Rating: Summary: feat didn't fail you now Review: My God, what a treat to watch this video. As some of the other reviews have noted, the audio mix can be off-center--so don't buy it looking for some AV masterpiece. What this concert is all about is Lowell George. As a young guitarist learning and growing in the 1970s, Lowell was--and still is--one of my heroes. A one-of-a-kind singer, songwriter, and an absolutely singular talent on slide guitar--I still put him ahead of Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Duane Allman--everybody. Lowell was the king. I won't mince words: he plays his [rear] off.As I said, the sound can be a bit disconcerting, but the vibe of the performance comes shining through. This band was peaking at this juncture (1977), and the grooves they hit are as deep as the Grand Canyon. This music brings back lots of memories, and it made the hair on the back of my head (or at least what is left of it!) stand up. I have had the pleasure of seeing the post-Lowell Feat three times, and they are still great. Long may you play on, Little Feat--you guys still are great. But, boy, do I miss Lowell--so thanks for this video.
Rating: Summary: When all is said and done, this is a great title. Review: Remember, this is a concert that was filmed and broadcast on German TV in mono in 1977. So, despite the digital cleaning up it's undergone for DVD release, the picture and sound quality is not as immaculate as filmed concerts today. But, even this fact cannot dampen the fact the the Lowell George-era Little Feat were one of the great unsing bands of rock 'n' roll. Personally, I think the performance itself is terrific and full of energy. By '77, George had stepped back to allow guitarist Paul Barrere & keyboardist Bill Payne to contribute more ideas, resulting in some overlong, meandering jams in the middle of some great songs. And, Barrere & especially Payne brought with them some jazz influences which to many were inferior to the funky southern grooves the Feat excelled at (evidenced here by the jazzy instrumental "A Day at the Dog Races" from "Time Loves A Hero" which George - never a fan of the number - completely leaves the stage for). The only other minor complaints are that Kenny Gradney's bass is a tad low in the mix and Lowell's lead vocals and sometimes overshadowed by drummer Richie Hayward's backup vocals as Hayward is too far out front in the mix. But, really, these are petty grievances - the grooves still come through loud and clear. On the upside, the DVD illustrates how much fire Hayward was capable of behind his kit. He is matched ably by percussionist Sam Clayton's second-line rhythms. Lowell is front and center for a large portion of the concert (including his classics "Fat Man in the Bathtub," "Dixie Chicken," and "Willin'") and the songs written by Payne and Barrere and among their best (Payne's "Oh Atlanta" and Barrere's "Skin It Back" come to mind). It would be great if a concert from about three years earlier - before they began to go overboard with jams and jazz - could be unearthed and released, but this seems to be all there is for now. This review may seem less than glowing, but, really, you cannot go wrong with this band... this is a classic by any standards and beats the pants off of most other bands I can think of. And, if nothing else, it captures the genius of Lowell, whose untimely death marked a great loss to the music world.
Rating: Summary: This DVD is a Keeper Review: Saw the Feat about a dozen times back in the 70s in Atlanta and this DVD shows what a great performance they gave at live shows and how much we miss Lowell. Both of my sons are Wide Spread Panic fans and when they viewed this DVD they said they see where Wide Spread got some of their material. They have also viewed this DVD with their various friends about ten times since we got this DVD last week. This is a must in your collection if you like to Boggie.
Rating: Summary: This DVD is a Keeper Review: Saw the Feat about a dozen times back in the 70s in Atlanta and this DVD shows what a great performance they gave at live shows and how much we miss Lowell. Both of my sons are Wide Spread Panic fans and when they viewed this DVD they said they see where Wide Spread got some of their material. They have also viewed this DVD with their various friends about ten times since we got this DVD last week. This is a must in your collection if you like to Boggie.
Rating: Summary: Already Reviewed Review: Some people may see there's nothing like a Grateful Dead Concert. But for me there is nothing quite as captivating as seeing Little Feat. These guys add so many delectable colorings that its a true pleasure for repeated listenings. Watching Billy Payne and Paul Barrere trade piano and guitar riffs at the beginning of Dixie Chicken is pure heaven. A Day At The Dog Races and Feats Don't Fail Me Now are other highlights as the band really smokes with spirit. Some of the picture content is questionable(where was the camera when Sam Clayton had his cameo vocal on Old Folks Boogie). Its quite interesting hearing so much of Ritchie Hayward on background vocals. At times due to the sound, it sounds like he's the lead vocalist. Some people may be bothered by this but I like Ritchie's harmony vocals and of course his superb drumming. Anyway, its been a long time comming that is the wait for this video. Lowell George was a very inspirational musician and its great that this video is finally available to the public through its proper channels. I already reviewed this video back on September 19, 2000. But the Amazon button cued me to write one anyway so I am merely repeating what I wrote with this disclaimer. Hopefully, this bug will get fixed!
Rating: Summary: Feat - Circa Waiting for Columbus Review: This is Lowell George's Feats and it's pretty cool. It takes a couple of songs for them to get warmed up and then they throw more grease in the pan and start cooking. A great version of Day at the Dog Races although LG leaves the stage as he was wont to do when things got a little to Jazz like. You can also hear what a great voice Richie Hayward has as he was a little UP in the mix. I love the feats. It was cool seeing the LG version again.
Rating: Summary: Finally - after all these years - A Lowell era Feat video! Review: This video has been bootlegged for years, but those bootleg copies were always grainy, especially if you were using VHS. Finally, an authorized version! Lowell's widow, Elizabeth George, and Little Feat worked with the RockPalast people to release this video. If it's at least as good as the bootlegged versions, it's well worth the money. It was recorded in 1977, about the time that Waiting For Columbus (which is on quite a few best-live-album-ever lists) was recorded. This video is a great archive of that era. Set list: Skin It Back - Fat Man In The Bath Tube - Oh Atlanta - Day At The Dog Races - All That You Dream - Old Folks Boogie - Dixie Chicken - Tribe-Face Boogie - Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Willin - Rocket In My Pocket.
Rating: Summary: Little Feat Live Review: While the audio & video quality hark back to those late nights of watching the Midnite Special on our funky psuedo-color 19" RCA television, the ramped up version of "Skin It Back" itself is alone, worth the price of the DVD.
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