Little Feat - Time Loves A Hero (1977)

 (U.S 1969 - 1979, 1987 - Present)

Little Feat’s story began in 1969 when songwriter, performer, multi-instrumentalist, and all around colorful character Lowell George, formerly of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, set out to form his own band -- at Zappa’s suggestion. The brilliant and often idiosyncratic George connected with keyboard master Bill Payne, and, along with drummer Richie Hayward and Roy Estrada, founded Little Feat. They were soon signed to Warner Bros., where Little Feat, in various configurations, would remain for twelve of their sixteen albums.

This initial line-up recorded the band’s first two LPs--their rootsy, 1971 selftitled debut, featuring the classic cut ”Willin,“ and its follow-up, Sailin’ Shoes, which added ”Easy To Slip,“ ”Trouble,“ ”Tripe Face Boogie,“ ”Cold Cold Cold“ and the infectious title track to their repertoire. Upon Estrada’s departure in 1972, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney (all still in Feat today) signed on, and the rest, as they say, is history…and many more great albums.

Next up was Dixie Chicken (’73), a New Orleans-influenced gumbo of greatness that offered up the signature title track and ”Fat Man In The Bathtub,“ among other delights. The two LPs that followed, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (’74) and The Last Record Album (’75) served up ”Rock & Roll Doctor,“ ”Oh, Atlanta,“ and ”All That You Dream,“ respectively, while 1977’s Time Loves a Hero offered up, in fine Feats fashion, another unforgettable title track. That same year delivered the aforementioned Waiting For Columbus, forever memorializing their legendary stage prowess.

During Little Feat’s recording of their eighth album as a group, 1979’s Down On The Farm, founding member Lowell George—who had already been veering towards solo work-- met a tragic and untimely passing in June, 1979. Except for Hoy, Hoy, a 1981 full-length assemblage of rarities, live performances, previously overlooked tracks, and a new song apiece from Payne and Barrere, Little Feat disbanded until the mid-‘80s. [extract from the official Little Feat Website]

Album Review
Time Loves a Hero is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1977. The album cover depicts the Cattolica di Stilo.

When Little Feat headed into the studio to record Time Loves a Hero, tensions between the bandmembers -- more specifically, Lowell George and the rest of the band -- were at a peak. George had not only succumbed to various addictions, but he was growing restless with the group's fondness for extending their jams into territory strikingly reminiscent of jazz fusion. The rest of the group brought in Ted Templeman, who previously worked on their debut and produced Sailin' Shoes, to mediate the sessions. 

George wasn't thrilled with that, but that's probably not the only reason why his presence isn't large on this release -- all signs point to his frustration with the band, and he wasn't in great health, so he just didn't contribute to the record. He wrote one song, the pleasant but comparatively faceless "Rocket in My Pocket," and collaborated with Paul Barrere on "Keepin' Up with the Joneses." Barrere was responsible for some of the brighter moments on the album, the ingratiatingly silly "Old Folks Boogie" and, along with Bill Payne and Ken Gradney, the funky sing along title track.

Bill Payne

Elsewhere, Barrere and Payne come up a little short, turning out generic pieces that are well played but not as memorable as comparable Doobie Brothers cuts from the same time. Then there's "Day at the Dog Races," a lengthy fusion jam that Templeman and everyone in the band loved -- except for George, who, according to Bud Scoppa's liner notes in their 2000 compilation release called 'Hotcakes & Outtakes', disparagingly compared it to Weather Report.

Paul Barrere

Payne was involved in the writing of three songs: the title song (with Barrère and Kenny Gradney), "Red Streamliner" (with an assist from Fran Tate), and the extended instrumental "Day At The Dog Races," with its unorthodox time signature and contempo flavor. That one was a full-band collaboration - minus one.

"Lowell was not real happy with 'Day At The Dog Races,"' Payne admits. "He didn't like the direction of the fusion element in the band. The track had synthesizers on it. When I was first introduced to the synthesizer, I thought, 'Will I begin to sound like these disco people?' No. I look at it in terms of a piano. I've got a pretty good orchestral ear; I tried to make it work on that level."

Payne had used a Moog sound on ''Sailin' Shoes," and he'd played a synth part on Dixie Chicken's "Kiss lt Off." But on "Day At The Dog Races," synthesizers weren't merely an accent; they powered the track. "I was taking my cues from Joe Zawinul of Weather Report," Payne admits. "Look, every step of the way, we've bastardized everything we've done. Very little of what Little Feat does is original, but what makes it Little Feat is this voice we have behind it. We've never been afraid to take certain elements and mix them up."

Lowell George

Barrere describes the evolution of "Day At The Dog Races": "five of us [minus George] would be at the rehearsal hall on Cahuenga all the time, and we would just jam. Billy was taping all these jams. Some of the stuff was phenomenal. Sam and Kenny and Richie were having their connection on the rhythm side, and Billy and I were having a connection melodically that was just phenomenal - some of the most far-out licks, and we were playing them together. We had a ball doing that kind of stuff.I don't know if that's what flipped Lowell out, but he was not totally sold on that kind of thing. He knew we weren't going to get any airplay with that."

"Lowell was a little upset," Ted Templeman confirms. "He said, 'What is this, fuckin' Weather Report?

But we were all on the same wavelength. I'm a jazz player, and I love jazz. Those guys wanted to in that direction, which Lowell didn't like, and Lenny didn't like. I would just let them go, especially on things like "Day At The Dog Races" - they were kickin' ass. Billy came up with that incredible intro. I think he was playing an Oberheim; he was ahead of his time with that shit. Billy had hit his creative stride, and Paul too. I was just sittin' back and letting Billy roll.

"You know, I've produced all kinds of people and had hits with them, but I've gotta say, in terms of learning from an artist or just enjoying the talent, Little Feat is definitely up there for me. We had a mutual respect. We got along well. Those guys were truly one of the great musical groups of all time."

For me, standout tracks on this album are all on the first side - "Time Loves A Hero", "Hi Roller", "Rocket In My Pocket" and the highlight of the album "Day At The Dog Races", which is the one thing that draws me back to replay the album time and time again.

I would go as far as to say that it was this album that got me through my first year of University Studies (and probably many of of my college mates), with Side 1 on constant rotation on my turntable in my college dorm. Ah, those were the days !

This post consists of freshly ripped FLACs from my vinyl and features full artwork for both vinyl and CD, along with label scans.  Enjoy this classic gem folks, and especially your 'Day At The Dog Races' 

Track Listing

01. "Hi Roller" – 3:35

02. "Time Loves a Hero" – 3:47

03. "Rocket in My Pocket" – 3:25

04. "Day at the Dog Races" – 6:27

05. "Old Folks Boogie"  – 3:31

06. "Red Streamliner"  – 4:44

07. "New Delhi Freight Train"  – 3:42

08. "Keepin' up With the Joneses"  – 3:51

09. "Missin' You"  – 2:21

Band members:

Lowell George (Slide Guitar, Vocals)

Paul Barre (Guitar, Vocals)

Kenny Gradney (Bass)

Bill Payne (Keyboards)

Ritchie hayward (Drums, Vocals)

Sam Clayton (Percussions, Vocals)

Guest Artists:

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Dobro Guitar on Missin' You)

Horns by Tower of Power Horn Section

Little Feat Link (235Mb) New Link 4/5/2023