LITTLE FEAT — The Last Record Album (review)

LITTLE FEAT — The Last Record Album album cover

Album · 1975 · RnB

3/5 · 2011-10-06
Chicapah

After Little Feat had completely won me over with their energy-filled, exciting “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” album in ‘74 I couldn’t wait to hear their next LP so I probably purchased my copy of it the day it was released and rushed it home to plop on my awaiting turntable. My expectations were sky high for it to totally knock me out exactly the same way their previous endeavor had the year before but I recall being somewhat underwhelmed by “The Last Record Album.” I didn’t utterly hate it yet I found myself more and more frequently reaching back for the venerable FDFMN in the months following to get my Feat fix and, over time, this disc got played less and less often. As is usually the case my hazy perception of the album superseded the reality concerning it and, upon revisiting it for the purpose of this review, I found it a lot more satisfying than I’d deemed it to be. In other words, it’s better than I thought.

The record definitely reflects the fact that guitarist Paul Barrere and keyboard man Bill Payne had begun to take on larger, more influential roles in steering the band. Founder Lowell George had started to branch out from the confines of the group, producing sessions for other acts like the Grateful Dead and even toying with the idea of going solo while their drummer Richie Hayward recuperated from a serious car accident. Obviously there was a lot going on in the Feat family during the months that led up to this LP being finished so to say that there was a modicum of tension in the ranks may be putting it mildly. In retrospect the unbecoming air of dissention that surrounded the creation of this album may be what I picked up on in ‘75 and that aroma most likely impeded my ability to appreciate it for what it was. Then again, I might be passing my own gas and not theirs at all. The bottom line is that, upon hearing it in 2011 with fresh ears, I must dutifully report that it contains all the ingredients that made Little Feat special and that they still were able to manufacture a sound unlike anything else I’ve heard before or since.

They didn’t do themselves any favors by opening with Paul and Bill’s weak “Romance Dance,” though. It possesses a tight track (as usual) but it soon becomes evident that the song has no central focus and, thusly, is unremarkable beyond its being firmly entrenched and drenched in the inimitable Little Feat decorum. (Amazing how far the first cut can go in establishing the tone of the entire disc because the way I feel about this tune is pretty much the way I felt about the record as a whole over the decades whether I was justified in doing so or not.) Barrere and Payne’s “All That You Dream” follows and its silky smooth groove and more melodic motif make for a much more memorable and pleasing experience. Bill’s curiously odd electric piano solo is intriguing while Lowell’s slide guitar work at the end is commendable. Here Paul’s lyrics offer a hint as to their collective state of mind. “I’ve been down/but not like this before/can’t be ‘round this kind of show/no more,” George croons as if in agreement. Lowell’s slower-paced, sated-with-emotion ballad, “Long Distance Love,” is next and it’s characterized by cool, jazzy accents that set it apart from the norm. It also emphasizes what an expressive voice Lowell had and how vital he was to their cause.

Payne’s “Day or Night” isn’t nearly as sobering. Yet by this point in the proceedings one becomes acutely aware that the group had mellowed considerably since touring in support of the barn-burning circle of black vinyl that preceded this one. This track is much more jazz fusion-oriented and it honestly reflects where the majority of the band members wanted their ensemble’s future direction to drift towards. Bill, in particular, gets very adventurous with his array of keyboards and synthesizers, making for an intriguing six and a half minutes. Ever unpredictable, I enjoy the fake fade out they coyly foist upon their unsuspecting listeners in the waning moments. “One Love Stand” follows and while a fun, sly funk feel inhabits this number I can’t escape the sensation that they’re holding back too much and it keeps the song from breaking loose from its fetters. Lowell’s “Down Below the Borderline” is next and it sports a more aggressive rock mien than what has transpired so far. In typical Feat fashion they play around with the downbeat from time to time and there’s a strong jazz fusion vibe happening all through it.

Payne’s “Somebody’s Leaving” features an exquisite acoustic piano at the beginning that lends it a passionate aura that’s promising. Yet in the course of its evolution it can’t seem to locate its core identity as it meanders from one style to another without a cohesive purpose. In essence, it fails to make a lasting impression. The album closes with George and Hayward’s “Mercenary Territory,” a tune more memorable for its lyrical content than for its music because it indicates where Lowell’s troubled mind was parked at the time. “It’s a mercenary territory/I wish you knew the story/I’ve been out here so long/dreaming up songs/I’m temporarily qualmless and sinking/I’ve did my time in that rodeo/It’s been so long/and I’ve got nothing to show/Well, I’m so plain loco/fool that I am/I’d do it all over again,” he sings. Their trademark tightness is intact but the composition is sadly pedestrian (by their lofty standards, anyway) at best.

I’m glad I gave this one another much-needed spin recently because it helped to fill in the gaps I have about Little Feat’s sometimes inconsistent career. I tend to forget how good they were even when they weren’t at the top of their game. They were consummate musicians 24/7 but were also susceptible to the slippery trappings of the rock & roll lifestyle that every group had to either overcome or be conquered by in the free-wheeling 70s and the music on “The Last Record Album” accurately mirrors that ongoing battle. The main thing to know about this record is that it shows how they were venturing more and more often into the enticing world of jazz/rock fusion and letting it influence their aural art.