Little Feat - Dixie Chicken

Little Feat visits "Dixieland" on one of their finest releases

Mixing blues, New Orleans jazz and rock 'n' roll in a potent mix, Dixie Chicken proved to be a watershed album for the band. Their third album was, along with "Feats Don't Fail Me Now", one of their finest without a single weak track. Opening with the title track and then following immediately with the soulful "Two Trains" (which Lowell George later re-recorded for his only solo album "Thanks I'll Eat It Here"),and then drifts into acoustic blues with "Roll Um Easy" (available as a re-recording by George on the Little Feat box set "Hotcakes and Outtakes" an unreleased track from his solo album as well).

The song is probably best known for "Fat Man in The Bathtub" and while that IS a great song, there's so much more here to be heard that if that's the only Little Feat song that you've heard, you're depriving yourself. The album closes out with the George-Billy Payne collaboration "Lafayette Railroad" a potent mix of Payne's slide guitar and percussionist Sam Clayton on congas.

The original CD sounds terrific. It was mastered for CD by Lee Herschberg who focused on recreating the crisp sound of the original LP as much as possible while playing to the sonic advantages of a CD. It's a pity that there are no bonus tracks on the CD (there are outtakes that are available on the "Hotcakes & Outtakes" box set that would have fit in here just fine but that came out AFTER this was released and, to be honest, when this was originally released on CD in 1990 it was rare but not unheard of to find bonus tracks on re-releases)but other than that minor complaint (and the fact that they could have provided lyrics for the songs), this is a terrific one to get. Is it better to get the CD in a replica of the original LP sleeve that Warner has been putting out via its Japanese division? Not really unless you want that replica along with a replica of the artwork recreated from the original label on the CD? That's you're call but the music--which matters--is the same. April 20, 2008

Masters of their world

At the time of the release of this album and Feats Don't Fail Me Now, Little feat got a lot of airplay on WHFS in Washington DC. When they rolled into town, it was usually at a small venue called the Warner Theater..I am trying to recall the exact place I saw them first. The reason it comes to mind is at that very concert, which opened with The Meters and Allan Toussaint, a lot of musicians of the DC area were in attendance. That is the kind of band Little Feat was, and having a band like The Meters opening for them showed the kind of music a Little Feat concert was, and where their love of music lay. I never failed to get tickets to go see them. Lowell George had to have been one of the best slide guitarists that ever graced the planet as well as a terrific songwriter and great sense of humor. But it was not just him when it came to that band, it was the interaction of all of them...Paul Barrere, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward, Sam Clayton...they made a sound so tight and so improvisational. Each album had it's own feel to it, getting more complex with the progression and path they took in the years of Lowell George. Sailin' Shoes was the first album I bought and was more than enough satisfaction in their music to buy Dixie Chicken. I named my cat Dixie at the time.
Deep Purple has their historical Appreciation Society...One should be made for Little Feat showing their various incarnations and changes the band has gone through. It is unfortunate they had pockets of popularity by region such as DC and Baltimore with all that talent. But the band is still around...I admit I am partial to the Lowell George and Craig Fuller years but this is a great band. One does not go wrong buying this album and any of their others. They are musician's musicians. March 11, 2008

Little Feat=Overlooked Brilliance

Just flipping through my AMG guide to Blues one day I decided to read about Little Feat and became especially interested when i saw that it had Lowell and Estrada (former Zappa musicians)... after picking this disc up at the store and listening to it, I simply could not believe (though i guess it's not the 1st time that such has been the case) that such an excellent group could be so little known! This is really an extraordinary album; I can't wait to check some of their other work! February 21, 2008

enjoyable

I bought this on a whim after hearing the song "On Your Way Down" on the radio. I was really impressed with the blues inspired slide guitar playing which had unusual riffs. Even though this album is 35 years+ old this song sounds quite fresh and original. There is a distinct cajun influence felt on "Dixie Chicken". Overall, the effort was very good. I much prefer this album to Sailin' Shoes which other reviewers felt was the other must have Little Feat album. They sound a little like the Allman Brothers with a sense of humor, and a little more subdued slide guitar. Some songs on this album are forgettable but "On Your Way Down", "Two Trains" and "Dixie Chicken" are keepers. September 19, 2007

Their best next to Sailin' Shoes

Dixie Chicken is Little Feat's third album and is regarded among longtime fans as their best work. Like their previous albums, Little Feat and Sailin' Shoes, Dixie Chicken would garner much critical acclaim but slow sales. The album also showed a change in direction in their music. While Sailin' Shoes was steeped in country, blues, and boogie music, Dixie Chicken is laid back and funkier. This would also be the album to debut longtime Feat members Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, and Kenny Gradney. Barrere, in particular, would play a pivotal role in the band, gradually writing more songs with their later releases and would be the major voice of the band when they regrouped in 1988.

But Lowell George was still the star of the show on Dixie Chicken, writing most of the songs and adding those gruff distinctive lead vocals to every track. As for the songs, they're all very good although I believe the tracks on Sailin' Shoes are slightly better overall. The title track is to this day the band's best and most memorable song, featuring clever wordplay and slide guitar from George and a memorable piano hook from Bill Payne. Country superstar Garth Brooks would later do a respectable cover of this in the `90s, in effect introducing the greatness of Little Feat to a whole new audience. "Fat Man in the Bathtub", another one of George's great story songs, is arguably their second best track with Richie Hayward lending the opening hook with his busy drum line. While the rest of the tracks aren't as widely known, they're all very strong. Songs like the funky "Two Trains", the rollicking "Walkin' All Night", and the dark blues of "On Your Way Down" show George in all of his glory with some of the sweetest slide playing you'll ever hear and the female backing vocals, performed by future superstar Bonnie Raitt among others, providing a nice touch. Another great track is "Fool Yourself", which was written by Fred Tackett, who would later join Little Feat when they reunited for the Let It Roll album and continues to play a major role in the band. "Lafayette Railroad" is a cool instrumental that the band continues to play live while "Juliette", with its arrangement and solemn flute line, recalls a livelier version of Traffic. "Roll Um Easy" and "Kiss It Off" are both very laid back tunes with George's vocals providing the perfect accompaniment. All told, Dixie Chicken is one of the best works from one of the finest American rock bands. Highly recommended.
April 10, 2006

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