Little Feat

Little Feat - Under The Radar - 1998 - CMC International

Many fans of Little Feat would say that the band never recovered from the loss of the phenomenal slide guitarist, Lowell George, who sadly passed away in 1979 at the age of 34. This is true, and yet it did not detract from some of LF's later albums. Try and listen to the totally brilliant live album"Highwire Act Live In ST. Louis 2003." "Under The Radar" is a very good LF album. There are great vocals from Shaun Murphy, a potent female vocalist, sometimes reminiscent of Janis Joplin, and some sublime slide guitar from Paul Barrère The album still contains a lot of that unique cajun tinged, Southern boogie blues rock sound , best heard in the early to mid seventies Little Feat line-ups. There are two especially good tracks on this album. "Eden's Wall" is a superb track, and "Calling The Children Home," is a marvellous Cajun influenced track, and a great tribute to New Orleans. However, it is the opinion of A.O.O.F.C, that Little Feat's 1975 album, "The Last Record Album," is the jewel in LF's crown, and remains one of the greatest, and possibly most underrated rock recordings of all time. Check it out!

TRACKS

"Home Ground" (Barrère) – 4:07
"Eden's Wall" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne) – 6:33
"A Distant Thunder" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne) – 5:36
"Hoy Hoy" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Tackett) – 4:08
"Under The Radar" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne) – 7:14
"Vale Of Tears" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Takett) – 6:11
"Loco Motives" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Takett) – 5:16
"Ferocious Morning" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Tackett) – 6:06
"Voiceless Territory (Intro to Falling Through the Worlds)" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Tackett) – 7:51 [This track is an intro to "Falling Through the Worlds" ]
"Falling Through the Worlds" (Barrère, Murphy, Payne, Tackett) – 0:49
"The Blues Don't Tell It All" (Murphy, Payne) – 5:55
"I Got Happiness" (Barrère, Murphy) – 6:14
"Calling The Children Home" (Barrère, Payne, Tackett) – 4:32

BAND

Paul Barrère - guitar, dobro, dulcimer, harmonica, vocals
Sam Clayton - percussion, vocals
Kenny Gradney - bass, vocals
Richie Hayward - drums, vocals
Shaun Murphy - vocals, tambourine
Bill Payne - keyboards, vocals
Fred Tackett - guitar, dobro, trumpet, vocals

with

Tim - Vocals
Lenny Castro, (percussion), Tracks 1, & 2, and Piero Mariani (percussion), Tracks 10,11, & 13
The Texacali Horns: Joe Sublett (saxophone); Darrell Leonard (trumpet, trombonium) on Tracks 1, 2, & 3

Recorded at Westlake Studios, Hollywood, California and Yohoyville Studios, Los Angeles, California.

REVIEW

Little Feat's first album for CMC International, Under the Radar, finds the group's new lineup fully assimilated, with Shaun Murphy sharing many of the lead vocals with mainstays Paul Barrere and Bill Payne. While the record is not as instantly accessible and spontaneous as the last record with Murphy, Ain't Had Enough Fun, there is a confidence that permeates every cut. Feat's slightly trippy Southern-fried music has made an amazing leap into the 1990s, and Under the Radar continues their rebirth. Tracks such as Barrere's "Home Ground" and "Loco-Motives" are good-time funky rockers, driven by Barrere's excellent slide guitar. Payne's title cut and "Eden's Wall" have a slightly dark hopefulness that has become a big part of the band's style. The final cut, "Calling the Children Home," is one of the group's greatest records, closing the album out in joyous New Orleans style. © Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide

BIO

Little Feat is an American band formed by songwriter, singer and guitarist Lowell George and keyboard player Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles. The band broke up shortly after George's death in 1979, and reformed nine years later. A change of vocalist in 1993, ushered in the third incarnation of Little Feat. The band plays a mixture of blues, R&B, country, New Orleans funk, and rock and roll. (From Wikipedia).
Details about the monumental Little Feat band could not be described here, as time does not permit. But just to reiterate, please take the time to listen to one of the all time great rock recordings, "The Last Record Album."
FOR ADDITIONAL INFO, CHECK OUT LITTLE FEAT - DETAILED BIO