The Magic of Lowell George | Chasing Frets Podcast
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2020
- The late Little Feat slide wizard is one of Joey Landreth's biggest inspirations. Discover why as Joey dissects a handful of Lowell George tracks and explains exactly what he listens for in these epic songs.
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![Little Feat • Interview/ “Rock-n-Roll Doctor” • 1974 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5CSUYbQ5PH8/mqdefault.jpg)
I thank you for honoring my father's legacy.
❤
If Lowell George truly was your dad, I want to tell you how much his death hit me right in the heart.
@@ronriggle6188he is!
Love that you're rocking the Dead logo 🤘💀🌹
He was a musical force of nature
I always consider Little Feat to be musicians music. Great music that very few really appreciate.
I heard a interview with Lowell and he said he used the socket because you could pick one up in almost any town. Back then Sears dept store was in almost every town in the nation.
Edit for spelling
My favorite lyric by Lowell:
Searching for a man
Who can't do anything wrong
If I see him I'll tell him you're waiting
I hear it as "Some kind of man, he can't do.." but yeah, magnificent.
I've quoted that line to many a lady over the years. Of course, I've done much wrong. Lol
He was a musical genius who we lost way too soon.
I saw the Feat with Lowell twice in the Fox Theater in Atlanta. It's a 30's movie palace, great acoustics, seats 3,800 or so. Once was a double bill with Bonnie Raitt. They'd done a run of shows together and this was the last one before splitting up. Both bands came out and played together on the last songs of the set, Lowell and Bill and Sam with Bonnie and Bonnie and Freebo with Little Feat. It was one helluva show, one of the best I've ever seen.
One of the best American bands of the 70's, a hellacious live act. It's a crying shame that they're not in the Rock HoF.
I had the great pleasure of seeing/hearing Little Feat in 1978 with Lowell. I love the band. I grew up in the 70s and listened to everything from rock to progressive jazz. Lowell and Little Feat were in a lane all their own. I still have a shirt from the concert. My favorite song(s) "Cold, Cold, Cold into Tripe Face Boogie".
Did they tour in 78? I thought he had formed his own band to promote "Thanks I'll Eat It Here" by that time but I could be mistaken. It was in '78 when I was introduced to them and they have been my favorite band ever since.
@@timothytibbits7942 Could have been a different year. 70s are a bit of a blur. Need to check my concert shirt!
@@timothytibbits7942 1978 was the Waiting For Columbus tour which was the last with the original members. Lowell went on his solo tour in 1979 to promote Thanks I'll Eat It Here. He died on June 29th.
I was a Feat fan during their heyday and played slide in a Feat cover band in Baltimore. I saw them live at Lisner for the Waiting for Columbus shows. I have strat that’s very much like Lowell’s. Great show! Thanks!
It's a pleasure hearing a Lowell/Feat fan intelligently discuss elements that make their songs so elevated. (I'm often confused by Feat enthusiasts who seem to relate to the music mainly as party music.)
Yes exactly they were so incredibly nuanced. Nobody really even knew what to think about them at the time, that's why critics labeled a California band as Southern Rock, lol.
Sonny Landreth is a great slide player too. Lowell George is amazing. RIP
Lowell is underappreciated, or rather underestimated. He rewrote the blues. When you find a song that grows on you for months and years as you appreciate its rhythmic complexities and dual slide solos writhing together in harmony, its blunt lyrical statements and deductions, you want to listen to his live solos, taped by fans as per the open taping policy allowed by the band. Most powerful guitar I've ever heard. You might find them through HoyHoy, the fan digest that still exists.
I was 16 and a friend called. His girlfriend bailed and he had tickets, 15th-row center - Santa Monica Civic - one act I'd never seen and two I'd never heard of (before the interwebs). I said, "sure." The headliner was a legend, Johnny Winter And - amazing and I saw him over and over for years after that - he was the act I went to see. Before him, J Geils Band when they were a blues band - I think it was their first show in LA - greasy, energetic, bluesy, and incredible. The opening act was Little Feat - no words. I remember seeing my friends afterward and trying to describe LF and it was pretty impossible, particularly telling them what Lowell George was doing (I'm technically not a musician). I've learned a lot from the documentary and other interviews and articles, which explains why I couldn't find their first records. So, weirdly, my first LF record was Dixie Chicken, about 2 years after that show, and I made tons of converts with that one. I only saw LF two more times in the late 70s and every time I would try to explain what I saw/heard to others by sputtering. Lowell's slide - I'd heard a lot of players, but nothing like that. His vocals and songwriting - I felt vindicated and affirmed when the big names started covering him and talking about what a genius he is/was. Everyone in the band was just incredible when I saw them and they were professional (I had seen a lot of the San Francisco bands, so pro performances stood out). I backfilled with the first album and Sailin' Shoes when I finally found them and heard, on record, the band I saw when I was 15 - by this time I was in my 20s - almost brought tears to my eyes. I have loved every iteration of Little Feat, which is unusual for me - I'm usually a bad fan - when a band grows and changes, I often lose interest. That was impossible with Little Feat. One personal connection that others may not "feel" - back in the olden days, music was more regional - I grew up in Whittier and spent a lot of time in Pomona, Hollywood, San Bernardino, and the Valley - my dad drove a truck around South Central LA. We were all listening to Zappa and Captain Beefheart and others from the area. Early Little Feat lyrics, album art, and such were familiar and connected immediately - we felt like they were a "local" band - our band. Your discussion of Lowell's playing was great and helpful. I've often tried to figure out why he sounded so different from everything I'd heard back in those days. I have my theories, but... this was a great interview. Thank you. I'm 68 now and going out for a run - when I listen to Hamburger Midnight, Strawberry Flats, Snakes... all of that first record, I almost feel like I'm 15 again and I can see Lowell out front. I also remember Billy Paine, Richie Hayward, and Roy Estrada back in the dark, rocking back and forth, like a big monster from some cheesy horror flick.
😊
"feats don't fail me now" was my first exposure...and it was love at first listen! So many funky beautiful musical/lyrical inspirations and grooves...melt and roll through that record.
I heard Dixie Chicken on the radio as a kid and decided I had to have that. I went out to the record store and bought the only Little Feat album they had - Feats Don't Fail Me Now- and expected that it was on there. I didn't know the name of the song. Anyway it wasn't of course lol, But that & Chris Whitley's Living With the Law became my two favourite albums. I went deep with Little Feat. Never saw Lowell George sadly, but I did see Little Feat with the late Jeff Healey join them, opening for the Allman Brothers. What a night!!!
@@dwaynejessome1728 mine was a similar story. A friend played the 1st album for me and then I found FDFMN in the cut-out bins at my favorite record shop...best 2 bucks I ever spent. I ended up getting the first 5 studio albums. I loved that each was very different, yet familiar. Never saw them live...I had a great opportunity to see them in Chicago around 77 but couldn't make the show. My friend was radio programmer at the time, he got tickets and then invited by the local WB rep to meet Lowell, Liz and some of the band at a bar after the show. I concur with you about Chris Whitley....he was genius! I also think Trixie fronting Black Dub was very cool. I would also add, Robert Palmer's "Sneaking Sally" with Lowell and the Meters to the list of my "Feat" related favs.
Your parents raised you right Joey!
Here I am listening to Joey’s tribute album, alongside this podcast. Pure gold.
I love the grittiness in Lowell's voice when he pushes it. One of the great melisma singers and a fantastic slide player. If you look on some live shows back then you can see an oscilloscope....these guys were not messin' around in getting those levels right.
Down on the Farm was Lowell's last album. He wrote 4 tracks. He releasede his solo "I'll Eat it Here" just before and had been touring with Lowell George Band. He nhad alreit clear "Down on the Farm" was his last. He wrote "6 feet Snow" with Keith Godchaux. "Front Page News" was Lowell's collaboration with Bill. He also wrote "Straight from the Heart"
So glad I found this and Joey’s terrific album. So much of my favorite music since forever. I too love The Last Record Album and Thanks I’ll Eat It Here. Lowell was the best ‘til the very end.
Great interview. So glad this popped up on my home page. Little Feat and Lowell rule my preferences...and I find I'm kinda snobby and close-minded about it. Any new music has to achieve a certain level of 'LFCool' before I can bring it into my regular listen list. Love the meet up with Bill Payne story!
This is fantastic. Great list. Love Lowell.
Years ago, I was asked “if you were on an island with only one groups music, who would you pick?” I said it would be a tough choice between The Rolling Stones and Little Feat, but I think I would have to go with Little Feat. I still feel that way
The way he talks about realizing how was a fan of the Feat is exactly how i became a fan of the Feat and the Dan (Steely that is)
Lowell George has been my number one influence as a pro guitar player.
So many gr8 lyrics of Lowell's to choose amongst since he was a gr8 storyteller, so it becomes rather difficult to pick just one. But my all-time favorite LG lyric has to be from Roll and Roll Doctor: "Two degrees in be-bop, a PHD in swing He's the master of rhythm, he's a rock and roll king, yeah." Serendipity rules, meaning I just heard Joey and and the interviewer just mention on this podcast this exact lyric just after I wrote it down for this comment. Yep, this lyric line is miles above outstanding. Also a side note about LG that many may not know is that Lowell actually appeared on an episode of F-Troop back in the 60's. FYI In addition, I think the title of their live album "Waiting for Columbus" really encapsulates Little Feat's wish at the time: waiting to be discovered.
I spoke with Martin Kibbee (co-writer) by phone a few years back about "Rock and Roll Doctor" ... Lowell wrote the music, Kibbee wrote the lyrics. The shuffle Lowell built by cutting tape was played perfectly by Richie Hayward. R&R Dr. could be Lowell's best song, along with Long Distance Love of course.
No "T" in Richie Hayward's name.
Glad to hear this...love LG and his musical style...all syncopation second line New Orleans rhythm but that smooth voice no clue because it's like honey meets laid back
Great taste there Joey! Any relation to guitar god Sonny Landreth? That man was/is a f'ing unbelievable muso.
Right on through to Baltimore.
Sunrise ,sunset since the begining nothings change yet ...
I was a huge feat fan in the early 70's. Got to see them like 7 times!! Live sometimes great but sometimes the guys were really burnt. To many drugs probably. Feats special sauce, to me, was the drums and bass were on top of the beat,, very sggresive. The guitars laid back and the keys in the pocket with the rymthm section.
”the cows’ ass, the pigs’ ass, the horses’ ass, too“ is also exactly how I heard it growing up.
That line is in a meters tune “they all ask for you” from 1975. Must have been a saying in NOLA back in the day.
Lowell was great on the Feat albums & his session work, but he was on another level again around the 75'/76' live Feat bootlegs. Much more interesting on those bootlegs than his studio overdubs on the Columbus 'Live' album IMHO
lowell is the man. all that you dream would be #2 for me & i like the waiting for columbus. #1 for me would be long distance love for sure. Spanish moon, fat man in the bathtub, roll em easy
2 trains
my first intro to feat was Waiting For Columbus when i was 17...i still think its the best live album ever made. i dont love all the songs, but the great ones are GREAT
finally, thank you guys for posting this. not much stuff out there about lowell.
Down on the Farm....The REAL last record album...
Lowell & LF are going up in history... in a hundred years their music will be played, studied & carried on. why weren't they bigger bitd? well, every time I saw them, the place was packed... the crowd ... we all went nuts. I don't get it either. maybe out of the times? maybe the biz was more f'd up then the musicians? maybe bad fortune. doesn't matter now... we have the music that we had. {was at Lisner for WFC ... yeah, it WAS all that you dream}
Mercenary territory and Spanish moon.
So, Joey Landreth is NOT related to Sonny Landreth ?
HP: AND Walk on Guilded Splinters
Hey, how about some more commercials?
Using Phish and Lowell George in the same sentence?
There's quite a lot of similarities and they covered the entirety of Waiting For Columbus.