Rhino Entertainment Company releases an exceptional 50 year anniversary re-mastered vinyl of Little Feat’s crowning moment.
Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now – Warner Records (1974)/Rhino Entertainment Company R1 726197/081227817176 (2024) Limited Edition 2-LP Set, *****:
(Lowell George – guitar, cowbells vocals; Bill Payne – keyboards, marimba, vocals; Paul Barrere – guitar, vocals; Richie Hayward – drums, percussion vocals; Kenny Gradney – bass; Sam Clayton – congas, percussion, vocals, Bonnie Raitt – vocals; Emmylou Harris – vocals; Fran Tate – vocals, Tower Of Power – horns; Fred White – drums; Gordon DeWitty – clarinet)
In the early 1970’s Little Feat may have been the best rock band in America. Following their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album and follow-up Sailing Shoes, the quartet developed a sound that combined blues, folk and old-time rock and roll. Despite fair sales, they acquired a loyal fan base with their live shows. In 1973, there was an epic lineup change. Joining leader and front man Lowell George, keyboardist Bill Payne and drummer Richie Hayward were Paul Barrere, Kenny Gradney and Sam Clayton. The next album, Dixie Chicken exhibited a muscular, Southern-tinged feel that resulted in a diverse musical landscape and livelier concert performances. With George as the primary songwriter (Payne and Barrere also contributed) and lead vocalist, Little Feat appeared to be on a trajectory for bona fide stardom. Their instrumental acuity was peaking and the songs maintained their technical standards. In 1974, the group captured the raucous “live” buoyancy on their fourth release, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now. This would be the apex of the band’s success as George’s leadership and involvement dwindled.
Rhino Entertainment Company has released a Limited Edition, re-mastered 2-LP set of Feats Don’t Fail Me Now. The eight tracks represent the most consistent and riveting Feat album. With Tower Of Power providing adding muscle, Side A opens with the groove-infused “Rock And Roll Doctor”. George’s soulful vocals and slide guitar hooks are mesmerizing. The magnetic refrain, …”If you wanna feel real nice, just ask the rock and roll doctor’s advice” is terrific. Billy Payne steps up on the rollicking “Oh Atlanta” His brawny riffs on the piano and earnest vocals are emphatic. Both he and George (on slide again) offer prominent solos. Barrere’s first Little Feat composition “Skin It Back” also displays funk but with syncopated jazzy resonance. As they do on most of the album. George and Payne shine on slide and piano. Slower but still smoldering, “Down The Road is atmospheric and Lowell George’s down ’n’ dirty intonation intermingles with the serpentine aural landscape. A certain highlight is “Spanish Moon”. In just over 3 minutes, George’s cautionary tale of nightlife at a bar (“One false step, you get done in…”) is framed with sly vocals, gritty horns and bluesy organ hooks.
Side B kicks off with the energetic title cut. Perhaps a twist on the trucker imagery (this time a female), George’s uninhibited singing and another Payne master class on piano make this 2:27 opus an enthusiastic celebration of life on the road. Little Feat were never confined to musical repetition. “The Fan” is a glimpse into the jazz fusion that would become a part of the later repertoire. There is a halting tempo with airy, swirling near-dissonant synthesizers permeating the jam. Graphic, comic imagery defines the narrative The finale (“Cold Cold Cold”/“Tripe Face Boogie”) is a ho-holds-barred explosive arrangement that raises the roof. Interestingly, both of these numbers had been covered on previous albums. This medley improves on each and the instrumentals and feel like a live Feat show.
The second LP (Hotcakes, Outtakes, Rarities) offers a variety of interesting numbers. “Brickyard Blues” is performed with a slower groove and George’s vocals are New Orleans cool. The alternate song takes from the album are stripped down, but still have a spark. But the real hidden gems are tracks that appear on later albums like “All That You Dream”, “Front Page News”, “Day At The Dog Races” and a heartbreaking version of “Long Distance Love”. Ending with the rousing “single” of “Spanish Moon”, this is a satisfying conclusion to this re-mastered classic album.
This 2-LP vinyl set is excellent. The re-mastered (Dan Hersch, Bill Ingot) mix is vibrant with excellent stereo separation and centered vocals. Neon Park’s surreal cover of George Washington and Marilyn Monroe driving up a mountain road in a lightning storm is as stunning as the music.
Highest recommendation!
—Robbie Gerson
Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
TrackList:
LP I (Feats Don’t Fail Me now 2024 remaster)
Side A: Rock And Roll Doctor; Oh Atlanta; Skin It Back; Down The Road; Spanish Moon
Side B: Feats Don’t Fail Me Now; The Fan; Medley (Cold, Cold, Cold/Tripe Face Boogie
LP 2 (Hotcakes, Outtakes, Rarities)
Side A: Brickyard Blues (outtake); Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (alternative version); Rock And Roll Doctor (alternate version); Spanish Room (alternative version); Skin It Back (alternative version); Oh Atlanta (alternate version)
Side B: All That You Dream (outtake); Front Page News (alternate version); Long Distance Love (outtake); Lonesome Whistle (alternate version); Day At The Dog Races (unfinished outtake); Spanish Moon (single version)
