Monday, May 23, 2011

Waiting for Columbus: Best Double Live Album of All Time

This is the back cover of Waiting for Columbus, by Little Feat.  The iconic Tomato Lady on her hammock is on the front, but you've all seen that.
We all love "double live" albums and there are a small handful (10-12) that are the greats.  This one is the best.  I am so confident of that pronouncement that I would bet it is in your all-time top five DLA's.  It was produced by bandleader Lowell George.  Most great records are most commonly produced by record producers who are not in the band.  I remember working at the pool one summer (1979) when I heard sadly on 'XRT (Chicago's Finest Rock) that he passed away.  But why is this the best DLA ever?: because One, it rocks, B. the liner notes say "tight is right," (they dutifully adhere to that mantra), D. it captures a uniquely American roots jam band at their zenith, the lastly - the quality of live recording master tapes (many times if bad, a deal-breaker) is note and tonal quality as perfect as you'd want/expect in a DLA.  Oh, and the Tower of Power horns "joined the band."  By 1978, LF had completed a string of tremendous studio records: Little Feat, Sailin' Shoes, Dixie Chicken, Feats Don't Fail me Now, and Times Loves a Hero.  They parlayed that buildup into wonderful jam tunes that mostly ended up on WFC.   Each of the four sides has 3, 4, or 5 great songs and each side is a great listen.

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