Notes

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Waiting for Columbus
Live album by Little Feat

Released March 1978
Recorded August 2 - 10 1977 at The Rainbow Theatre, London and The Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Genre Southern rock
Length 78:14
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Lowell George

Professional reviews

* Allmusic 4.5/5 stars link
* Rolling Stone (not rated) link

Waiting for Columbus is the first live album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1978. It was recorded during seven performances, four at the Rainbow Theatre in London 1-4 August 1977, and three at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. 8-10 August 1977. Local Washington radio personality Cerphe Colwell can be heard leading the audience in a "F-E-A-T" spellout on the first track of the album.

At this point, founder and guitarist Lowell George was considering leaving the band to do solo work. However the rest of the bandmembers convinced him that they should do a definitive live album since Little Feat had a reputation of being an acclaimed live band by not playing their songs the same way all the time. They decided to bring onboard the Tower of Power horn section whom they have used in previous studio sessions. The result was one of their biggest selling albums and is considered one of the most acclaimed live rock albums in the same vein as The Band's Rock of Ages and The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East.

Many of their more well-known songs were either re-worked or extended. For instance, one of their signature songs, Dixie Chicken, was heavily extended to include a lengthy piano solo by keyboardist Bill Payne, a Dixieland horn arrangement and finally a dual guitar jam between George and Barrere. Other songs such as Rocket In My Pocket and Mercenary Territory were re-worked to include the horn section as well. Songs they covered such as Don't Bogart That Joint and On Your Way Down were also performed.

The band recorded and mixed enough material from these performances for a triple LP, but for marketing reasons kept it to a double album. Three of the unused tracks were included on their 1981 album Hoy-Hoy!. All were eventually released on the 2002 "Deluxe edition" CD.

Track listing

Side One
1. "Join The Band" (Traditional) – 1:50
2. "Fat Man in the Bathtub" (George) – 4:50
3. "All That You Dream" (Barrère, Payne) – 4:25
4. "Oh Atlanta" (Payne) – 4:09
5. "Old Folks' Boogie" (Barrère, G. Barrère) – 4:22

Side Two
1. "Time Loves a Hero" (Barrère, Gradney, Payne) – 4:20
2. "Day or Night" (Payne, F. Tate) – 5:23
3. "Mercenary Territory" (George, E. George, Hayward) – 4:27
4. "Spanish Moon" (George) – 4:49

Side Three
1. "Dixie Chicken" (George, Kibbee) – 9:00
2. "Tripe Face Boogie" (Hayward, Payne) – 7:02
3. "Rocket in My Pocket" (George) – 3:42

Side Four
1. "Willin'" (George) – 4:42
2. "Don't Bogart That Joint" (E. Ingber, L. Wagner) – 0:57
3. "A Apolitical Blues" (George) – 3:41
4. "Sailin' Shoes" (George) – 6:18
5. "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" (Barrère, George, Kibbee) – 5:17

Personnel

* Paul Barrère - guitar, vocals
* Sam Clayton - congas, vocals
* Lowell George - lead vocals, guitar
* Kenny Gradney - bass guitar
* Richard Hayward - drums, vocals
* Bill Payne - keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
* Mick Taylor - slide guitar ("A Apolitical Blues")
* Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons - backing vocals ("Red Streamliner")

With the Tower of Power horn section:

* Emilio Castillo - tenor saxophone
* Greg Adams - trumpet
* Lenny Pickett - alto saxophone and tenor saxophone
* Stephen "Doc" Kupka - baritone saxophone
* Mic Gillette - trombone, trumpet