Post by ChrisB on Aug 19, 2019 21:44:23 GMT
Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (1973)
Dixie Chicken is the third Little Feat album and was released in January 1973.
The band was formed when guitarist Lowell George was fired from The Mothers of Invention. He took Zappa's bass player, Roy Estrada, with him and called on a drummer called Richie Hayward who he had played with in his previous band, The Factory. He also recruited singer and keyboard player, Bill Payne, who had previously failed an audition for The Mothers. The band name came from a comment that the Mothers drummer, Jimmy Carl Black had made about Lowell George's tiny feet. Zappa helped the band secure a recording contract with Warner Brothers.
Two well reviewed but not massive selling albums later, the band split due to a lack of success. Estrada joined Beefheart's Magic Band and the remaining members later got back together and recruited Kenny Gradney to replace Roy Estrada. They also persuaded guitarist Paul Barrere, who was an old school mate of George's. The final piece in the jigsaw was percussionist Sam Clayton.
These changes had a major influence on the sound of the band - they started playing a much more slick and funky sound than the rather gritty previous style. The first album they recorded together was this one, 'Dixie Chicken'. This line-up remained stable until Lowell George died in 1979.
The artwork was done by Neon Park, who had created the 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh' sleeve for The Mothers (on which George had played). Park had illustrated the previous Feat album (Sailin' Shoes) and went on to design almost every subsequent one.
I'm a great fan of the band and this has to be one of the best albums. The musicianship is superb, with the band gelling together really well. Lowell George was a singer, writer, guitarist, producer... and he was at his best on this recording - I love his slide playing throughout. He wrote most of the songs, a notable exception being an Alan Toussaint song called 'On Your Way Down' which is, for me one of the highlights of the album. Perhaps the association with Toussaint gave the album the New Orleans feel to it. Richie Hayward plays in a New Orleans style on the track 'Fat Man in the Bathtub' . This is called second line drumming, where the player hits ever changing poly-rhythms in the same tempo off the main beat (as I have just learnt). Whatever you call it or how you play it, it makes for some massively infectious sounds.
If you don't know this album, please take a listen - it's one of those things that gets under your skin after a few plays. If you do know it, then hopefully this will give you a chance to enjoy it one more time. Or two, or three!
Cheers
Chris
Spotify:
Wiki:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Chicken_(album)
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL94gOvpr5yt0sC0LG0F1Ombpb4syfFpD7
Dixie Chicken is the third Little Feat album and was released in January 1973.
The band was formed when guitarist Lowell George was fired from The Mothers of Invention. He took Zappa's bass player, Roy Estrada, with him and called on a drummer called Richie Hayward who he had played with in his previous band, The Factory. He also recruited singer and keyboard player, Bill Payne, who had previously failed an audition for The Mothers. The band name came from a comment that the Mothers drummer, Jimmy Carl Black had made about Lowell George's tiny feet. Zappa helped the band secure a recording contract with Warner Brothers.
Two well reviewed but not massive selling albums later, the band split due to a lack of success. Estrada joined Beefheart's Magic Band and the remaining members later got back together and recruited Kenny Gradney to replace Roy Estrada. They also persuaded guitarist Paul Barrere, who was an old school mate of George's. The final piece in the jigsaw was percussionist Sam Clayton.
These changes had a major influence on the sound of the band - they started playing a much more slick and funky sound than the rather gritty previous style. The first album they recorded together was this one, 'Dixie Chicken'. This line-up remained stable until Lowell George died in 1979.
The artwork was done by Neon Park, who had created the 'Weasels Ripped My Flesh' sleeve for The Mothers (on which George had played). Park had illustrated the previous Feat album (Sailin' Shoes) and went on to design almost every subsequent one.
I'm a great fan of the band and this has to be one of the best albums. The musicianship is superb, with the band gelling together really well. Lowell George was a singer, writer, guitarist, producer... and he was at his best on this recording - I love his slide playing throughout. He wrote most of the songs, a notable exception being an Alan Toussaint song called 'On Your Way Down' which is, for me one of the highlights of the album. Perhaps the association with Toussaint gave the album the New Orleans feel to it. Richie Hayward plays in a New Orleans style on the track 'Fat Man in the Bathtub' . This is called second line drumming, where the player hits ever changing poly-rhythms in the same tempo off the main beat (as I have just learnt). Whatever you call it or how you play it, it makes for some massively infectious sounds.
If you don't know this album, please take a listen - it's one of those things that gets under your skin after a few plays. If you do know it, then hopefully this will give you a chance to enjoy it one more time. Or two, or three!
Cheers
Chris
Spotify:
Wiki:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Chicken_(album)
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL94gOvpr5yt0sC0LG0F1Ombpb4syfFpD7
