RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Waiting For Columbus was Little Feats crowning achievement - Recorded in 1977 at seven different live sets in two different venues; one being Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC and the other, the Rainbow Theatre in London, England. This live compilation showcased Little Feats enormous prowess at musical-improvisation and outright showmanship: Lowell George's tenorous vocals and slide-techniques were prominently displayed here on tracks like, "Rocket in My Pocket", "Triple Faced Boogie", and "All That You Dream". Kenny Gradney's walking bass-line could be heard on joints like "Fat Man in a Bathtub" and "Time Loves a Hero". I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the other players who made up the the rest of this magnificent group: Paul Barrere, who teamed with Lowell on vocals and guitar; Bill Payne, on vocals, organ, piano and synth; and Richie Hayward and Sam Clayton, who both shared duty on percussions, drums, congas, and vocals. Also, the cameos appearing on Waiting For Columbus were impressive in of themselves: Mick Taylor dropped in to play guitar on "A-Apolitical Blues", Micheal McDonald and Patrick Simmons backed the group, vocally, on "Red Streamliner". But the most prominent cameo belonged to The Tower of Power Horn Section, a five-man piece who's prowess could be heard with great resolution on "Spanish Moon" - the production value on this album was so phenomeonal it could merit a 100 page dissertation by itself. Needless to say, it set a standard for live albums for many years to come - Little Feat was a cajun-flavored coalition of multi-faceted and highly talented musicians who were able to harness, and utilize, practically any stylistic approach with astounding proficiency. They were a Players Band, a Boogie Band, six-men deep and as wide as the Delta with Uptown sophistication. The original line-up would eventually disband in 1979, but not before releasing this, their magnum-opus, and my choice as one of the best live albums of all time...