Little Feat – Dixie Chicken – Warner Brothers Records/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 180-gram audiophile vinyl – Original Master Recording MFSL 1-320, 36:46 *****:
(Lowell George – guitars, cowbells, vocals; Bill Payne – keyboards, vocals, synthesizer; Richard Hayward – drums, vocals; Kenny Gradney – bass; Paul Barrere – guitars, vocals; Sam Clayton – congas; Malcolm Cecil – synthesizer; Milt Holland – tablas; Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar; Bonnie Bramlett – background vocals; Bonnie Raitt – background vocals; Dan Hutton – background vocals; Debbie Lindsey, Trett Fure, Gloria Jones, Stephanie Spurville – background vocals.)
From 1969-1972, Little Feat had become a critical success, defining the Southern California folk rock scene. Internal strife plagued the group as bass player Roy Estrada departed, signaling the advent of transition. The first personnel changes took place on Dixie Chicken, originally released in 1973. Guitarist, Paul Barrere , bassist Kenny Gradney and Sam Clayton on congas, infused the dynamics of the band with a Southern rootsy sound. Steeped in funky grooves, gospel singing and sophisticated arrangements, George would produce the album, heating this idiosyncratic brew to a fine boil.
The title cut opens with a biting piano line, backed by a tight rhythm section. George’s peerless vocals, along with a gospel chorus inject this dysfunctional love story with verve and humor. It establishes an ongoing scenario of musical imagery with a decidedly streetwise narrative. The self-deprecating singer laments romance with the hilarious “Fat Man in the Bathtub” a march- time rocker with a bluesy lead vocal, trademark slide guitar, and spirited backup singing – led by Bonnie Raitt and Bonnie Bramlett (whose robust wailing on “Two Trains” is transcendent). Bill Payne’s piano runs on all of the songs are both intricate and vigorous, setting a higher standard for keyboard instrumentation in the rock idiom.
An introspective ballad, “Roll Um Easy” has the feel of a 3 A.M. session. George’s voice conveys a sense of weariness and melancholy, aided by the beautifully-strained harmony of Danny Hutton. “Kiss It Off” exhibits a slowed down, ethereal arrangement with synthesizer lines, and an unusually dark lyrical content. This cautionary theme is continued on a rare cover, the Allen Touissaint blues opus, “On Your Way Down”. Easily the longest cut on the album, it exposes a mournful feel, with gritty vocals, and a backwater grooved rhythm (bass, congas and drums in seamless fusion). A fluid mixture of subtle piano riffs and warm organ tones complement the groundbreaking slide guitar legatos. (Note: It is widely asserted that the addition of Barrere on guitar enabled George’s slide work to mature).
In keeping with the spontaneity of a Little Feat collection, there are glimpses into the future. An original composition by occasional Feat contributor Fred Tackett (“Fool Yourself”) is a well-constructed song, showcasing an organic harmony approximating a vintage Band song. Payne and Barrere, who would perpetuated the cult status of Little Feat, share a songwriting credit on Walkin’ All Night”. The final cut, “Lafayette Railroad,” is a leisurely instrumental supplemented by a delicate slide guitar, electric piano counterpoint, framed by a drifting syncopated beat.
Reproduced from the original master recording, Mo-Fi has utilized its proprietary reduced-speed recording system (Gain 2 Ultra Analog System). The subsequent distortion abatement and limitation on the number of pressings has resulted in a clearer more precise tone quality. For aficionados of album cover art, surrealist Neon Park has concocted a dazzling widely renowned illustration that speaks to the visual aspects of music.
TrackList: Side 1: Dixie Chicken; Two Trains; Roll Um Easy; On Your Way Down; Kiss It Off Side 2: Fool Yourself; Walkin’ All Night; Fat Man in the Bathtub; Juliette; Lafayette Railroad.
– Robbie Gerson
