Down on the Farm is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Little Feat. The album was completed and released shortly after the death of the band's founder and frontman, Lowell George, in 1979. It was their last original work for nine years. The band had announced their break-up in June 1979 during the making of the album. Little Feat would reform in 1987.
| Down on the Farm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 14, 1979[1] | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Rock[2] | |||
| Length | 37:28 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Lowell George | |||
| Little Feat chronology | ||||
| ||||
The cover shows one of Neon Park's several duck-girls—an allusion to "The Finishing Touch" by painter Gil Elvgren.[3][4]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
The New York Times wrote that "it's very much an album of songs, with none of the longish solos and other experiments that often seemed out of place on Little Feat albums in the past."[7]
Track listing
editSide One
- "Down on the Farm" (Paul Barrère) – 4:16 (lead singer: Paul Barrère)
- "Six Feet of Snow" (Lowell George, Keith Godchaux) – 2:30 (lead singer: Lowell George)
- "Perfect Imperfection" (Barrère, Tom Snow) – 3:46 (lead singer: Lowell George)
- "Kokomo" (George) – 2:58 (lead singer: Lowell George)
- "Be One Now" (George, Fred Tackett) – 4:05 (lead singer: Lowell George)
Side Two
- "Straight from the Heart" (George, Payne) – 4:59 (lead singer: Lowell George)
- "Front Page News" (George, Payne) – 5:57 (lead singer: Lowell George)
- "Wake up Dreaming" (Payne, Fran Payne) – 4:09 (lead singer: Bill Payne)
- "Feel the Groove" (Clayton, Gordon DeWitty) – 4:49 (lead singer: Sam Clayton)
Charts
edit| Chart (1979–80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 41 |
| US Top LPs & Tape (Billboard) | 29 |
Personnel
editBand members
edit- Paul Barrère – guitar, vocals
- Sam Clayton – congas, vocals
- Lowell George – guitar, vocals (last album with group)
- Kenny Gradney – bass
- Richie Hayward – drums, vocals
- Bill Payne – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
Additional personnel
edit- Rosemary Butler – backing vocals
- Gordon DeWitty – keyboards
- Robben Ford – guitar
- Jerry Jumonville – saxophone
- Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar
- David Lindley – guitar
- Earl Palmer – drums ("Feel the Groove")
- Fran Payne – backing vocals
- Bonnie Raitt – backing vocals
- Dan Smith – backing vocals
- Fred Tackett – guitar (solo on "Kokomo")
- Lee Thornburg – trumpet, trombone
- Julia Waters – backing vocals
- Luther Waters – backing vocals
- Oren Waters – backing vocals
- Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals
References
edit- ^ David Dodd. "The Annotated Grateful Dead Discography: Guest Appearances". ucsc.edu. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Down on the Farm at AllMusic
- ^ "Neon Park".
- ^ Gil Elvgren – "The Finishing Touch" (1960)
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 427.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (30 Nov 1979). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C12.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 178. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
