Rock and Roll Doctor - Mark Brend

Little Feat became one of my favourite bands once I had taken the time and trouble to properly listen to their music, in my mid-twenties. However, until recently I had not closely studied the group's history or the stories behind the music. This gap has been remedied to some degree by reading Mark Brend's book Rock and Roll Doctor, which looks primarily at the life of Little Feat's guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Lowell George.

The appeal of Little Feat for me, over and above their infectious quirkiness, was their sheer musicality. There is an intangible and elusive quality which is difficult to pin down, and I have often thought to myself that once somebody has heard Little Feat's music in favourable circumstances, that person is a fan for life.  And much of the pull and allure of Feat was, and is, down to the talent, personality and humour of Lowell George.

Brend's book is perhaps not a definitive biography of either George or the group, but I found it enlightening. Time is taken to document George's musical education, and how some of the things which characterized his conduct during the Little Feat era stemmed in part from those early days.  What emerges for me is a picture of one of the more cerebral, unusual and restless talents in the history of rock music.

The author makes some mild criticisms of the group's eponymous debut LP, and I am in accord with those views, up to a point. Yes, the sound of the album does not have the depth or richness of later efforts, and by some measures Feat remained very much a work in progress at that juncture, looking for a niche and that "sweet spot" which later came to encapsulate the band's unique vitality. However, taken on its own terms that first record exudes a charm and relative innocence which makes it highly enjoyable and affecting.

Throughout the work, Brend displays a good way with words, especially when evaluating the individual albums and their constituent tracks. These commentaries are very well put together, and the dissection of the songs reminded me how the band's finest moments came when fairly conventional ingredients were mixed together to form a vibrant and distinctive product.

I would have liked a little more about Little Feat as a live act, since that was where they gained much of their reputation, especially in their "middle period".  Having said this, the book helped to deepen my understanding of Little Feat's methods and the dynamics within the band. There is some shrewd appraisal of the reason's for Feats difficulties, both in attaining major commercial success and in maintaining harmony and unity.  Brend also exhibits a sound understanding of the legacy of George and Feat.

This is a very readable and well-written exploration, a fine attempt to capture what made George and Feat so special and beloved by so many people, both the fans and journalists. In its portrayal of Lowell George, it paints a picture of a person who had his faults, but who equally was generous in his collaborations, and endlessly musically inquisitive and curious.