Little Feat – Dixie Chicken (Deluxe 2-CD)

Released in 1973, Dixie Chicken marks the moment Little Feat found their true groove—the album where co-founder Lowell George's swamp-rock vision fully crystallized with the addition of Kenny Gradney on bass, Sam Clayton on percussion, and Paul Barrere on guitar. This deluxe 2-CD edition presents the 2023 remaster of the original album alongside previously unreleased studio outtakes, demos, and a complete live show from Paul's Mall in Boston recorded April 1, 1973—the first deep dive into one of the most influential '70s Warner Bros. catalog albums.

The original album introduced songs that became permanent fixtures in Little Feat's repertoire: the title track's New Orleans-influenced shuffle, the barroom blues of Fat Man in the Bathtub, and the rolling Two Trains. The Hotcakes, Outtakes, Rarities disc reveals alternate versions and demos that show how these classics evolved in the studio, while the live set captures the newly expanded seven-piece lineup tearing through material with the raw energy of a band just hitting its stride. You'll hear early versions of Willin' and A Apolitical Blues performed months after the album's release.

Dixie Chicken initially struggled commercially despite critical acclaim, but its reputation grew steadily as artists from Bonnie Raitt to the Grateful Dead championed the band's unique blend of rock, funk, blues, and New Orleans R&B. This deluxe edition, assembled with care from original tapes, finally gives fans the comprehensive look at this watershed album that its fiftieth anniversary deserves.

Deluxe 2-CD: 2023 remaster of original album plus outtakes, demos, and previously unreleased live show from Paul's Mall, Boston (4/1/73).