Little Feat
One of the more offbeat and interesting bands to emerge in the
70s, Little Feat left a catalogue of memorable material and
provided, in Lowell George, one of the decades finest American
songwriters.
George's early career with punk group The
Standells and a brief 1970 stint with Frank
Zappa's Mothers of Invention are of little importance; though
it was during this period that he wrote Willin', a sardonic
truck driver's lament that would become the Little Feat anthem. Zappa
encouraged George to go solo, and he did - taking Mothers bassist
Roy Estrada with him!
An eponymous debut for Warner Brothers in 1970 revealed some
fine blues and country playing, and despite a lack of company
support Little Feat persevered reaching a creative peak on Sailin'
Shoes (1972), Dixie Chicken (1973) and Feats Don't
Fail Me Now (1974).
Lack of commercial success had persuaded the various band
members to concentrate on sessions, George adding his slide guitar
to John Cale's Paris 1919 and Van Dyke Parks' Rediscover
America, while pianist Bill Payne assisted the early Doobie
Brothers.
The group re-formed to play on a European showcase for Warners,
together with The Doobies, and
capitalised on a healthy cult following to steal several shows
from their touring partners. Thus reconstituted, the band finally
earned some reward for their excellence with Their Last Record
Album charting in Britain and America in 1975.
This success was tempered, however, by George's ill-health.
After contracting Hepatitis he was unable to fulfil touring
schedules and the band functioned and developed without his
idiosyncratic song-writing to guide them. This enforced democracy
resulted in a dilution of their strengths and led to unrest within
the band. George was not happy with the jazzier departures of Time
Loves A Hero (1976) and refused to play certain songs on
stage.
After a rather drab double live album George pursued a solo
career with more conviction, and his Thanks I'll Eat It Here
(1978) was a clear return to old form. Tragically, this
rejuvenation was halted by his death after a show at Washington DC
in 1979. In deference to him the other Little Feat members agreed
that without George there was no group and bowed out with Down
on the Farm in 1978 - parts of which were finished after his
death.
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