Dual slide guitars are prominent in this recording as well as some sudsy Fender Rhodes enveloping the jumpy calypso tinged groove. A short drums and percussion interlude lays the groundwork for the segue into a bubbly ‘Fatman in the Bathtub’. The Feat get six feet deep funky on this one, George lays down hand in glove slide playing that fits perfectly, working with the band in perfect harmony. The band paints this picture with their sensual reading of the song that eventually slips seamlessly into the Barrere penned ‘Skin It Back’. Walking with the light of the night, the band peers through the window a dusty, musty saloon to see a dark bluesy beauty playing guitar. ‘Spanish Moon’ starts things off with a sexy stomp created by drums, percussion and bass. George sings the straight up lyric with the soul of a man who has been hurt in the past, Barrere is sympathetic to every sweetly sung line with tasteful statements.Ī song suite of three songs as funky as old gym shoes follows and are an obvious highlights of the performance. A slinky, slightly dark version follows, with Payne’s keys again being a focal point, the opening of the song being an acoustic piano saloon salute. The mood quiets slightly with the slowly sinking Allen Toussaint cover, ‘On Your Way Down’ being displayed next. A reply of ‘heavy’ can be heard coming from a band member on the recording, and is a proper analysis of the preceding jam. The insistent cadence of the track is memorizing as Payne concocts a plethora of melodic statements, manipulated into bends, swells, and crescendos. A sly staccato verse about the misgivings of a teenage groupie finally gives way to an extended Bill Payne keyboard liftoff. Barrere solos first with a slightly over driven tone to which Payne answers with his own keyboard excursions that also contain a bite.Īn urgent version of ‘The Fan’ mischievously creeps from the backseat of a tour van, the aggressive rhythm lending shape to Payne’s slick keyboard riffs that develop the basis of the song. ‘Two Trains’ begins to pick up speed, entering a darkened tunnel of extended jamming. Little Feat are a conglomerate of influence, contributing a cosmic improvisational dusting to their homegrown sensibilities. Minus an additional horn section, this is chunky New Orleans funk, reminiscent of Dr. ”Two Trains’ from 1973’s Dixie Chicken follows and is an earthy ‘Allman Brothers-esque’ track brimming with percussion, Hammond organ accents and syrupy vocals by George. George’s clean Stratocaster slide guitar adds a sleek narcotic dressing to the track, that by its conclusion has become a joyous call and response vocal jam riding the bumpy roads of the Feat’s rolling rhythm. The drums and rest of the instrumentation play a tug of war with one another, the drums racing, the vocal melody slightly dragging behind, sweet, patient. Intertwining keyboards and a slide guitar by George wrap themselves around the groove, tightening like a tourniquet. The concert opens on the phased and strummed opening of ‘Rock n Roll Doctor’, who slips in the back door for a home visit. While not considered a ‘hit making’ band, Little Feat was a group to be witnessed in the live arena and was recognized by music aficionados and underground FM stations as a vital and influential group. Often discussed as their ‘best’ line up, this recording calls attention to the 1974 version of Little Feat containing Lowell George (Guitar, Vocals), Paul Barrere (Guitar, Vocals), Kenny Gradney (Bass), Richie Hayward (Drums,Vocals) Sam Clayton (Percussion, Vocals), and Bill Payne (Keyboards). The recording from Ultrasonic Studios in Hempstead on Septemis a clear Pre-FM soundboard recording that lucky enough catches the band playing at an astronomical level. This performance features the band in their prime, nestled between the LP releases Dixie Chicken and Feats Don’t Fail Me Now and playing for a small and intimate assembled studio audience. We flashback to one of the most famous live documents to ever circulate of legendary rock and rollers and ‘Country Funkers’ Little Feat.
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