LITTLE FEAT — Let It Roll (review)

Album · 1988 · RnB

3.5/5 · 2011-11-16
Chicapah

I’ve heard it said that absence heals all wounds and time makes the heart grow fonder. Wait. That sounds weird. My bad. But, at least in this scenario, the gist is that most bands often don’t know what they collectively have until it’s gone. Usually by the time their swollen egos ebb it’s too late for them to do anything about it except to haphazardly circle the wagons and put out a lame “reunion” album that only serves to make their fans feel taken advantage of while they take the money and run. Little Feat is one of those rare combos that defied the odds, did it right and regrouped for the long haul. After struggling to finish the surprisingly good “Down On the Farm” LP in ’79 (following front man Lowell George’s demise) the surviving members were so burned out and sick of each other’s company they couldn’t get far away fast enough. Their heartbroken followers justifiably figured Little Feat was kaput forevermore and sadly added them to the list of intriguing bands to pine for as the MTV virus-infected 80s dawned and music in general took a screaming nose-dive into the swamps of self-indulgence. As fate would have it, three of the Feat foundation did some session work together in ’86 and they realized (A) there was still some magic left between them and (B) that was a lot better than nothing at all so putting the band back together was the logical next step.

Bill Payne, Paul Barrere and Richard Haywood rounded up bass man Kenny Gradney and percussion guru Sam Clayton, recruited former Pure Prairie League vocalist Craig Fuller to fill Lowell’s sizeable sailin’ shoes and hired multi-instrument-capable/long-time tagalong Fred Tackett to try to rekindle the old sparks once again. Warner Brothers evidently liked the idea, signed them up and the fire was lit. Now all they needed was some inspired songs to arrange/record and, if they were lucky, their horde of Feat fanatics would come running back in droves. Employing George Massenburg to co-produce was a great move as well because no matter what you might think of the contents, “Let It Roll” sounds fantastic. So all was in place for the group to make their triumphant comeback and, being consummate professionals, they didn’t stumble. In fact, they beat all expectations. While the jazz quotient is rather low in comparison to their earlier, more eclectic works, the joyful enthusiasm contained in the tracks presented is undeniable and, as most music lovers know, that’s 75% of the battle. Their musicianship was always above reproach and they’re still dressed in its full regalia here.

They intelligently stay true to themselves and don’t try to be something they ain’t by kicking off this endeavor with a strong dose of southern-styled rockin’ R&B called “Hate to Lose Your Lovin’” that clearly shows they mean business. As was their forte for years, their performance is tight as an old wood screw in every department, Payne’s splendid piano playing is feisty as ever and Barrere’s slide guitar solo ensures continuity of their inimitable persona. New singer Fuller assures the skeptics that he’s more than adequate in that position as he belts out admirable vocal chops right and left. “One Clear Moment” follows sporting an energetic funk feel that’s hearty as a rib-eye steak and, despite the song not making a lasting impression, the crew of the re-launched Little Feat do a lot to turn a so-so tune into something entertaining. “Cajun Girl” is next and it’s exactly what you’d guess it to be yet this drivin’ Zydeco-sated number works well on several levels. The abrupt change of tempo they inject midway through is a clever trick. They then deliver four exemplary songs in a row, beginning with the bluesy R&B of “Hangin’ On to the Good Times.” The number’s groove flows easily and they wisely avoid complicating a tune that doesn’t need it. The poignant lyrics say volumes about where their heads were at. “And though we went our own ways/we couldn’t escape from where we came/so we find ourselves back at the table again/tellin’ stories of survivors and friends,” Craig sings.

The rolling rock riff that roils underneath “Listen to Your Heart” puts this cut on an arresting path that delights with dynamic kicks and accents interspersed throughout. The heavy jazz influence appearing in the chord progression and in the adventurous arrangement distinguishes this song from the others and I love the piercing lyric line of “You can’t expect to take the right road every morning.” “Let It Roll” is a motivating pile driver of a tune that pulls no punches. It doesn’t contain an iota of jazz but that’s okay because it burns hot as a branding iron and there are moments when we all need a jolt of adrenaline. I strongly recommend turning this one up. Bill tosses in some fine, growling Hammond B3 and Paul’s guitar licks are steamy as fresh dirty rice. Sometimes a band’s just gotta let their rock & roll ogre out of his cage for a while. A hard-hitting rock underpinning pushes “Long Time Till I Get Over You” relentlessly and Fuller ups the ante with his best performance as he punctuates the pungent words. “Seems like every time I’m feelin’ stronger/you call me up with just the right line/keep me hangin’ on a little longer/and don’t it get me every time,” he rues. Barrere proves himself a worthy understudy who learned a ton about how to play slide guitar from Lowell George.

On “Business As Usual,” another boisterous rocker, an interesting approach keeps things from getting stale early on but on the whole it’s a tad too busy for my taste and the lyrics chastising TV evangelists are woefully dated as in “been there, done that.” They step back up with “Changin’ Luck,” an excellent song that demonstrates their unwillingness to conform to the standard formula Top 40 writing restrictions that were in effect in the 80s. Payne’s dense keyboards are superbly layered and Hayward’s drums are steady and confident from top to bottom. The words hit close to home, too. “I’d just like to see/all or nothin’/high or low/just how far this game can go,” Craig sings. The lovely and talented Linda Ronstadt accompanies Fuller on “Voices on the Wind,” a slick as Vaseline power ballad that provides them a sturdy platform to let their voices soar to the heavens (and they do) but it’s one of those tunes you’re likely to encounter at the end of a blockbuster movie as the credits roll. It’s not bad but very predictable.

In conjunction with the album’s release in July ‘88 their management team had a stroke of genius and landed them the primo gig on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” show. Their kickass performance boldly announced that they were not only back but ready to contend with the “big hair” boys for everyone’s attention and to say it was a smash is a gross understatement. Everyone I knew was talking about them for days afterward and their fans were ecstatic. That timely appearance and the quality of the album’s tracks propelled “Let It Roll” to quickly achieve gold record status and Little Feat was a viable commodity in the marketplace once again. As I stated earlier, this probably won’t perk up a jazz aficionado’s ears and cause him to salute but it’s a funk/rock album that any jazzer would be comfortable playing for his peers without apology.