Dixie Chicken

Little Feat, 1973, from Dixie Chicken. Solo by Lowell George.

Lowell George's compressed, singing slide tone gives the New Orleans groove its distinctive voice.

Dixie Chicken rolls along on a loose, New Orleans-flavoured groove, and Lowell George's slide guitar is its most distinctive voice. His tone is heavily compressed and sustaining, so each note seems to sing and glide rather than bark, more like a sweet, slightly nasal voice than a typical blues slide. He plays with great restraint, dropping in short, melodic phrases that answer the vocals and sit perfectly in the funky rhythm. His approach influenced many later players who wanted slide to sound smooth and lyrical instead of raw. Listen for how George's slide notes swell and hold, and how he often lands slightly behind the beat, giving the whole song its easy, lopsided strut.

Dixie Chicken by Little Feat is featured in our Southern Rock (#20) list. The solo is played by Lowell George and the song was released in 1973.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Southern Rock Guitar Solos — #20
• Slide Guitar — #21
• The Best Little Feat Guitar Solos — #1

Sources