The Album Review Club - Week #139 - (page 1815) - Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of The Worlds

[threespires]

Eh?

Lol just read OB1s review properly, I should have gone to Specsavers (or paid more attention). Have edited my post!

 

[threespires]

Considering JJ Cale sits top of the pile, I suspect this is going to do pretty well.

First listen was thinking exactly the same.

 

[RobMCFC]

First impression: it's like one long jam (which isn't necessarily a negative by the way).

 

[mancity111]

Wow, that didn't take long...as expected!

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As this is my first album nomination in this thread I must confess that I feel a little intimidated as it is clear from following, rather than contributing to this thread, that many of you are much more invested in music than I am. I should also add that I changed my nomination at the last minute mainly because the album I had originally chosen has been mentioned favourably in this and another music related thread recently.

However, when I first put my name forward, this is the album I originally had in mind.

“Feats Don't Fail Me Now" is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat. Lowell George was the founding member, lead singer and principal songwriter although other band members contributed to writing as well.

I discovered this band through a sampler album The Warner Brothers Music Show that was released in 1975 - it cost the princely sum of 59p. The album was released to coincide with a UK and European tour by a number of acts on the Warner Brothers label and I was lucky enough to see one of the two Manchester concerts at The Free Trade Hall, although not the one featuring Little Feat. However, on the strength of the track “Oh Atlanta” which featured on the sampler I bought this album. I subsequently sought out all their other material and it is fair to say that Little Feat are one of my all-time favourite bands.

The album comprises only 8 tracks and just under 35 minutes long but there is such a variety of musical styles on show I would challenge anyone not to find something they enjoyed.

I don’t propose to go through the album track by track but highlights for me are;

Lowell George was a leading exponent of slide guitar and this is heard to great effect in the opening track Rock and Roll Doctor. This is probably my favourite of all Little Feat tracks and is the band in one song.

Oh Atlanta is an uptempo rock and roll song and Bill Payne (keyboards) plays some great honky tonk style piano.

Spanish Moon, a nice slow, brass heavy, atmospheric laid-back track bringing side 1 to a close. (for me this is where vinyl scores over any other medium for listening to music…I think you are more likely to listen to all tracks and can appreciate how the songs are grouped together on each side)

The Fan, this song has a real energy about it, particularly the rhythmic and hypnotic instrumental section.

I only managed to see them once at a stadium gig where they were one of the support acts in an all-day event. Most of the audience were there for other bands and I don’t think that they did themselves justice on the day but I continued to follow them.

Sadly Lowell George died of a heart attack at the age of 34 and although the band continued with various line-up changes, for me they never reached the same heights. This probably prevented them for achieving the commercial success they deserved.

A further note, check out all their album covers, some interesting artwork by Neon Park.

I bought this album albeit it cost me a little more than than it did you after discovering Dixie Chicken still my favourite of theirs and one of my favourite albums of all time but that doesn't worry me in the slightest now or did it really then when music was my drug of choice. Underrated doesn't begin to describe this band , certainly in my top 20 favourite bands of all time and I have sung their praises on various threads before.

It doesn't quite reach the heights of Dixie Chicken and I never quite understood why they are not in the Hall of Fame given the talent and catalogue they produced and of course Lowell George on guitar but in the end who really cares if they were not as commercially successfully as some of their devotees would have wished or thought they would be as opposed to the likes of Three Dog Night who didn't write much of their more successful; material.

Great songs , great production and variety ( R&B , rock , funk , honky tonk all rolled into one ) an easy 8/10 for me.

Nice choice for a first timer.

 

[OB1]

Considering JJ Cale sits top of the pile, I suspect this is going to do pretty well.

Yeah, I'm nervous :)

 

[stoneblue]

Nice choice for a first timer.

Just wait for my next one.... ;)

 

[Mancitydoogle]

Yes. It was Johnny Walker, then Roger Scott and then Richard Skinner from what I remember.

I think you are right about our similar tastes - I would say the music played by JW and RS shaped my musical tastes more than any other person, show or magazine.

The first time I heard "Copperhead Road" was when Roger Scott played it. He made some comment about sitting there with his mouth open the first time he heard it and it was exactly how I felt.

In fact that song would be a good pick for my theme on the playlist thread next week. Now I've probably got Coatigan sweating that it's a fortnight of yee-haw/cowboy boots and banjos, I'll leave everybody dangling .....

I hope so, I’ve got lots of country tinged stuff that was ready for the promised banjo theme lol

 

[Mancitydoogle]

I bought this album albeit it cost me a little more than than it did you after discovering Dixie Chicken still my favourite of theirs and one of my favourite albums of all time but that doesn't worry me in the slightest now or did it really then when music was my drug of choice. Underrated doesn't begin to describe this band , certainly in my top 20 favourite bands of all time and I have sung their praises on various threads before.

It doesn't quite reach the heights of Dixie Chicken and I never quite understood why they are not in the Hall of Fame given the talent and catalogue they produced and of course Lowell George on guitar but in the end who really cares if they were not as commercially successfully as some of their devotees would have wished or thought they would be as opposed to the likes of Three Dog Night who didn't write much of their more successful; material.

Great songs , great production and variety ( R&B , rock , funk , honky tonk all rolled into one ) an easy 8/10 for me.

Nice choice for a first timer.

DC is my favourite too, although as @stoneblue says you pick anyone of their first 6
and ‘Waiting For Columbus’ is one of my favourite live albums.

 

[Mancitydoogle]

There’s a documentary called Laurel Canyon on Sky Docs , Lowell George features in episode 2 .

 

[RobMCFC]

Feats Don’t Fail Me Now – Little Feat

For no good reason that I could put my finger on, I always thought that Little Feat played country music. Stupid really, as previously noted, my only experience of them was hearing them namechecked in the Mark Germino song, “Rex Bob Lowenstein”.

The album cover is terrific, but does the music live up to it?

“Rock and Roll Doctor” is a good opener. You can’t put your finger on the style but it slides by smoothly.
“Oh, Atlanta” – a bit too pub rock for me – that plinky-plonky piano rears its head again. I love the piano as an instrument in general, but I can’t put my finger on why this type of playing irritates me, but it does. In my opinion, this song is the weakest on the album, coming across as a hideous Elton John/Showaddywaddy mash-up B-side.

Thankfully, the playing is more bluesy over the course of the record and mingling with the slide guitar, it’s a great sound. As soon as "Skin It Back” starts, all is forgiven because of the swampy/funky keyboards - I love this sound!
“Down the Road” – An average kind of song in general, but there’s a nice change part way through featuring some tasteful guitar.

“Spanish Moon” – Starts with slinky bass and horns and there’s more than a little Steve Wonder/Superstitious-vibe to this, which is find by me. A very enjoyable listen, especially when the keyboards join in later on. One of the highlights of the album.

“Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” – An average title track when compared to the two either side of it.

“The Fan” – A song propelled by moody Hammond and some more great guitar. Love it. They could be singing about anything here, I don’t care, the sound is just great.

“Medley: Cold, Cold, Cold / Tripe Face Boogie” – The album finishes with a monster track: strong soulful vocals giving way to an epic jam during which Bill Payne shows us that he’s definitely more than a plinky-plonky piano player.

This album is certainly similar in tone, style and sound to the JJ Cale album that sits at the top of our table, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this ends up very high in the rankings as well. I’d have to go back for another listen, but I’d say that Little Feat just edges it. There are a few songs that keep it from being a 9, but this is a stone-bonker 8/10.

Great first nomination by @stoneblue, but don’t be a stranger on this thread, eh?

Note for @BlueHammer85 – this album is #718 in Colin Larkin’s list.