Chances are if you are a fan of the Southern Rock or Jam Band styles you probably own or have owned a copy of Little Feat's legendary 1978 live album Waiting for Columbus , which to this day is considered in the same league as live albums from The Allman Brothers Band, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Band. However, many have probably not heard the studio versions of many of the great songs that were on that live album. The Best of Little Feat puts together 17 classic Little Feat tracks, all studio versions save for two gems from Waiting For Columbus, 'All That You Dream" and their staple "Oh Atlanta". Led by guitarist/vocalist Lowell George (fresh from a brief stint with Frank Zappa), the band released their first self-titled debut in 1970, of which the excellent roots rock/jam/Southern fusion "Hamburger Midnight" is included here. George's tasty electric and slide guitar picking meshes perfectly with the smooth keyboards from Bill Payne on the sophomore album Sailin' Shoes of which you get the boogie classic "Cold, Cold, Cold", as well as jam rockers "Triple Face Boogie" and "Willin' ". One of the band's more memorable pieces is "Dixie Chicken", from the album of the same name, a real Southern rock and boogie number with Lowell's great vocals and lazy slide excursions. This album also produced another live favorite in "Fat Man in the Bathtub", and while the studio version included here is excellent (including some great piano work from Payne and slippery bass from Kenny Gradney), the live rendition from Waiting for Columbus is better.
From the album Time Loves a Hero (produced by Ted Templeman) comes the slick and funky "Hi Roller", complete with stinging guitar work, horns, and Paynes muscular Hammond lines, as well as the soulful pop flavored title track. The latter few of the songs on this collection were released after founding member Lowell George died of a heart attack, yet still retain the trademark feel of the band. One of the highlights of these later pieces is "Let It Roll", a harder rock number with flashy guitar licks from new guys Fred Tackett and Craig Fuller, as well as more solid keyboard work from Payne, who at that time took a more prominent role in the band as far as songwriting and producing went. Fans of the Rossington Collins Band will love the Southern Rock twang of "Cadillac Hotel", featuring great female vocals from Shaun Murphy. Tackett's lethal guitar licks are all over the nasty rock tune "Home Ground", a song from 1998 that showed that Little Feat still had plenty of life in their tank and could kick out the jams with anyone.
The Best of Little Feat is a pretty good place to start if you've never heard the music of this great American band. Once you've gotten the taste of their career here, you'll probably want to investigate the live album and some of their other studio albums to get the whole story.
Track Listing
1. Hamburger Midnight
2. Cold, Cold, Cold
3. Tripe Fact Boogie
4. Willin'
5. Dixie Chicken
6. Roll Um Easy
7. Fat Man In The Bathtub
8. Fool Yourself
9. All That You Dream (live)
10. Oh Atlanta (live)
11. Hi Roller
12. Time Loves A Hero
13. Down On The Farm
14. Let It Roll
15. Rad Gumbo
16. Cadillac Hotel sten
17. Home Ground