NEW Little Feat - Original Album Series (CD)

Aping the success of Sony's similarly packaged 5CD box sets, WEA is releasing over FORTY x 5CD "Original Album Series" mini box sets of their own. Issued only in the UK and Europe, the artists featured stretch from rhythm 'n' blues icons of the 1950s (Ray Charles and Clyde McPhatter with The Drifters) all the way through to Metal And Indie bands of the 2000s (Dokken and Echo & The Bunnymen). For those interested, I've compiled a full listing of titles in the series in the 'comment' section attached to this review (some are superb, some are not).

Here's the fine-detail for the LITTLE FEAT set - released Monday 1 March 2010 on Warner Brothers/Rhino 8122 79835 9, "Original Album Series" 5CD box set breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 is "Little Feat" their 11-track debut album released January 1971 in the USA on Warner Brothers WS 1890 and March 1972 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46072 (33:30 minutes)

Disc 2 is "Sailin' Shoes" their 11-track 2nd album released May 1972 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2600 and in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46156 (38:02 minutes)

Disc 3 is "Dixie Chicken" their 10-track 3rd album released February 1973 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2686 and in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46200 (36:48 minutes)

Disc 4 is "Feats Don't Fail Me Now" their 8-track 4th album released September 1974 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2784 and in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56030 (34:30 minutes)

Disc 5 is "The Last Record Album" their 8-track 5th album released November 1975 in the USA on Warner Brothers BS 2884 and in the UK on Warner Brothers K 56156. This CD also includes the 9th, 10th and 11th bonus tracks that are on the Eighties CD issue hence the playing time of 39:39 minutes. The tracks are "Bonus Announcement", "Don't Bogart That Joint [Live]" and "A Apolitical Blues [Live]".

ARTWORK/PACKAGING:
The five single card sleeves reflect the 'original' front and rear US LP artwork (the gatefold of "Sailin' Shoes" is unfortunately not reproduced and the rear of the 1st album is changed too). However, there is an odd addition to the way these card sleeves have been presented that seems to go right across the entire series of 40+ titles. Each front sleeve is now 'bordered' with a color - in this issue its brown for "Little Feat", orange for "Sailin' Shoes" (and so on) and the label on the CD then reflects that color code. I mention this because Rhino are usually sticklers for detail and would in the past have used the original vinyl label designs like they did in the 'Encore' series (a green Warner Brothers label for "Dixie Chicken", the Burbank Trees label for "The Last Record Album" and so on), it would have been more appropriate, but alas not here...

There's no inserts or booklet either and the outer card box is disappointingly flimsy too (the Sony ones are chunky and glossy - they're stronger). Worse, there appears to be no site to download track details from (as there is with the Sony issues). Having said all that, the card sleeves still look cool once out of the box and it's nice to see the original artwork used (it makes a big difference on the Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Paul Butterfield, Dionne Warwick and Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters rear sleeves - beautiful original album artwork). But that's small compensation, because the really bad news is the opportunity missed in the sound department...

SOUND:
Some CD sites selling these sets seemed to have automatically 'presumed' that each is "digitally remastered", but it categorically does NOT state that on the outer box or any of the card sleeves or discs - and rather too conveniently - neither website for Rhino USA or UK has any info on the series at all. But what's not hard to discern is what your ears are actually telling you.

Like most fans I have the crappy Eighties CD issues just to have the music and these 2010 versions seem to be pretty much the same. To put this into an audio context, when you compare the 2000 "Hotcakes & Outtakes" genuine remasters of say "Two Trains", "Willin'", "Roll Um Easy", "Rock And Roll Doctor" and especially "Long Distance Love" (lyrics above), the sound quality is infinitely better on the Box Set versions - truly gorgeous stuff. The sound quality here is merely good at best (maybe better in some places), but it's absolutely not the upgrade fans were hoping for on 'all' of the albums.

To sum up - with Rhino announcing redundancies in their reissue departments (everything's going away from hard copy to digital downloads) and the slightly slapdash feel of these boxes, you can't help but field a depressing thought - this is a truly great reissue label just chucking stuff at the wall to sell it. A musical maverick going out with a whimper rather than a bang - flogging us what they 'know' is more of the same old crud just with a prettier lick of paint. Only a few years ago, Rhino could be relied upon to deliver us superlative reissues every time - but with these and the rubbish "Flashback" series of last year (repackaged 80's dross CDs) - not anymore it seems...

If the Rickie Lee Jones, Chaka Khan, Chris Rea and George Benson boxes are the same (non remasters), then I'll not bother at all with any more in this series...and that's just plain depressing.

Three stars out of five - at a pinch. Very, very disappointing...

I am enjoying this purchase immensely. These CD's may or may not be remastered or remixed, but that suits me just fine. I find that the sound of the majority of recordings that have been "doctored" is rather harsh, and in some cases down-right un-listenable. The sound of each of these recordings is exactly as I remember them from my youth. They are certainly better sounding (and cheaper) than MP3's; plus, you don't have to make a back-up. And...as a wonderful bonus...they are packaged in mini replica album sleeves that have a very small footprint on your shelf.

Thanks for that very helpful review! When I first saw this product listed on Amazon, my heart skipped a beat. I thought it might have been exactly what I was looking and hoping for. I am the world's biggest fan of mini-lp packaging. For the life of me, I don't know WHY all CDs were not manufacturd and put out in this format, from the beggining!!!!!Then, as I read on, my dream was dashed! No new re-mastering! What an absolute shame!
All I want is for someone, somewhere, to put ALL of the Lowell George era Little Feat albums out, re-mastered and in mini-lp packaging. Everything from "Little Feat" to "Hoy-Hoy!". Nine albums, total - is that so much to ask?!
Even The Beatles finally re-mastered their catalogue! Granted it took them 22 YEARS to do it - BUT AT LEAST THEY DID IT!!!!! And at least the mono box set was presented in mini-lp form! Maybe worldwide sales weren't as big as initially anticipated but what did they expect?! Half of their origional fans, which is who they did it for, ARE DEAD AND BURIED!!!!! I guess "FEAT" are going to wait until we're all dead, too! I've already had one heart attack! I won't be around THAT much longer!
Mobil Fidelity Sound Labs has, at least put out a few of the early albums, re-mastered BUT so far they've only done "Little Feat", "Sailin' Shoes", "Dixie Chicken" and "Waiting For Columbus". WHY did they skip from "Dixie Chicken" and go right to "Waiting For Columbus"?! Are they going to eventually do the rest - "Feats Don't Fail Me Now", "The Last Record Album", "Time Loves A Hero", "Down On The Farm and "Hoy-Hoy!"?!!!!! Most likely - of course not - and why should they? - I'M NOT DEAD YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One star, for at least attempting the mini-lp packaging! - idiots!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  3.0 out of 5 stars