Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (50th Anniversary Edition) (Warner/Rhino)

With this expanded 50^th Anniversary of the band’s fourth studio album, let us pause and reflect on Little Feat, possibly the most under-rated band in rock history.

Little Feat was formed in 1969 by Lowell George and Roy Estrada of Frank Zappa’s Mothers, along with drummer Richie Hayward and Bill Payne on keyboards. Legend has it that Frank threw Lowell out of The Mothers for writing Willin’, a song about smoking dope.

Zappa must not have been too put off as he helped the band land a contract with Warner Bros. Record and Willin’ went on to become, arguably, Lowell’s finest composition with Linda Ronstadt doing the song justice on her Heart Like A Wheel album and eventually it was covered by everyone from Jackson Browne to The Black Crowes to Mandy Moore.

But Lowell and Little Feat were much more than a one-trick pony, although due to lack of sales (11,000) their debut album came close to being their last.

But cooler heads prevailed and a year came Sailin’ Shoes, another collection of well-written, well-played rootsy tunes that, again, went largely ignored.

Sales were up, but not by much, and so the band called it a day.

Again, sanity reined, the band regrouped, with Kenny Gradney taking over bass duties from Roy Estrada (you know you’re in trouble when your bass player leaves to join Captain Beefheart in hopes of more popularity) with Paul Barrere signing on as second guitarist and Sam Clayton rounding out the (now) sextet) on percussion.

The result was 1973’s Sailin’ Shoes.

Once again, Lowell George’s songs are stunning and the band is sounding better than ever with the new members (and George) adding a bit of New Orleans funk to the mix. Listening back 50+ years later, one wonders why it didn’t zoom up the charts. But it didn’t and once more the band broke up.

But the breakup was a failure and they all regrouped in 1974 which brings us to Feats Don’t Fail Me Now.

A quick scan of the credits sees that Lowell George was writing less, but the other band members were picking up the slack, resulting in what is considered to be the group’s best “band” record.

Highlights are many starting with George’s Rock And Roll Doctor and including Bill Payne’s Oh Atlanta and Paul Barrere’s Skin It Back.

Sounding solidly funk throughout,  each song carries its own weight and personality culminating with closing medley Cold Cold Cold/Tripe Face Boogie, guaranteed to put a spring in your step.

On this new, expanded version we get an additional 12 tracks, 8 previously unreleased.

So, do we need alternate versions of Spanish Moon, Rock & Roll Doctor or Oh Atlanta?

Not really, but they are fun to check out if you’ve got the time. The alternate version of Oh Atlanta is particularly feisty and I thoroughly enjoyed the slinky, unfinished outtake version of Day At The Dog Races, a tune that would turn up on Time Loves A Hero.

And, yes, despite, the quality of the album, sales (and airplay) were disappointing. It wasn’t until 1978’s double live album, Waiting For Columbus that they sold a million copies, but by then Lowell George had lost interest. He released his solo album, Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here in 1979 and then tragically died of a heart attack while touring the album in June of the same year.

The rest of the band eventually regrouped releasing about 20 albums with the latest being this year’s Sam’s Place, which, not surprisingly, is pretty darn good.

These days the band consists of Bill Payne, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney along with Fred Tackett, Scott Sharrard and Tony Leone.

Original drummer Richie Hayward died in 2010, guitarist Paul Barrere in 2021, both of liver cancer.

But the band plays on…they tour once more starting in February.  With friends like Frank Zappa, Van Dyke Parks, Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt there must be something going on. So be there if you’re willin’ and able.

Marty Duda

Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now 50th Anniversary Edition is out now as a 2-disc vinyl version and a 3-disc CD version (with additional live tracks)