Little Feat - Little Feat (1971)

                                                                      Little Feat
 It sold poorly (around 11,000 copies) and the band never cut anything like it again, but Little Feat's eponymous debut isn't just one of their finest records, it's one of the great lost rock & roll albums. Even dedicated fans tend to overlook the album, largely because it's the polar opposite of the subtly intricate, funky rhythm & roll that made their reputation during the mid-'70s. Little Feat is a raw, hard-driving, funny and affectionate celebration of American weirdness, equal parts garage rock, roadhouse blues, post-Zappa bizarreness, post-Parsons country rock and slightly bent folk storytelling. Since it's grounded in roots rock, it feels familiar enough, but the vision of chief songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Lowell George is wholly unique and slightly off-center. He sees everything with a gently surreal sense of humor that remains affectionate, whether it's on an ode to a "Truck Stop Girl," the weary trucker's anthem "Willin'," or the goofy character sketch of the crusty old salt "Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie." That affection is balanced by gutsy slices of Americana like the careening travelogue "Strawberry Flats," the darkly humorous "Hamburger Midnight" and a jaw-dropping Howlin' Wolf medley guest-starring Ry Cooder, plus keyboardist Bill Payne's terrific opener "Snakes on Everything." The songwriting itself is remarkable enough, but the band is its equal -- they're as loose, vibrant and alive as the Stones at their best. In most respects, this album has more in common with George's earlier band the Factory than the rest of the Little Feat catalog, but there's a deftness in the writing and performance that distinguishes it from either band's work, which makes it all the more remarkable. It's a pity that more people haven't heard the record, but that just means that anyone who owns it feels like they're in on a secret only they and a handful of others know.


Credits:

Russ Titelman - Backing Vocals, Percussion   
Roy Estrada - Bass, Backing Vocals  
Richard Hayward - Drums, Backing Vocals   
Ry Cooder - Guitar (Bottleneck), Guitar 
Lowell George - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals   
Bill Payne - Keyboards, Vocals   
Sneaky Pete - Pedal Steel Guitar  
Russ Titelman - Piano   

Tracklist:

01. Snakes On Everything 03:04
02. Strawberry Flats 02:20
03. Truck Stop Girl 02:32
04. Brides Of Jesus 03:20
05. Willing 02:24
06. Hamburger Midnight 02:30
07. Forty Four Blues / How Many More Years 06:25
08. Crack In Your Door 02:16
09. I've Been The One 02:20
10. Takin' My Time 02:45
11. Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie 01:55