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Kickin' It at the Barn

Little Feat - Kickin' It at the Barn Audio CD

A fair review of the Little Feat "Kickin' It at the Barn" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Little Feat reviews here, or go back to the Little Feat tabs.

Band: Little Feat
Title: Kickin' It at the Barn
Rating:

Release Date: 2003-10-21
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Night on the Town 2: Heaven Forsaken 3: I'd Be Lyin' 4: Corazones y Sombras 5: Walking as Two 6: In a Town Like This 7: Fighting the Mosquito Wars 8: Stomp 9: Why Don't It Look Like the Way That It Talk 10: I Do What the Telephone Tells Me to Do 11: Bill's River Blues

Not What I Expected
Clearly the passing of Lowell George was the band's defining moment to assert the talent of Payne, Barrere, Hayward et al. Well, as a Feat fan since 1971 I've seen lots of changes from this band and their sound. Gladly, they did just that with "Let It Roll" showing that the Feat can still rock with the lovely harmony, percussion and diversity that's defined their style. But "Kickin'" takes the band further into the softer side of the Feat personality. What I can do without is the Latino track "Corazones Y Sombras" that stands out like a sore thumb. If I wanted to listen to "Corazones. . . " I'd buy a Latino band's album or just listen to what's eminating from every taco stand, car wash or gardner's truck here in southern California. Clearly this is Bill Payne's thing as he had to import a whole crew of Latin musicians to create this non-Feat track. Some reviewers have liked this direction, I'm not one of them. I originally commented on the album's lighter drum presence but seeing that Richie's son was recently involved in a serious auto crash and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it just a blessing that Richie was able to participate in the sessions at all. His commanding presence will return as his son heals. There are some tracks that show their heritage is still alive, and the instrumental "Stomp" almost gets my feet tapping, but we need more funk and less Latino. There's always been fleeting references to Latin roots in their music, but never a dominant track like what we get here. The fans that worship this band have been around since the 70's. We're here for the funk, the harmony and the soul. "Corazones. . . " is not the music that brought us in. Like Paul McCartney said: "Get back to where you once belonged. " .

A solid effort
While their musicianship continues to be impressive and the performances here are first rate, the songwriting is somewhat inconsistent with most of the best songs comprising the album's first half. Kickin' It At The Barn shows Little Feat continuing to expand their musical horizons.

The album starts out strong with "Night On The Town" and "Heaven Foresaken. " Paul Barrere's lead vocals on these tracks are as smooth as ever and Bill Payne's piano work on the former continues to be first rate. The female backing vocals add a nice touch to these tracks. In another time when radio emphasized music over image, "Heaven Foresaken" would have been a hit. "I'd Be Lyin" is a blues shuffle which spotlights Shaun Murphy's soaring lead vocals. The band continue to add to their musical stew with the Mexican sounds of "Corazones y Sombras" which is one of the best tracks here. The true standout on the album is the instrumental "Stomp", a killer 9-minute fusion jam which features great solos from Barrere, Payne, and a relentless pace provided by drummer Richie Hayward, bassist Kenny Gradney, and percussionist Sam Clayton that never lets up. The remaining tracks such as "Why Don't It Look Like The Way It Talk", "Walking As Two", and "Fighting The Mosquito Wars" are decent songs but are very laid back and with their long track lengths could numb you to sleep. Songs like "I Do What The Telephone Tells Me To Do" and "A Night Like This" don't stand out. The album ends with "Bill's River Blues" which although very mellow is a pretty sweet tune along par with the great slower songs that Lowell George once penned for the band. All told, a solid and very well performed album that would have been stronger if a few of the more laid back tunes weren't included. .

Diverse, entertaining and just pure class
As a band, they are without peers, both in the studio and on stage. If any of Feat's albums reflect the sheer expertise, diversity and technical excellence of this band, I have yet to hear it. I've had this CD now for about 2 weeks, and I will agree with one of the other reviewers that Ms Murphy isn't used enough. The intensity of 'Stomp' is hard to describe, how they feed off one another in this tune is pure magic. The almost sarcastic 'I Do What the Telephone Tells Me To Do' is pure Feat. For me, the only waste track is the Spanish-flavored 'Corazones Y Sombras ', where the band does a workmanlike performance only. I find this one boring in the extreme, and, when making a copy of the CD for my car, I left this one off.
All in all, a VERY pleasant experience though. . . . recommended.

Not What You Might Expect...
This recording took awhile to sink in for me. I love Little Feat. Once it did, I began to understand the musical intellegence & brillance of this remarkable band.

Other bands have tried to achieve the blendings of different ganderas of style, but often those other bands sound really chart driven or mechanical. Little Feat can make things work the shouldn't. . .

There isn't a slacker in the bunch. All the tunes flow and most get you pumped. Each tune explores different and yet familiar terrain. A tune for the intricate southern funk & rock sound to the progressive (almost fusion sound of Stomp). Excellent spin and don't under estimate this fine album. Nice to hear the band free of old contractual bounds.

Free of contractual chains, Feat's don't fail on Hot Tomato!
Recorded at Fred Tackett's studio in Topanga Canyon, CA, it proved to give the band solace; as not even a cell phone gets reception in the valley. An etherial mix of breathtaking tunes, "Kickin' It at the Barn" Features everything from ballads to Mexican Rock & Roll to mariachi guitar with a full-on horn section. Little Feat's current incarnation was formed by the members of the group in 1986 after an impromptu jam session that ended 7 years of downtime and side-projects. Now free to explore endless creativity fueled by the launch of their label Hot Tomato Records, Little Feat has is setting the standard for Bonaroo's contemporaries, enduring 30 years of constant touring and multiple studio and live album releases. The band consists of Paul Barerre on Slide and vocals, Shaun Murphy on vocals, Fred Tackett on Trumpet and guitars, Ritchie Hayward on Drums, Sam Clayton on percussion & vocals and Kenny Gradney on bass. Walk, run or move on down to the Feat's webpage at www. littlefeat. com. All content copyright www. maximumink. com.

You can see a complete list of all Little Feat discography, or go back to the Little Feat tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.