Search - Little Feat :: Hoy Hoy

Lowell George & The Band at Their Very Best

James Choma | 02/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Little Feat was one of those bands I got into during high school (mid-80's) after their heyday had come and gone. I had read a review in Rolling Stone's "All Music Guide" stating that Little Feat was "one of the best-loved American bands from the seventies." And here I was, a big fan of seventies music, and I had never heard of them. For better or worse, that reader's guide was my bible, so I thought I'd give the band a try and pick up a greatest hits of some sort and give it a try.The first thing that drew me to "Hoy Hoy" was the cover art -- almost all of the 70's, 80's and 90's Little Feat albums have great artwork done by the late Neon Park (aka Martin Muller). A german shepard with a Hawaiian lei and antlers watching a bone with pink bird wings fly away while sitting in front of a smoking volcano. I liked it. RIP Neon Park.I found the music equally appealing. Here you're getting a mix of album cuts and live versions of the music. The live version of "Rock and Roll Doctor" is one of the best tracks on the album. You also get a little Lowell George gem by name of "China White." These two songs are worth the price of the album alone. But it doesn't stop there. In addition to several other George contributions, you also get several Bill Payne and Paul Barrere contributions that are just as worthy. After getting this album, I had to get my hands on the rest of the band's material -- I didn't want to miss the other gems that didn't make this album. If you've never heard of Little Feat before, it's hard to peg them in any sort of musical genre. You get elements of Blues, Rock, Country, Jazz, and Funk. Every album relased was both visually and aurally appealing. Of course, Lowell George is no longer with us, his legacy lives on with this collection. Little Feat as a band continues to play as well. As far as I'm concerned, the "Rolling Stone Reader's Guide" was correct -- I love this band. Thanks for taking the time to read this!"

That was then, this is now, and Hoy! Hoy! is still a classic

Mike | San Jose, CA | 03/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album and the motivation behind it really needs to be framed in the context of Feat keyboardist Bill Payne in the liner notes to the "Hotcakes & Outtakes" box set: "My first thought (after Lowell George's death) - other than anger, then sadness - was 'Did he cover his kids, insurancewise?' I called up the accountants and asked them, and they said he didn't. So, I called up Ronstadt and a couple of other people, and we put together a benefit and memorial to Lowell - a tribute." That's what also lies at the heart of Hoy! Hoy!...it was a way to help Lowell's family financially, to bring a sense of closure and healing for the band, and...by releasing it commercially...involving Little Feat's loyal fans in the process. It's not a linear, logical, chronological "Best Of Little Feat" album, and it wasn't intended as one. Rather, it's a mix of odds 'n' sods from the archives, favorite tracks selected by the band, and "All That You Dream" (with Ronstadt and the late Nicolette Larson) from the aforementioned Lowell tribute concert. The booklet faithfully reproduces all of the photos and liner notes and anecdotes from the original vinyl release, which is a good thing, because they are essential...especially Bonnie Raitt's heartbreaking and heartfelt "I miss Little Feat more than I miss being eight years old." Just like the legendary New Orleans jazz funerals, the surviving members of Little Feat...instead of succumbing to depression over the loss of their friend and bandmate...put together a loving, diverse, and incredibly entertaining 2 record (now single CD) set."

A fantastic collection from the best live band of the 1970s

Mike | 07/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would argue that Little Feat was the best live band of the mid-to-late 1970's -- better than the Rolling Stones, better than Bruce, better than the Dead, better than the J. Geils Band (who deserve mention with these titans). This album represents a quirky collection of "hits" (Rock & Roll Doctor), live tunes (a positively frenetic Teeanage Nervous Breakdown), under-appreciated gems (Skin it Back, Easy to Slip, Strawberry Flats), even a tribute (Linda Ronstadt on All that you Dream). China White is a particularly chilling requiem to Lowell George. Waiting for Columbus is more consistent, but Hoy Hoy is Little Feat's best album precisely because of its quirky, uneven quality. Buy it & enjoy an American treasure."