Remember Little Feat? Formed in 1969, Little Feat is one of those bands that we old Boomers often talk about when remembering the glory days of the ‘70s. They had a string of great songs; they weren’t often in the top ten, but they had a great, jazzy, bluesy sound for a rock band. Two of their founding members had come out of Frank Zappa’s band, the Mothers of Invention, and you can hear a little of that influence in their tunes.
The band was founded with these members: Singer and guitarist Lowell George and bass player Roy Estrada, the two from the Mothers, along with keyboardist Bill Payne and drummer Richie Hayward. By 1972, when the songs we all remember started coming out, bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist/singer Paul Barrere, and percussionist Sam Clayton had joined.
The original band only lasted until 1979. Lowell George called for them to disband. Some of the members reformed in 1987, though, and the band still tours.
I have six particular favorites, which should surprise no one. So, enjoy, as we hop in the Wayback Machine to the 1970s.
Willin’s (1971): Lowell George wrote this song before Little Feat formed up. It’s about a truck driver in the Southwest who augments his income by smuggling tax-free smokes and bringing illegal aliens across the border from Mexico (I know, I know, but he’s not meant to be a good guy.) Interestingly, this song is one of the reasons that Lowell George left the Mothers of Invention; when Frank read the lyrics, being virulently anti-drug, he decided that Zappa and Lowell needed to go in different directions.
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Dixie Chicken (1973): From the album of the same name, this is the story of a boy and a girl – I know, novel concept, especially in music – who meet in the Commodore Hotel. The boy, the man, really, makes his lifelong pledge to the girl then and there, promising her a house with a white picket fence. But in the end, it turns out the girl was running some kind of scam, and the protagonist ends up commiserating with other guys in the bar.
There’s a rumor that the Dixie Chicks took their name from this song. Given how they turned out, I don’t consider that a bragging point for Little Feat.
Fat Man in the Bathtub (1974): This is my very favorite Little Feat tune. I was 13 when it came out, but remember hearing it on the radio at the time, and if you can remember the first time you hear a song after over fifty years, you know it made an impact; I was riding with my brother in his pickup on the way to a roofing job when I heard this for the first time. This is a song that evokes thoughts of a pleasurable life, carefree and fun-loving, much like most of us are at 13.
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Oh Atlanta (1974): Bill Payne wrote this song, and it’s a fun, jazzy, banging tune about a guy who wants nothing more than to be in Atlanta with a red-haired girl that’s stuck in his mind. It was, reportedly, inspired by a girl Bill Payne had met in Atlanta. Payne later said he had been pushed by George Lowell to write this song:
"We affected each other, we pushed each other, and it was that type of camaraderie that produced the music," he said in Mojo. "Lowell would say, 'You can't write a commercial song like that.' And I'd say, 'Yes, you can.' And he'd say, 'No, you can't.' And the result of that was 'Oh Atlanta.'"
He could, and he did.
Time Loves a Hero (1977): I’m not so sure about the “hero” part of this song. It’s about a guy’s uncle, who left his wife to go live on the beach in Puerto Rico, loafing away his days and gambling away his nights. These lyrics tell one a lot:
Some say my uncle that he's a zero
His life as a shell, he left it back at Stateside
I'd say he's doing well without his shell
Bumming 'round the beaches of Puerto Rico
The beauty of the sunrise and sunset
To his friends he wish he could tell
They're at home still running for bells
Better San Juan than that blue collar hell
It's still a fun song, regardless of the distasteful nature of the person described. We can’t have everything.
Let It Roll (1988): Last but not least, one from the reformed Little Feat. This one’s a great song, and nothing heavy, just a fun description of a fun couple having fun in a fun car on a fun highway. It’s great being young.
Great songs can and should evoke great memories. These do, for me – great memories of a 1966 Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop with a cassette player, a thunderous 390 GT engine, a dusty gravel road, a pretty girl under my arm, and Dixie Chicken, played good and loud.These are good things to remember. I’m sure you have some Little Feat songs that conjure memories of your own. The comments, as always, are all yours.
