Little Feat

Production is the reason why Sailin' Shoes, Little Feat's sophomore album from '72, is not the underground classic that its debut was. Both collections are stellar fusions of California country rock, Stones-fried boogie and roots rock a la the Band. But unlike its predecessor, Sailin' Shoes was produced by Ted Templeman, the dude behind Van Halen's massive sound. Thus, the record possesses a full-blown FM rock sound that doesn't quite fit with Little Feat's earthy hard rock. Simply check out both records' versions of the truck driving chestnut "Willin'" to hear what we're talking about.

Now, here's a band with a mission. Little Feat is hewn from the same piece of oak as the
Byrds, the Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Like those three great (or once-great)
groups, Little Feat is preoccupied with American myths and folklore, though in its own
peculiar way. This preoccupation is evocatively evident in the group's two albums, Little
Feat (one of the three or four best of 1970), and the new record, Sailin' Shoes. B... More >

The first song on side one is about memory loss through marijuana, the first song on side two about cocaine cruising. I mention this because there must be some reason why this substantial but quite mortal American-mythos band hasn't changed my life when they inspire so many others to John-the-Baptist imitations, and dope may be it. They get over on "Teenage Nervous Breakdown," which lives up to my odd belief that rock and roll ought to be fast. Favorite line: "I'm gonna boogie my scruples away." (Grade - B+)