The Best of Little Feat (Remastered)

By any logic, Little Feat should be as beloved among classic rock fans as Led Zeppelin and the Allmans — two groups that counted themselves as Feat lovers — but fate and misfortunate condemned the Los Angeles-based sextet to cult status. Their songs are as warm as bear hugs and as musically accomplished as jazz tunes, but Feat reserved the right to go gnarly and bizarre once in a while. (After all, this is a group that started its career backing Captain Beefheart.) The Best of Little Feat showcases a cross-section of their career, including three tracks from the band’s posthumous reformation without founder Lowell George. The real meat of the album comes from the band’s mid-‘70s heyday, when they rumbled like a bar band, but also wrote songs that were beautiful and bittersweet, like “Fool Youself,” “Roll Um Easy” and George’s immortal “Willin’.” Even when they veered into funk and jazz, Little Feat never lost its way. They did it all with style and conviction (even the posthumous reunion was admirable), and proved that a lasting reputation comes from outstanding music, not massive success.