Following
Roy Estrada's departure during the supporting tour for
Sailin' Shoes,
Lowell George became infatuated with New Orleans R&B and mellow jamming, all of which came to a head on their third album, 1973's
Dixie Chicken. Although
George is firmly in charge - he dominates the record, writing or co-writing seven of the 10 songs - this is the point where
Little Feat found its signature sound as a band, and no album they would cut from this point on was too different from this seductive, laid-back, funky record. But no album would be quite as good, either, since
Dixie Chicken still had much of the charming lyrical eccentricities of the first two albums, plus what is arguably
George's best-ever set of songs. Partially due to the New Orleans infatuation, the album holds together better than
Sailin' Shoes and
George takes full advantage of the band's increased musical palette, writing songs that sound easy but are quite sophisticated, such as the rolling "Two Trains," the gorgeous, shimmering "Juliette," the deeply soulful and funny "Fat Man in the Bathtub" and the country-funk of the title track, which was covered nearly as frequently as "Willin'." In addition to "Walkin' All Night," a loose bluesy jam by Barrere and
Bill Payne, the band also hauls out two covers which fit
George's vibe perfectly:
Allan Toussaint's slow burner "On Your Way Down" and "Fool Yourself," which was written by
Fred Tackett, who later joined a reunited
Feat in the '80s. It all adds up to a nearly irresistible record, filled with great songwriting, sultry grooves, and virtuosic performances that never are flashy.
Little Feat, along with many jam bands that followed, tried to top this album, but they never managed to make a record this understated, appealing and fine. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine