Sailin’ Shoes by Little Feat

Sailin' Shoes is the second studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1972. Little Feat's sophomore effort, the Ted Templeman produced Sailin' Shoes marked a shift from the sound of the band's first album, Little Feat, to that of their next album, Dixie Chicken. It also introduced the cover artwork of Neon Park to the group, and was the last album appearance of original bassist Roy Estrada. Highlighted by a reworked group version of "Willin'", it also featured such enduring tracks as "A Apolitical Blues," "Easy to Slip" and the title track, all by guitarist and lead vocalist Lowell George, the second co-written with Martin Kibbee, credited as "Fred Martin", a former bandmate from The Factory, and the first appearance of the "George/Martin" credit on a Little Feat record. The track "Texas Rose Cafe" is a tribute to a post-Houston concert visit by Lowell George and others to the hippie restaurant/club/beer garden. During refreshments upstairs George had said that he liked the place so much that he was going to write a song about it and it would be on their next album. It turned out to be true and not just so much "beer talk". It was the last full Little Feat record to be produced by an outsider until 1977's Time Loves a Hero, with each of the three interim albums being produced almost entirely by Lowell George. Noted Los Angeles-based session percussionist Milt Holland played percussion on "Easy to Slip" and "Trouble" and he also played tabla on the follow-up album Dixie Chicken. Ron Elliott of the Beau Brummels played rhythm guitar on "A Apolitical Blues" and Debbie Lindsey provided the female vocals on "Cold, Cold, Cold" and the title track. In 1972 Van Dyke Parks covered "Sailin' Shoes" on his album Discover America, while in 1973, the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth covered "Teenage Nervous Breakdown" on their album Loud 'n' Proud. In 1974 backed by The Meters and Lowell George, Robert Palmer covered "Sailin' Shoes" on his debut solo album Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley. In 1988 Van Halen recorded a cover of "A Apolitical Blues" on their album, OU812, although the song is not included on some cassette and some original vinyl copies of the album. It was voted number 469 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).In 2008 the album was released as Gold CD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.