongside rural, relaxed, and measured songs like Willin', there were swirls of psychedelic blues, as in Cold Cold Cold, bright nervous energy bordering on ferocity in Triple Face Boogie and Teenage Nervous Breakdown, grotesque surrealism in the dragged-out Apolitical Blues, and equally eccentric blues in Sailin' Shoes. The album masterfully fused gospel, soul, blues, boogie, country, and rock, remaining cohesive despite its wild eclecticism.

Due to commercial failure, Estrada left the band. A more assertive lineup recorded Dixie Chicken (Warner, 1973), an album influenced by New Orleans rhythm and blues and destined to remain the most finely crafted in their career. George and Payne were at the peak of their artistry, and the expanded six-member lineup covered all musical angles. Kiss It Off, a strange play of congas and synthesizer; the instrumental LaFayette Railroad; the syncopated rag of Dixie Chicken; and the quirky Fat Man In The Bathtub are the best continuations of the nonsense in Sailin' Shoes. Two Trains is the classic track of the album.

The Little Feat style is evident on Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Warner, 1974), which flows smoothly and elegantly. Payne begins to take the lead, increasing the commercial appeal of the sound with noticeable funky nods. Skin It Back, Rock And Roll Doctor, Oh Atlanta, and the frenzied gospel of Feats are songs almost too refined for a group of old hippies like them. A remake of Tripe Face Boogie for conga and organ is the loquacious medley that consecrates the leader’s neuroses.

Subsequent albums were marked by the progressive marginalization of George by the new guitarist Paul Barrere and by Payne.

On The Last Record Album (Warner, 1975), George still contributed the excellent Down Below The Borderline and Long Distance Love, but the hit songs were Day Or Night and All That You Dream. Time Loves A Hero (Warner, 1977) emphasized jazz-rock tempos and electronic keyboard arrangements (Old Folks Boogie). Paradoxically, George dominates the final album, Down On The Farm (Warner, 1979), released posthumously after he himself had caused the band to dissolve (April 1979). It contains his songs Kokomo, Six Feet Of Snow, and Be One Now.

Lowell George managed to record his first solo album, Thanks I'll Eat It Here (Warner, 1979), relying too heavily on others’ songs, before being cut down by a heart attack (June 1979).