Published on Apr 7, 1998
I’ve always had a problem with tribute albums. I don’t even like
watching bands do covers at live shows. It just seems like nothing
ever comes off quite as well as the original, unless the original
sucked in the first place. Then, sometimes the cover can be better.
I’d say at best I have mixed feelings on cover tunes and the
results of this tribute to founding member of Little Feat, Lowell
George, is a mixed success as well.
Lowell George has earned a reputation as a guitar idol among
mere mortals and was further deified due to his early death at age
34 in 1979. While the band had been in disarray and broken up at
the time of his death, Little Feat has since reformed and become
one of those non-commercial success stories whose die-hard fans
keep them in the money and on perpetual tour. While I appreciate
the sentiments and obvious love of long-time friends, bandmates,
and family members in attempting to put together this disc in his
memory, I can’t say it improves on any of the originals and
sometimes is downright embarrassing to his prolific musical
career.
At his best, Lowell George embodied that blend between R&B,
Delta blues, country, and rock and roll. Not bad for a kid who grew
up in California close to Hollywood but who remained a simple guy
at heart. His use of the slide guitar in his music made a white man
playing this funky mixture suddenly legitimate and appealing to all
audiences. His body of work is unbelievably deep and varied and his
talent appreciated by many-a lot of musicians he worked with
independent of Little Feat appear on this disc including Bonnie
Raitt, JD Souther and Jackson Browne to name a few. The appearance
of a few people just stuns me including Eddie Money. Does he even
still have a career? As a side note, a current member of Little
Feat, Shaun Murphy, has worked with Money, but so what! And Randy
Newman’s appearance is just plain horrible whether a fan or
not.
One of the most successful songs on the disc is the opener,
“Cold, Cold, Cold”, covered by Bonnie Raitt. Her past work with
Lowell George was supposedly one of his most treasured. Raitt’s
scratchy, bluesy vocal style along with her excellent slide work
culminate an aching and well-realized version of this melancholy
tale of a man down on his luck and out of time. Also appearing on
slide is current Feat member, Paul Barrere, who has always stayed
true to George’s original vision of the band, but cultivated his
own unique playing style.
The Bottle Rockets with David Lindley on slide turn in a lusty
rendition of “Rocket In My Pocket” off 1977’s
Time Loves A Hero. Lindley’s powerful finger work has just
the right heated, nasty feel, barely containing the intended sexual
innuendo of the lyrics and music. Brian Henneman’s aggressive and
lusty vocals lets us know exactly whose rocket wants to go where as
he teases “I got a rocket in my pocket/yeah rocket/Got your finger
in the socket.”
Another successful cut is “Roll Um Easy,” covered by George’s
close friend JD Souther. Souther’s sweetly seductive interpretation
is haunting and demonstrates with quiet despondency how the hero
pines for his woman as he implores her to be gentle and “roll um
easy.”
Jackson Browne’s cover of “I’ve Been The One” is a tepid version
of this George song. It’s another case of a famous performer
appearing on the disc who just performs badly and seems to lack any
real passion or conviction in his effort. The saving grace of this
cover is David Lindley’s slide guitar work.
Equally dreadful is Randy Newman’s take on “Sailin’ Shoes,” one
of those mini-hits from Little Feat that often can still be heard
on classic rock stations. This is a god awful dirgelike number
which totally loses and buries the original’s very much alive and
kicking notion of misery and longing. Acting dead rather than
reflecting the song’s sadness is no substitute. In fairness, I’ve
never been a fan of Newman and his voice annoys the hell out of me,
so I probably wouldn’t like anything he may have chosen to
cover.
Perhaps Feat’s most popular song, and certainly one of their
best, “Spanish Moon” is decimated in a performance by Phil Perry,
Merry Clayton and Ricky Lawson. This song deserves to be included
in the tribute, but not at the utter expense and collapse of its
gutsy, tough R&B tempo. The vocals in the original fairly
roared with indignation and anger, this just lays there lamely.
Allen Touissant and Leo Nocentelli muster up a fun, untempo
version of “Two Trains” which best highlights the New Orleans feel
and sound central to many of George’s original compositions with
Little Feat. Also fun is Taj Mahal’s take on “Feets Don’t Fail Me
Now” from the 1974 Little Feat release of the same name. Their
energetic horn section add a nice punch to Mahal’s bubbly vocal
delivery.
Paul Barrere and the current Little Feat line-up do a decent job
on “Honest Man”. The song stays true to the spirit of Lowell George
while adding a more contemporary feel to a song over 27 years old.
Bill Payne’s performance on the Hammond B-3 organ is great without
having that bad cheesy sixties lounge sound.
“Trouble,” the final cut on the disc, features George’s
daughter, Inara, who appears with the extraordinary pianist, Van
Dyke Parks, and guitarist Ry Cooder. According to the liner notes,
Inara’s mother used to sing this song to her as a lullabye when she
was a baby. This tune is one of the disc’s best with a beautiful
vocal performance by Inara. Her voice works in complete harmony
with Van Dyke Parks’s piano, neither performer overpowering the
other but each commanding dual attention. The addition of strings
add a luscious undertone to this selection.
Rock And Roll Doctor was obviously a lot of blood, sweat and
tears for Lowell George’s friends and family. Many of his past
collaborators who kept him working as studio musician on their own
work show up which I’m sure is founded on a deep respect for him
and his work. However, some of his biggest fans are not necessarily
his best imitators. Some things are better left untouched and
perfect in our memories and cannot be improved upon, no mater how
noble the intentions.