Conference napalm::guitar

    Lowell George's first "name" gig was second guitar with the Mothers of
    Invention (he's on "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" and snippets of other
    albums from the 68-69 time frame) where he hooked up with Roy Estrada
    and worked briefly with the Fraternity of Man ("Don't Bogart That
    Joint"), which is where he met Richie Hayward. Reportedly Zappa kicked
    him out after hearing some of Lowell's songs and gave him some seed
    money to put Little Feat together. 
    
    The Feat lineup was Bill Payne on keys, Richie Hayward on drums, Roy
    Estrada on bass(first 2 LPs only), Kenny Gradney on bass (starting with
    3rd LP), Sam Clayton on congas (starting with 3rd LP), Paul Barrere on
    guitar (starting with 3rd LP).  Since Lowell died, the band was idle
    for close to ten years, then reformed with *two* guitarists taking
    Lowell's place.  Since then, they've recorded two more albums. 
    
    The style of Little Feat on the first two LPs was somewhat similar to
    the Band, semi-countrified rock and roll.  Starting with the third LP
    (and a shift in the rhythm section where Estrada
    was replaced by Gradney) a strong New Orleans "second line"
    undercurrent was added, everything was a lot funkier.
    
    Lowell George's slide work is echoed in a lot of what Bonnie Raitt
    plays these days, very laid back, not so much a straight blues style at
    all.  You really have to hear it.  His lyrical style was, uh,
    different..."You yelled hey when your stove blew up, upset, why
    yes...those footprints on your ceiling are almost gone", or "Hello,
    give me missing persons, tell me what is it that you need?  I said, oh
    I need her so, she said you've got to stop your pleading".  
    
    He recorded his solo album (a disappointment to most fans) without
    officially breaking up Little Feat, but his death during his only solo
    tour (of a heart attack brought on by drug problems) effectively wiped
    that band out for a number of years. 
    
    Here's the quick Lowell discography:
    
    with Little Feat (all on Warner Bros., post-Lowell albums excluded):
    
    Little Feat
    Sailing Shoes
    Dixie Chicken
    Feats Don't Fail Me Now
    Last Record Album
    Time Loves A Hero
    Waiting For Columbus (live)
    Down on the Farm
    Hoy Hoy (compilation)
    
    solo (also on WB):
    
    Thanks, I'll Eat It Here
    
    He also guested on *lots* of albums over his career, playing behind
    people like Robert Palmer, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, John Cale, Van
    Dyke Parks, etc.
    
    What I would call "essential":
    
    Sailin' Shoes, Dixie Chicken, Feats Don't Fail Me Now 
    
    
    							Brian

    
> What I would call "essential":
> Sailin' Shoes, Dixie Chicken, Feats Don't Fail Me Now 

I always considered the essential Little Feat album to be 'Waiting For
Columbus' (the live one). Years later, it still gets *constant* airplay
at my house!

alan

Another vote for Waiting for Columbus.  Lots of good stuff here.  I think this
came out originally as a double album and one or two songs (Don't Bogart that 
Joint) were deleted to get it onto a CD.  Highly recommended.

Jim

    Off the Lowell George topic, but I absolutely LOVE the guitar work
    from their (Little Feat) new guys on "Representing the Mambo".  My fav 
    cut is Texas Twister.....super lix!
    
    Steev

    Re: .2
    
    Well, when I said "essential", I meant Lowell more than Feat...by the
    time the live album came out his influence in the band was much less
    than in the early days.  Defintitely "Sailin' Shoes" is stylistically a
    *lot* different than the later albums.  Check out "Cold, Cold, Cold"
    and "Tripe Face Boogie" in their original versions on SS and the
    remakes on "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" (or even the live one) to get a
    picture of how the band was shifting over time.
    
    						Brian

I'd also vote for Hoy!Hoy!, while it's a "goul" album it has some interesting
arrangement changes of a few of the songs that I love.

Representing the mambo just didn't do it for me. Let it roll is a good album
but is post Lowell. For that matter Down on the farm is pretty good too

dbii recovering feat freek

    >>I'd also vote for Hoy!Hoy!, while it's "goul" album, it has some
      interesting arrangement changes of a few of the songs that I love.
    
      I'm not certain what a "goul" album is?
    
      Discussions of post-George stuff is welcome here, too. Feat
      guitarist Paul Barrere is featured in this month's Guitar Player.
      He is interviewed in a dual session with Allman Brother Warren
      Haynes.
    
      They discuss slide guitar...it's interesting that both have had
      to pick up the slide and try to carry on in bands that featured
      slide legends.
    
      I don't know Barrere's work yet, but I think Warren is a great
      slide player!
    
      Brian

    Re: .7
    
    I think he meant "ghoul", it contains in addition to stuff compiled
    form the other albums a decent amount of "previously unreleased"
    including things like "China White", an ode to heroin that Lowell's
    wife said was "easy for him to write"...sheesh...
    
    For you Linda Ronstadt fans, there are a couple of tracks she sings
    from the Lowell memorial concert held in LA shortly after he died.
    
    While it's the closest to a Feat "best of" the rarities aren't all of
    real high caliber or interest to non-fans.  Nice picture book, tho...
    
    							Brian

    I'll cast a dissenting nay vote for _Waiting For Columbus_.  Too much
    pseudo-fusion-bill payne-day at the dog races type stuff for me...
    
    Peter

    Too many good tracks across too many albums,but the slide sound that
    always gets to me is the intro to "Kokomo With Me' on "Down on the
    Farm" SOOOOPer Smoooth !
    	I also have Lowell playing on a Mike Auldridge album,and a John
    Starling album,where his slide sound is the *BEST* I've ever heard.
    Bar none.
    		Jim.
    

    I saw Feat from the first row in the Orpheum Theater on the tour where
    they made "Waiting For Columbus" ...
    
    Best Damn show I ever saw ...
    
    
    /Billy_K
    

>>    I saw Feat from the first row in the Orpheum Theater on the tour where
>>    they made "Waiting For Columbus" ...
    
>>    Best Damn show I ever saw ...
    
    
>>    /Billy_K

	I saw this show from the the 8th row.  Definitely one of the best
	shows I have ever seen.  Talk about tight!!

	IMO, the studio albums have it over 'Waiting For Columbus', but
	I almost always like studio stuff better.  WFC would give the
	novice Feats fan a good overview.

	joe.
    

    Does anyone have the tab for Dixie Chicken?
    Thanks in advance
    Grins
    Pc
    

    How's about revisiting this topic. 
    
    Has anyone heard Little Feat's latest album entitled "Shake Me Up".
    The title cut is a real barn-burner. There's lots of other great
    stuff on the disk as well. 
    
    When is the next Feat disk due out ?
    
    I'd love to see Little Feat live this summer. Where are they playing
    in New England ?
    
    Mark

    RE: The title cut is a real barn-burner.
    
    More of a burner than "Texas Twister"? 
    
    Steve (who enjoys the last album)
    

>    I'd love to see Little Feat live this summer. Where are they playing
>    in New England ?

They just played two weeks ago up at the Club Casino at Hampton Beach (two
shows). I don't know if they're scheduled back in the area or not.

alan

    re.13 
    
    Can anyone help me with the blank spaces in the second verse. 
    I just can't get them off my recording. Anyone know the chords or get
    the tab? Apologies for posting lyrics, got Lowells permission, ya know.
    On the liner notes of one of the albums, maybe Sailin' Shoes(?), 
    Bonnie Raitt was listed as a backup vocalist. 
    
    dk.


Dixie Chicken


I've seen the bright lights of Memphis, And the Comodore Hotel.
And underneath a street lamp, I met a southern bell.
Well, she took me to the river, Where she cast her spell,
And in that southern moonlight, She sang this song so well.

If you'll be my dixie chicken, 
I'll be  your Tenessee lamb,
And we can walk together down in dixieland,
Down in dixieland. Down in Dixieland.


Well we made all the hot spots, My money flowed like wine,
And ............. of southern wiskey, Began to fog my mind.
And I don't remember church bells, or the money I put down
On the white picket fence ......., Of the house at the edge of town.
Oh, but boy do I remember, The strain of her refrain,
And the nights that we spent together, And the way she called my name.


Yeah, well, It's been a year since she ran away,
Guess that guitar player should could play.
She always like to sing along, She's always handy with a song,
And then one night in the lobby, Of the Commodore Hotel,
I chance to meet a bartender, Who said he knew her well.
And as we had a beer that night, he began to humm a song,
And all the boys there, at the bar began to sing along.

    Here are my guesses for verse two:
    
       >Well we made all the hot spots, My money flowed like wine,
    
       >And ............. of southern wiskey, Began to fog my mind.
    
    Then that low-down southern whiskey began to fog my mind
    
       >And I don't remember church bells, or the money I put down
    
       >On the white picket fence ......., Of the house at the edge of town.
    
    On the white picket fence and boardwalk on the house at the edge of town
    
       >Oh, but boy do I remember, The strain of her refrain,
    
       >And the nights that we spent together, And the way she called my name.
    
    
    ...but I think there are some other errors:
    
    >She always like to sing along, She's always handy with a song,
    
                                    He was always handy with a song
    
    
    >And as we had a beer that night, he began to humm a song,
    
    And as he handed me a drink, he began to hum a song,
    
    >And all the boys there, at the bar began to sing along.
    
    And all the boys up and down the bar began to sing along.
    
    JP
    
    

    
    
    Garth Brooks covered this tune -- maybe his vocals are easier to
    deciper?