LITTLE FEAT — Waiting for Columbus (review)

LITTLE FEAT — Waiting for Columbus album cover

Live album · 1978 · RnB

3.5/5 · 2011-11-03
Chicapah

In March of 1978 Little Feat finally released their long-awaited live album in the form of a two-record set called “Waiting for Columbus.” Many of their fans, including myself, had heard for years that they were a tremendous act to behold in concert but had, for various reasons, not been able to catch them on one of their tour dates and hoped that this would at least give us a delectable taste of what we’d been missing out on. We weren’t disappointed. Their undeniable affection for performing came bursting through the speakers without hindrance and, to this day, it remains an essential piece of the Little Feat catalogue of work. Whatever personality and/or musical direction conflicts they were dealing with and fighting over in the inner circle of the group were left in the studio environ, it would seem, for the music (with few exceptions) is exuberantly executed, performed with honest joy and professionalism by all the participants.

As if to give the listener an inside peek at what went on during the stroll from the dressing room to the stage (in the case of Little Feat, anyway), the album starts with “Join the Band.” It’s a sort of an a capella ensemble warm up chant that they perhaps employed to get them “in the mood” and it’s typical of the band’s eccentricity to do so. But once they don their instruments they get right down to business and launch directly into one of the best show openers ever, the funky rocker “Fat Man in the Bathtub.” It decisively demonstrates how powerful this group could be in person and how much excitement they could generate for their audience. If I were called upon to play but one representative cut for someone who’d never heard of Little Feat this would be the one I’d select. It’s got everything that made them so unique. They follow that barnburner with “All That You Dream,” a song from “The Last Record Album” that benefits greatly from the spontaneous combustion they cause it to undergo by unleashing it from the confines of the studio walls and letting it breathe freely. Next up is “Oh Atlanta,” a terrific rendition of a terrific song culled from their awesome “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” LP. Lowell George’s trademark slide guitar slices and dices like a sharp butcher knife. The humorous “Old Folks’ Boogie” is the first track where the studio version packs more punch but it still works as an effective crowd-pleaser.

“Time Loves a Hero” is just the opposite in that it’s one where their live performance grants the tune some much-needed bite. They do some interesting things with the arrangement and it really spices up an otherwise pedestrian number. From that they segue right into “Day or Night” seamlessly and the two songs fit together like matched leather gloves. There are several wicked solos to indulge in along the way, too. “Mercenary Territory” is a so-so rendering of a so-so tune but the sizzling “Tower of Power” horn section that accompanied them on this particular tour adds a wider dimension to it, highlighted by Lenny Pickett’s brash and sassy sax ride. “Spanish Moon” is one of my all-time favorite Feat ditties and they do it full and proper justice here. The irrepressible groove created and maintained by the tight-as-pantyhose rhythm section of Kenny Gradney on bass, Ritchie Hayward on drums and Sam Clayton on percussion is a thing of beauty and Lowell’s voice is amazing. “Dixie Chicken” is probably their most well-known composition and here they give their adoring followers a playful, extended version that satisfies them completely. Bill Payne’s piano ride is a delight and when the horn section veers into some authentic New Orleans Dixieland it takes on a life of its own, leading up to a dynamic guitar duel between George and Paul Barrere towards the end. From there they slickly transition into the fast-paced “Tripe Face Boogie,” one of their most hard-rocking numbers and they slay it without mercy.

For “Rocket in my Pocket” they once again inject some adrenaline into a song that came off sounding woefully anemic in the studio take, finding stronger legs under the hot Klieg lights. “Willin’” was the Lowell George country/folk tune that became a standard for club bands coast to coast to play in the early 70s and this subdued but poignant acoustic-heavy presentation is well done considering that by that time they were probably sick to death of it. Unfortunately, this is where the show begins to falter. Their mercifully brief, embarrassingly loose run-through of a verse and chorus of “Don’t Bogart that Joint” from the “Easy Rider” soundtrack elicits whoops and hollers from the glassy-eyed stoners in the arena but is woefully dated and corny. “A Apolitical Blues” follows and it is so crudely arrhythmic and discombobulated that one would swear it’s no more than a bad practical joke. One might think that except “Sailin’ Shoes” is next and it’s no better. WTF happened? Did the band suddenly get drunk or stoned or both? Why they let these two recordings go on the record is a mystery to me. At least they go out on a high note with a manic version of “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now.” This infectious number brings a smile to my face every time and it’s perfectly suited for Lowell to entice the crowd into participating in some lively call-and-response action.

Taped in London and Washington D.C. in August of 1977, this album caught the group at the height of their popularity and influence. Few of their loyal flock had an inkling that they were slowly disintegrating from the inside out although, in hindsight, the two LPs that came after “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” did give hints that all was not fragrant in their rose garden. Tensions between Lowell and the rest of the gang continued to mount after this particular tour was over as George turned his full attention to his solo career, leaving Little Feat to wonder what their future held until his untimely death in 1979. “Waiting for Columbus” serves as an admirable and worthy testament to what this band of renegades was all about. They were a group of artists that took a literal potpourri of musical styles and genres and somehow made them all come together cohesively in an inimitable, eclectic casserole. If you’re a newbie to the Feat, this is a good place to start.