British guitarist analyses Little Feat live in 1977! 

Little Feat’s music is timeless. Lowell George and Paul Barrere were guitar virtuosos. And the groove put on by Richie and Bill Payne are incredible musicians! I’ll always remember when I sat by my radio at University of Texas as KLBJ played “Waiting for Columbus”, which I still regard as one of the Greatest Albums ever!

Imagine having Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt on backing vocals and deciding to bury them in the mix! Madness!!

I just saw Paul Barrere passed away yesterday. RIP to a great musician who carried on Little Feat for years.

When I was in college, "Waiting for Columbus" was huge. You could not walk across campus without hearing cuts from the album playing out some dorm window. Still one of my favorite albums ever.

Back in 1974 I saw Little Feat in Austin, TX. They opened for Van Morrison. The crowd WOULD NOT let them off the stage when they were finished. I believe it was the third encore when Van came out and calmed the crowd down and started his gig. Even then, everyone was still begging for Lowell George and band to come back out. They were absolutely incredible. What a great band they were!

Lowell George......musical genius. So many classics. Fat Man In The Bathtub, Willin", Roll Um Easy, Rock And Roll Doctor and the list goes on. Highly influential and another gone too young at 34 years..

Midnight Special and Don Kirshners Rock Concert....those were the days❤

Such a great band. I'm so glad you did Little Feat. Do some more.

OMG I loved watching The Midnight Special in the 70s as a kid. Wolfman Jack!

Little Feat - what a band! One of the best American rock bands ever! Lowell George was a genius songwriter and musician.

Now there was (is) a band! 👍🏻

The band that was perfect!

this is why the rock and roll hall of fame is bogus, Madonna is in and Lowell George isn't.......

Wow bro, you are really a great person for spreading this awesome music. Thank you for all the entertainment! Lowell George for life!

Lowell just had “it”, what a loss. Thanks for featuring Little Feat Fil, you have such great taste and appreciation for good music. You are right, they could really carry a deep groove- they are greater than the sum of their parts.

Now I know why Lowell George was held in such high regard. Not only a tastefull slide player but great songwriter and smooth vocalist

"Waiting for Columbus" is desert island disc if I ever did hear one. Recently read " Waitin' "; the bands bio. Immerses you in the Laurel Canyon scene and Lowell's journey. Thank you man, a most excellent analysis

I grew up in the same California neighborhood and went to school with Bill Payne. He had tons of talent back then as well. I used to go to small gigs where he played with the local band "Something Wild" prior to joining Little Feat. I've always been a Feat fan. I've seen them dozens of times in various iterations over the years. They are, perhaps, the very best live band I've ever heard. They were masters of going off on a jam and then instantly bringing it all back together. I really miss Lowell and Richie. They were the "real deal." A lot of famous musicians were also avid Feat fans, for good reason.

Hey Fil: heard Feat last year in Houston 2022, first time Santa Monica in '77. Original members still touring are Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney and Sam Clayton. Wanted to tell you that Sam's sister was Merry Clayton, Ray Charles' backup singer who was on the Stones' Gimme Shelter.

One of the best American bands from the 70s.

Fastastic band! (Lowell George, Richie Hayward, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney) Their live album "Waiting for Columbus" has a permanent place in my player. Thanks Fil!

Speaking of Pure Prairie League, I would love to hear you analyze “Amie”. I was in junior high when it was released, my mom had just passed away, and just the fact that PPL spelled Amie the same as me meant a lot. It somehow gave me a little bit of comfort in a very dark time, to hear those guys sing my name in their lovely harmony.

Bonnie Raitt today looks exactly the same as she did in this video. Ageless indeed.

I found out about Little Feat from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Back in the day Playboy magazine had a page for new music and at the bottom of the page was a strip that was dedicated to what music stars of the day were listening to. In one issue both Mick and Keith named a different Little Feat album that each was listening to that month. I knew that I needed to check out this band. I have since been very happy that I did.

You did it again Fil!! Little Feat👏 Bringing me back to high school! Great versatile band! Still have there albums from the 70s 🤗

When Lowell George was recording "Willin'," my guitar teacher [ZHR] was in an adjacent studio recording "Lick My Decals Off Baby," when he dropped his glass slide and broke it. So he went over and asked Lowell if he had a slide that he could borrow. Lowell gave him a spark plug socket that he had used as a slide in the past. My guitar teacher still has the socket and still uses it to this day. No doubt they obviously shared the Frank Zappa connection.

I'm in my 60's. You are preaching to the choir when you highlight Lowell George, Paul Barerre ,Bonnie, Jesse et al. Little Feat, the consummate American rock band in that they were roots when roots was not a thing and folkies eschewed rock. They trod the fusion minefield with the best of a genre that gave little quarter to rock crossovers. Ritchie Hayward could read George's mind. I still would argue that Hayward had the hardest job in rock keeping the band aligned onstage with the mercurial genius of George inserting unexpected change ups at unexpected points of a performance show after show. The results appeared studio tight, never jam band. The Feat have stood the test of time (and seeing this cut with George fronting takes me back). Your commentary on the loss of George is notable since the death of this towering musical talent, much like Roy Buchanan's death, rarely is mentioned in the same breath with other greats who have passed.

This band kicks asss . No joke . Rob Palmer Sneak Sally Alley Lowell . Fantastic . Let the 😠 creep in . LITTLE FEAT ! One of my ALL-TIME ! 😛

Love this! Of course, Bonnie & EmmyLou weren't regulars with the band but they made a great addition, too bad the mix was off. Thanks Fil..

I graduated High school in 1977! I am proud to be old and to have grown-up with a truly great soundtrack to my life! 💯💓🙏

Lowell George is one of the best slide guitar players to ever walk the planet. Huge Little Feat fan.

Jackson Browne described him as "the Orson Welles of rock". It's a shame the band fell apart after just a few year's. Those 4 or 5 early albums are so good.

One of the best male vocalists of all time! He could sing anything with soul and definitely had so much control of his vocal chords!! The song Spanish Moon (live version) shows his greatness. Stellar one-of-a-kind band too!! Their double live album is truly phenomenal. I love your channel~!!!

RIP Lowell-Richie-Paul FEAT 4 EVER!

Little Feat is a play on words..... it's Lowell George being sublime and understated... musically speaking what he pulled off was a big feat, sonically. Actually, it was a huge feat or accomplishment.

I was at the show at the Lisner Auditorium they recorded with the Tower of Power horns. They made the announcement during the show so we all behaved ourselves. Lowel was a huge influence on my slide playing. Ritchie on my drumming as well. Around that time a friend I played music with learned the percussion parts to all their songs. He was clueless that the band had a drummer and a percussionist. He played every beat. I was blown away.

If only musicians picked who got into the rock and roll hall of fame, Little Feat would've been in years ago. Everyone from the Stones, Zeppelin to the Marshall Tucker Band were quoted as saying Little Feat was their favorite band.

The whole album sounds good. It's awesome to hear it again Fil and thanks for your analyses. 👍👍

look at all those young fresh faces - so thankful for youtube

Wow, Fil! Just found your channel & so happy! You’ve shown so many of my favorites, growing up in the 70’s. The analyses are right on, & you’re like the quintessential cool rock dude. 😎👍🏼 🎶

I never regret listening to Little Feat....

Been waiting for Little Feat for a long time. Such an overlooked band. Great stuff!!

Billy Payne on keys now tours with the Doobie Brothers! So nice to talk to. Enjoyed this video! Southern Rock/ Country. Great analysis!!!!

Paul Barrere 3rd July 1948 - 26th October 2019. Thank you for all of the great music you gave us and have left us. Love and condolences to your family, friends and bandmates. RIP.

I was close to Lowell and Richie, Lowell had an extensive body of work (too much for a "so-called drug addict"), he died of a broken heart~I was in the studio sitting with George Massenburg and Lowel for years~You hit the nail on the head~twas fusion that did him in~you know band egos emerging...leadership questioned, drugs used to muddy it more~ Lowell saved me from a childhood of pain and treated me like a queen~ God's Speed, Lowell

This is one of those Sing Along at the Bar songs :)

Huge fan of Little Feat. So glad I got to see them 2 times while Lowell was still alive.

One of my all time favorite groups. Been a fan since I first heard Sailin' Shoes. Thanks Fil. Willin' is an anthem.

There is a live version of "Willin" that was a little later than this even that I was thinking I saw here. Anyway, Lowell is in the same overalls except slightly larger but still sounds perfect. I guess he must have done so until the day he died. The bad mix on this was probably because it was the "outro" which always sounded kind of thrown together on Midnight Special (suspect because everybody was so high at that point!) Great choice. L. G. was the man. Hard for a band as talented and complex as Little Feat to make it among the giants that were ruling the world in those days. Tragically overlooked. Rock!

RIP Lowell and Ritchie It's so easy to slip...

OMG! This was my jam back in the 70's! I love Little Feat, Pure Prairie League, The Outlaws, Atlanta Rythm Section, and many other Southern Rock bands of the 70's! Excellent commentary.

In the 70's I kept reading magazine articles about Little Feat, but radio stations in our area didn't play their music. When I started working at the college radio station in the 80's (with a massive music library of several shelves six feet high and eight feet wide) I was able to play and hear them. "Groove" is definitely an appropriate term for their music. Thanks for exposing terrific music like this to people who have never heard it!

Live at University of Vermont Oct 19th, 1978, my 18th birthday, in the gymnasium in front of 3,000 students. What a rocking night

Thanks for covering my favorite band Fil. That smile on your face while listening says it all. The music is just laid back cool. One of the tightest, most musically gifted bands around. It's all about the flow.The song is actually longer, you would have been able to have heard some more musicianship from the band, if they didn't have to cut it short for tv. Lowell George was something else. It's amazing how demons tend to follow so many creative people like him around. Two of his biggest fans were backing him up. They were only missing Linda.

My oldest son has been Feat's guitar technician for about 10 years now. RIP Paul Barrere. ✌️

All right and I'm still awake, was jamming to Waiting for Columbus this past weekend, sounds real good after a couple drinks. One of my favorites thanks professor you rock. Peace Boogie Woogie. PS Carolyn Wonderland live at Antone's Austin, Texas February 13th 2010

Little Feat !!! They were tight and a great party band. Midnight Special was a great show never missed it.

Ritchie was such a great and original drummer, throwing in beats and fills, all in time. Sometimes the other members complained a little but he was never off the beat or incorrect. And he has so much fun. Please do Spanish Moon if you do them again. There is video from the Waiting For Columbus (waiting to be discovered, I guess) online.

When garth brooks covers your song, you know your doing good. Saw them in April and will see them next month in the burgh!

Thank you for reviewing Little Feat! it looks like you really enjoyed it.

I love “Let It Roll”, that CD got a ton of play from me 👍🏻

They were such a great group!

Perhaps the best American band while Lowell George was still alive. Last saw them in '97 in a Vegas casino parking lot with Shaun Murphy on lead vocals and Fred Tackett on second guitar. They were outstanding! Recently, my cousin invited me to see them, but I couldn't make it. She told me they're still phenomenal. Likely the greatest under known band of the 70's. Great musicians, vocalists, and songwriters. As usual Fil, your observations are top-shelf. Take care &✌

Watched it again, just now... SOO love how Bonnie and Emmy-Lou (two extremely talented women) are just being straight-up groupies. Lowell George was a genius.

You're a great guide and a perceptive teacher with a generous heart,taste and good ears and enthusiasm. "Oh Atlanta" by this great band is just irresistible. Thanks for reminding us all how great this band were.

Greetings Fil, Ahhh, a 'lil tear escaped and rolled down my cheek. This show was my first as a sound engineer. (Yes, I am a geezer and you may count the rings on my tail if ya like! ) What a gas it was to work on "The Midnight Special" and as for Little Feat, I consider them one of the greatest American bands to grace a stage. Lowell George has no equal and as for a tight band live they stand alone in my opinion. Add the Tower of Power horns to the mix and you've the perfect cocktail. Thank you Fil for showing a band many folks have never heard but are iconic to we musicians.

Thanks Fi! I was fortunate enough to have seen Lowell George fronting Feat in '77. What a tight, funky band! Lowell George with his wonderful talent, Richie Hayward's great drumming/background vocals and Bill Payne keyboards, etc. (Highly recommend their live "Waiting For Columbus"). What a treat to see them recognized here, Fil! RIP, "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor" and Richie.

Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie here. The Warner Brother's Loss Leaders 3 disc set from 1970 was the first I heard of Little Feat. Immediately bought their first album. Great stuff. Kind of lost touch thereafter. The original version of Willin' is gorgeous.

Fil you're killing it! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 Cause there's a fat man in the bathtub!!!

That was a good song and I agree the backing vocals were to low. You gave a lot of information that I never would have known otherwize. Thanks for all of the hard work you put into your analyses. They are always something to look forward to.

Exemplary video analysis, Dear Fil. One of Your finest. These guys really take me back. ❤️❤️❤️

Glad to see other people appreciate Little Feat. When someone would ask me who some of my favorite bands were and I'd say, "Little Feat", most times they say "Who?"

Another great analysis Fil, thanks. I enjoyed the deeper dive into the band's long and varied history. I've enjoyed Little Feat's music before and after Lowell George's passing, however I always considered him to be the guy.

I first heard Little Feat on Clyde Clifford's Beaker Street radio show on KAAY from Little Rock, Arkansas, in '72 or '73. Anyone remember it? I went out and bought Sailin' Shoes and Dixie Chicken the same day. Previous to this I was a Cream, Jimi Hendrix, etc. fan. I put Sailin' Shoes on the turntable, heard the first song and thought "not too bad." Next up was Cold, Cold, Cold and I knew my life had changed. I had the pleasure of seeing the Feat 3 times with Lowell leading off for The Beach Boys, Procol Harum and ELO, and once after they re-formed. Favorite live moment: near the end of Tripe Face Boogie, instead of of doing one of the slide runs, Lowell pulls a slide whistle out of his pocket and bows out the song with that.

Seen them many times since 72, always great.great rhythm section, interesting song writing.

Little Feat. Who's better? Nobody

I was on the Air the day Lowell passed, what a sad Show that was. RIP! A Band that took me through thick & thin. Thanks for loading this up!!

I've seen hundreds of bands/concerts over the decades but Little Feat in Melbourne (1976) was above every other one by quite a stretch.

Great choice, Fil! I had forgotten how hot Bonnie Raitt was back in the day!

Oh, I've been waiting and hoping for you to do Little Feat, Fil. What a band - absolutely packed with talent and dedication!

Little Feat! Unique, Complex...rock- jazz- blues in a one of a kind style

Thanks for this one, Fil! Brings back lots of good memories!

YEAAH FIL LOVE EM ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS , THANKS FIL

You’re a good guy, Fil.

Little Feat were a one of a kind mix of technical prowess and pure power. There were lots of incredible bands in the UK in the 70's, but Jagger, Clapton and Page didn't miss a Feat's gig, there must be a reason why.

When things were more fun. Love the tempo and southern groove.

Thanks!! I suggested this a few weeks ago! These were before the days of auto tune. I saw Lowell George live the night before his untimely passing. RIP Lowell

Just discovered this... Love it. Lowell George was a genius.

Early on I won 2 tickets (yes, to Paradise), from WLIR (NYC), to sit on the floor of Ultra Sound Studios in Hempstead NY, while Feat ran through their set. Maybe 50 people squeezed in.

Lucky to see Little Feat at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis towards the end of Lowell George's life

Fil, I've been following this band since the 70s - miss this line up. thanks Fil keep up the great work!

Heard Little Feat at their peak several times in Houston. (Better than here, but there are not that many performances available.) We always wondered why they were not huge. Bonnie Raitt opened for them one weekend. A couple of the guys joined her onstage at the end of her set. Then she sang backup for them.

Many thanks for posting this Fil. It's been a long time coming! The video clip has been seriously edited - the second verse is missing "We made all the hot spots , my money flowed like wine etc." Also Bill Payne gets a keyboard solo, as well as Paul Barreres guitar solo. So maybe not a glowing example of Little Feat. Glad you mentioned Lowells nod to the Beatles. He also included another tribute to the Fab Four by way of giving his writing collaborator Martin Kibbee the pseudonym "Fred Martin". So when one of their songs appeared on the record label, it read " George/Martin" ! That's Lowells sideways humour for you, just golden!!! Although we didn't see much of Kenny Gradney on bass, his contribution to the beat of the Feat should always be appreciated - that style of playing by "leaving holes" for the other instruments to shine through! Plus the one and only Richie Hayward. Watching the man play (and sing) is just an education in "the groove". And - this is a real curve ball, I am sure Lowell was trying to attract Robert Palmer to join the band in the mid-70's. It always seemed to me that Lowell wanted to be the writer/producer/arranger but was not really comfortable being the front man. Palmer could have done the job. Discuss........ ! And "Waiting for Columbus" is a good LF live album, but if you really want to hear an outstanding live album by the Feat then you need the 1974 bootleg "Electrif Lycanthrope"!!! By the way LF sometimes tour as Funky Feat while Bill Payne is out on the road with The Doobie Bros. And I am sure that Bill was on the keys for Linda Ronstadt in your recent analysis of her performance of "You're No Good". There is no other band like Little Feat, they are simply the best!

I saw Feat open for the Allman Brothers in 1989-90, minus Lowell and Duane sadly, but the rest of their members were there in their entirety. (Including Warren Haynes on guitar alongside Dicky and Gregg. Absolutely amazing show and we were in the 8th row, right in front of Gregg and his keyboards. My father had-and now my son has-all of the Mothers first 5 original albums and I have given him all of my original Feat vinyl and I am a HUGE Cooder fan! I never knew he played slide on Willin!? 🤯 I’ve never seen Ry live but, after seeing The Long Riders in 1978-I bought a bunch of his albums too. Paradise and Lunch being my personal favorite. Waiting for Columbus has to be one of the top 10 BEST EVER live albums. I learn something new from you every time I watch a video! Thanks again for all your fantastic work Fil. Best wishes. ❤️👍🏼🫡

You have a real gift for this. Thanks for the channel. It was in my recommendations this morning and I've watched you all day. Love all the different genres you cover.

Fil , I saw the band in 1971 at a college near York Pa. They were opening for Bonnie Rhett, for one Yankee dollar,no less! I knew about Bonnie,she was from the same Philly suburb as me. LG reminded me of Jerry Garcia, to strange to live,to rare to die. Another kind soul,crushed by a cold cruel world. A real triple threat genius, player, singer and songwriter! They played a set alone, as did Bonnie and Freebo, her dawg of a bass player.The moments I always remember most clearly are LG , playing snaky,nasty slide to Bonnie's chords. I went to high school near Philly,the last four years of the sixties ! I saw the greatest bands of the sixties and seventies there, I was just so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. My friends and I also had bands and were into all the fabulous guitars you dream about. I still have a 1965 SG standard from those days,so gotta say ,a truly favored adolescence,I think.Thank you brother,shine on 🖖🏽

My all time favorite band. I was lucky enough to see them 5 times before Lowell sadly passed. I also saw Lowell's solo tour in Brownsmills NJ just before his death.

Hey! Little Feat was one of the biggest and best feats of the day and any day, Fil!!!

I was at Lisner Auditorium for the Waiting for Columbus recording tour! ... and remember Lowell George's death in Arlington 😔

Used to wait til the parents went to bed on Saturday night then turned on Midnight Special....so much talent on one stage! Wish u could've been there Fil...😎🤟🎸