Little Feat Dixie Chicken on Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM LP from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab: Audiophile Pressing Is Out of Print

1/4" / 15 IPS / Dolby A analog master to analog console to lathe

Stuffed with first-rate songwriting, humorous lyrics, and laidback funk, Dixie Chicken is Little Feat's pinnacle studio album. The easygoing 1973 classic benefits from the departure of bassist Roy Estrada in that his exit meant the arrival of three new musicians: guitarist Paul Barrere, percussionist Sam Clayton, and bassist Kenny Gradney. The new additions fill out the band's sound and expand the stylistic palette, resulting in a more diversified rhythmic foundation and improved instrumental support. Little Feat also turn to New Orleans-rooted R&B for inspiration. It's this infatuation with the Big Easy, and supreme execution of the Cajun-spiced style, that makes Dixie Chicken so enjoyable and soulful.

Leader and songwriter extraordinaire Lowell George is also at the top of his game. Standards such as the acoustic "Roll Um Easy," the keyboard-drenched "Kiss It Off," and the adroit title track hook the listener from the start, as does the timeless "Fat Man in the Bathtub," a tune that continues George's knack for twisted storytelling. Legendary New Orleans arranger Allen Toussaint contributes the intoxicating "On Your Way Down," which the sextet turns into a slow dark blues that ripples with rock overtones. Thick grooves and sultry riffs abound throughout this brilliant set.

Ensemble playing doesn't get any better. Splitting the line between taut studio perfection and loose jamming, Little Feat lays down some of the most exhilarating slide-guitar and colorful percussive work heard on record. Several distinguished guests contribute to the party: Bonnie Raitt, Bonnie Bramlett, ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, and multi-instrumentalist Fred Tackett among them. In every sense, Dixie Chicken is the epitome of early '70s American rock and roll: funny, smart, relaxing, cohesive, melodic, smooth, stylish, engaging.

Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180-gram LP allows Dixie Chicken to be experienced like never before. The first available domestic remastering, and only edition restored from the original source tapes, this is the version to own.