Introduction

When I look for vinyl, I do it in different ways. Sometimes I'm clearly looking for an album or artist, but very often I just go out and then it might just be that you find nice records. I visit thrifts, vinyl stores, trade shows. It's not just the music that matters to me. I also love the images of covers. Sometimes I also buy records just for the cover. So did this time when I went out to one of my favorite thrift stores. There was a record on the shelf that immediately caught my attention.

I was almost sure when I saw the cover that it would be music from the 70s and what I thought was right. A 1972 record. I hadn't seen this cover before, but it caught my attention. It looked artful. I quickly saw a woman on a swing in a flash and the colors so cheerful. I decided to take him on the gamble, especially because I recognized the name and title of the album if not once, twice, three times.

Once I got home, I decided to delve more into the record. Of course, the first thing I always do is listen to the record when I get home. Well, that was nice when I put it on. Wow, what a sound. As if the band was playing in my living room. And that voice of the lead singer. I'm going to tell you more about the band, the album, the beautiful cover of the album in this blog. Read more about this great purchase.

Little Feat

Singer and guitarist Lowell George and bassist Roy Estrada were part of the Frank Zappa Mother's of Invention, also known later as The Mothers, in 1969. Roy Estrada had been part of this band since 1964 and Lowell George was later hired by Frank Zappa in 1968 to fill the place of guitarist Ray Collins. Zappa and George knew each other before from previous years, after they had already participated in a talent show together in 1960 and they also recorded some demos together, which turned out not to be really successful at the time. At the end of 1969 Zappa's band stopped.

Lowell, George and Roy Estrada decided to continue together and formed the rock band Little Feat. By the way, Zappa encouraged Lowell to form the band. Richie Hayward was added to the band as a drummer and the band was completed with keyboardist Bill Payne. The band's name came about after the mother of drummer Jimmy Carl Black, who was formerly part of the Frank Zappa Mother's of Invention, made a comment about Lowell George's small feet and shoe size. However, the group did not literally choose the name “little foot”, but made it a nice combination by making the word “small” with reference to the foot and the word “foot” they turned into feat as a tribute to their great inspirers The Beatles.

Like the Beatles, they wanted to have the letters e and the a in their word feat. The music of this American rock band consisted of different musical styles, namely rock 'n roll, different rock styles, such as blues rock, country rock, funk rock, jazz, fusion, blues and folk. An interesting mix of styles. Two studio albums were made. In 1971, the first album Little Feat was released, in 1972 the second entitled Sailin' Shoes, the album I bought. I'm going to discuss this album in detail later in this blog.

Roy Estrada left the band in 1973 and Kenny Gradney replaced him. The band was also expanded with a few more musicians, namely guitarist Paul Barrère and percussionist Sam Clayton. Their third album, Dixie Chicken, was released in 1973. Music critics were enthusiastic about this album, but the album did not sell well. Later, though. The fourth album Feat's Don't Fall Me Now was better received and from that moment on the subsequent albums were also well received. The band also performed in 1976 in the Netherlands at the Pinkpop music festival. Still, things were rumbling within the band and Lowell George wanted to take a different course and in 1979 he indicated that he quit the band and start a solo career. He was also in poor health. He was overweight and suffering from hepatitis.
During his promo tour of his first solo album Thanks, I'll Eat It Here in June 1979, he died of a heart attack. He was only 34 years old.


Before the band decided to quit, the album Down on the Farm, which Lowell George had also participated in, was released. After that, the other band members each went their separate ways. In 1987, the old band members reunited and started making music again and made several albums. Fred Tackett was also added to the band. And vocalist and guitarist Craig Fuller. Of the former band members, drummer Richie Hayward and singer and guitarist Paul Barrère have unfortunately also died. For drummer Richie, Gabe Ford replaced in 2009. For Paul Barrère, Shaun Murphy replaced. The band is still active to date.
For concert schedule see this link https://www.viagogo.nl/Concert-Tickets/Rock+Pop/Little-Feat-Kaartjes

One of the band's most famous songs is the song “Willin”, which has been featured on several of their albums and has also been widely covered by various artists, including Linda Ronstadt on her album Heart Like a Wheel, The Byrds, Black Crowes. The song was written by Lowell George and was performed by himself. He played and sang this song with Ry Cooder before until 1972. From 1972, the song was played with the band members of Litte Feat.

Little Feat Tickets

Little Feat Albums

Albums published

1971 — Little Feat
1972 — Sailin' Shoes
1973 — Dixie Chicken (the song Dixie Chicken became their best song ever and also the best album)
1974 — Feats Don't Fail Me Now
1975 — The Last Record Album
1977 — Time Loves a Hero
1979 — Down on the Farm
1988 — Let it Roll (Grammy Award nominee for Best Rock Performance Group with Vocal)
1990 — Representing the Mambo
1991 — Shake Me Up
1995 — Ain't Had Enough Fun
1996 — Under the Radar
2000 — Chinese Work Songs
2003 — Kickin' It at the Barn
2008 — Join the Band
2012 — Schedule Rag

Live albums

1978 — Waiting for Columbus (best live album)
1996 — Live from Neon Park
2000 — Extended Versions
2000 - Waiting for Columbus Reissue
2001 — Late Night Truck Stop
2002 — Live at the Rams Head
2003 — Down Upon the Suwannee River
2005 — Highwire Act Live in St. Louis 2003
2005 — Barnstormin' Live Volume One
2005 — Barnstormin' Live Volume Two
2007 — Rocky Mountain Jam
2014 — Live in Holland 1976 — Pinkpop 1976

In 1975, there was a live concert by Little Feat at the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam.

Lowell George

American singer Lowell Thomas George was born on April 13, 1945 in Hollywood, California. He was a son of designer and fur maker Willard H. George who supplied fur to Hollywood film studios. Lowell George started playing musical instruments at an early age. His first musical instrument he played was the harmonica. Followed by guitar and flute. He was also able to play on the saxophone, sitar and shakuhachi. This Japanese instrument was a bamboo flute and had a unique sound that was regularly heard in pop songs and film music later in the 80s, including in the films Karate Kid II and III.

Besides being a singer, Lowell George was also a songwriter, guitarist and producer. In 1965, he had his first band, The Factory, with which he released a single entitled “Smile, Let Your Life Begin. This was followed by the collaboration with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and Little Feat. Frank Zappa praised Lowell George, calling him one of the most talented musicians in the music industry.

Zappa did have trouble with Lowell's drug use and there was disagreement between the two due to the fact that Lowell is said to have smoked marijuana during s his time in the The Mothers of Invention band, but on the other hand it was claimed that the reason for dismissal would be because the song “Willin” about drugs goes. For Lowell, it was at least a reason to stop at Zappa and start the band Little Feat. The song “Willin” has become one of the best trucker songs over the years. Lowell George also drew his inspiration from the time when he himself worked at a gas station and regularly encountered truckers on the road. In this song, he describes the life of a truck driver.

Album Sailin' Shoes

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I bought this album. My first impression was already good and decided to give this record a good listen. It's a surprising mix of musical styles you hear. Blues, rock, country, folk. You also regularly hear the slide guitar that is used in the blues songs in particular. Some songs were recorded live while others were not. That also makes the record diverse.
The album has a total of 11 songs and lasts a total of 37:56. Not really long, but it's well worth it.

1. Easy to Slip 3:22
2. Cold Cold 4:01
3. Trouble 2:19
4. Tripe Face Boogie 3:16
5. Willin' 2:57
6. A Apolitical Blues 3:28
7. Sailin' Shoes 2:53
8. Teen Nervous Breakdown 2:13
9. Got No Shadow 5:08
10. Cat Fever 4:37
11. Texas Rose Cafe 3:42

It's that producer Ted Templeman, who worked at Warner Bros. and drummer was also a huge fan of drummer Ritchie Hayward of Little Feat. He was also charmed by the talented Lowell George. He called the band members monsters in the music world. Little Feat certainly also falls under cult music. Due to the fact that their music was so artistic and contemporary with phenomenal chords, guitar loops on slide guitar. They were also mentioned in comparison to The Band, who also made traditional music and also played various musical instruments.

He had been following the band for a while and despite the fact that their first album Little Feat was not well received by the public and Warner Bros wanted to drop the group, Ted was confident to work with them, especially when the song Easy To Slip was played, they got to Warner Bros. soon realized that they had to keep a group anyway. When I first heard the song, I immediately reminded me of the Eagles. At least it was a commercial song in the ear, which you would definitely play on the radio. Ted Templeman also collaborated with the Doobie Brothers and Van Morrison, Carly Simon, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Aerosmith.

The song 'Willin' is also one of Ted's favorite songs from this record, all the more so because this version is only performed by Lowell George this time and not together with Ry Cooder. The lyrics of the song come in even more because Lowell often cancels it during the song, supported by Bill Payne's piano playing. I think the song Cold, Cold, Cold is the most beautiful and sensitive song on the record and I get goosebumps from the playing on his slide guitar in combination with the piano playing. And also the surprising sizes in which they play. Actually, I've never heard anything so unique. The background vocals are provided by Debbie Lindsey. He wrote this song on his own while staying in his hotel room in Houston.

The song Trouble is a kind of ballad you hear. That's the great thing about this album, it goes in all directions, so you're always surprised. If you want to go crazy for a while, the up-tempo boogie song is definitely recommended, the fourth song of the album Tripe Face Boogie. Again that slide guitar and riffs in combination with piano and of course Ritchie's fantastic drum playing and Bill Payne's beautiful keyboard playing. It also reminded me of Supertramp at times when I heard his keyboard. This is definitely one of my favorite songs from this album.

For the song A Apolitical Blues, musician, composer and producer Roy Elliot was asked for the guitar playing. In the song Teenage Nervous Breakdown, the band also opens all the stops and you can hear the guitar rising in true pitch. Followed by the quiet song Got No Shadow which is a good addition to the balance of this album. That also applies to the song Cat Fever, which is also nice and relaxed to hear. The last song from the album Texas Rose Cafe is named after the hippie cafe/bar tent that the group visited during a trip in Houston.

You can listen to the complete album below.