Waiting for Columbus
Few rock concert documents can match this 1978 live album for sheer musicianship, or for its full-blooded representation of one of the best live bands ever. Little Feat's turbulent '70s pilgrimage had been studded with commercial detours when its second incarnation as a swampy, blues-rock sextet clicked musically, and these English and American dates, beautifully recorded by George Massenburg, capture the band in all its rowdy, precise glory. The late Lowell George's influence had been damped down in the studio, deferring to his bandmates' writing and singing, butColumbusis dominated by his gruff, lyrical vocal presence and the mercurial tang of his indelible slide guitar. With the Tower of Power Horns aboard to inject razor-sharp horn work, this romp through the Feat songbook of southern-fried rock represents a satisfying summation of the band's best works, every bit as engaging as their studio models. This is simmering, smart music measured by an honor roll of great songs with no lapses. The only caveat--and a minor one--is the deletion of two tracks to squeeze the original two LPs onto a single CD.--Sam Sutherland