The Last Record Album

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Last Record Album | type = Album | artist = Little Feat | cover = Little_Feat_-_The_Last_Record_Album.jpg | alt = | caption = Cover artwork, with giant orange jelly, by Neon Park | released = October 17, 1975{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} | recorded = 1975 | studio = The Sound Factory, Los Angeles | venue = | genre = | length = 38:17 | label = Warner Bros. | producer = Lowell George | prev_title = Feats Don't Fail Me Now | prev_year = 1974 | next_title = Time Loves a Hero | next_year = 1977 }} '''''The Last Record Album''''' is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1975 on the Warner Bros. label.

== Background == The album title and cover illustration by Neon Park<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/park_neon.htm|title=Neon Park|website=Lambiek.net|access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> both allude to the 1971 film ''The Last Picture Show'' as well as the title typography on the film's poster, with Hollywood Boulevard turned into a desert leading to the apparent visual pun of the Hollywood Sign Jell-O mold "dessert". At left, Frederick's of Hollywood has long since closed, but the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre at right is still a landmark.

The album's back cover includes the record's lyrics. One song, "Hi Roller," was marked out in black ink with the annotation "Maybe Next Time". The song was indeed included on their next album ''Time Loves a Hero'' (1977).

== Reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=AM>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-last-record-album-mw0000651765 |title=Little Feat: The Last Record Album |author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |website=AllMusic |year= |access-date=5 April 2013}}</ref> |rev2 = ''Christgau's Record Guide'' |rev2Score = B−<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: L|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=L&bk=70|access-date=March 1, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev4Score = (not rated)<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/littlefeat/albums/album/185958/review/5944798/the_last_record_album|title=Little Feat: The Last Record Album : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=30 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204816/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/littlefeat/albums/album/185958/review/5944798/the_last_record_album|access-date=4 January 2022|archive-date=2007-09-30}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th|isbn=978-0857125958}}</ref> }} Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "For a very short album – only eight songs – too many of the cuts fall flat. Those that succeed, however, are quite good, particularly Paul Barrère and Bill Payne's gently propulsive 'All That You Dream,' Lowell George's beautiful 'Long Distance Love,' and the sublime 'Mercenary Territory' .... There are enough signs of Little Feat's true character on ''The Last Record Album'' – the three previously mentioned songs are essential for any Feat fan – to make it fairly enjoyable, but it's clear that the band is beginning to run out of steam."<ref name=AM/>

The track "Long Distance Love" was placed at number 26 in John Peel's 1976 "Festive Fifty".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/l/littlefeat/ |title=Little Feat: Festive 50 tracks |publisher=bbc.co.uk |date=November 2006 |access-date=5 April 2013}}</ref> The album was voted number 555 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' (2000).<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=All Time Top 1000 Albums|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2006|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=189}}</ref>

Writing for ''The Guardian'' in 2010, after the death of Richie Hayward, Adam Sweeting commented:

{{blockquote|''The Last Record Album'' (1975) was a less cohesive effort, but continued the group's upward commercial progress. In hindsight, there is bleak irony in the way George chose to decorate the album's sleeve with the medical bills racked up by Hayward following a serious motorcycle accident ... During his final illness, when he had moved to Canada, Hayward's lack of medical insurance left him facing huge bills for treatment.<ref>{{cite news|author=Adam Sweeting|author-link=Adam Sweeting|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/13/richie-hayward-obituary |title=Richie Hayward obituary | Music |work=The Guardian |date= 13 August 2010|access-date=2014-02-20}}</ref>}}

==Cover versions== *Carly Simon recorded a version of "One Love Stand" for her 1976 album ''Another Passenger''.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/another-passenger-mw0000197692|title=Another Passenger|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=July 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022211754/https://www.allmusic.com/album/another-passenger-mw0000197692|archive-date=October 22, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> *Elvis Costello recorded a version of "Long Distance Love" for the 2024 album ''Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George'' by various artists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-distance-love-a-sweet-relief-tribute-to-lowell-george-mw0004257489#trackListing|title=Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to ... | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Nir7JPKTw|title=Long Distance Love|date=May 16, 2024|via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing | headline = Side one | extra_column = Lead vocals | title1 = Romance Dance | length1 = 3:49 | writer1 = Paul Barrère, Kenny Gradney, Bill Payne | extra1 = Payne, Barrère | title2 = All That You Dream | length2 = 3:52 | writer2 = Barrère, Payne | extra2 = Lowell George | title3 = Long Distance Love | length3 = 2:43 | writer3 = George | extra3 = George | title4 = Day or Night | length4 = 6:24 | writer4 = Payne, Fran Tate | extra4 = Payne, Barrère }} {{Track listing | headline = Side two | extra_column = Lead vocals | title5 = One Love Stand | length5 = 4:26 | writer5 = Barrère, Gradney, Payne | extra5 = George | title6 = Down Below the Borderline | length6 = 3:41 | writer6 = George | extra6 = George | title7 = Somebody's Leavin | length7 = 5:07 | writer7 = Payne | extra7 = Payne | title8 = Mercenary Territory | length8 = 4:27 | writer8 = George, Richie Hayward, Elizabeth George | extra8 = Lowell George }}

=== Deluxe edition === A remastered and expanded edition of ''The Last Record Album'' was released on October 24, 2025. This new edition is a 3-CD set, with the original album on disc one, bonus material on disc two, labeled as ''Hotcakes, Outtakes & Rarities,'' and live content on disc three and four, labeled as ''Hellzapoppin’''. {{Track listing | headline = Disc one - Original Album 2025 Remaster }} {{Track listing | headline = Disc two - Hotcakes, Outtakes & Rarities | title1 = Down Below the Borderline | note1 = Demo | length1 = 1:54 | title2 = Rockin’ Shoes 1 & 2 | note2 = Demo | length2 = 2:33 | title3 = Fool On The Avenue | note3 = Demo | length3 = 2:38 | title4 = All That You Dream | note4 = Alternate Version | length4 = 4:23 | title5 = Mercenary Territory | note5 = Alternate Version | length5 = 4:33 | title6 = Long Distance Love | note6 = Alternate Version | length6 = 2:47 | title7 = Romance Dance | note7 = Alternate Version | length7 = 4:12 | title8 = High Roller | note8 = 2025 Remaster | length8 = 3:37 | title9 = Day Or Night (Instrumental) | note9 = Rough Mix | length9 = 7:07 | title10 = Front Page News | note10 = Outtake | length10 = 4:45 | title11 = Long Distance Love | note11 = Rough Mix | length11 = 2:32 | title12 = All That You Dream | note12 = Single Version | length12 = 3:33 }} {{Track listing | headline = Disc three - Hellzapoppin’: Live at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 10/31/75 | title1 = Two Trains | length1 = 4:20 | title2 = Skin It Back | length2 = 5:41 | title3 = Fat Man In The Bathtub | length3 = 6:02 | title4 = Walkin’ All Night | length4 = 4:24 | title5 = A Political Blues | length5 = 3:28 | title6 = Oh Atlanta | length6 = 4:25 | title7 = On Your Way Down | length7 = 6:46 | title8 = Day Or Night | length8 = 7:23 | title9 = All That You Dream | length9 = 4:32 }} {{Track listing | headline = Disc four - Hellzapoppin’: Live at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 10/31/75 | title1 = Romance Dance | length1 = 4:56 | title2 = Long Distance Love | length2 = 2:41 | title3 = Medley: Cold, Cold, Cold / Dixie Chicken / Tripe Face Boogie / Bag Of Reds / Tripe Face Boogie (Reprise) | length3 = 20:25 | title4 = Willin’ | length4 = 5:23 | title5 = Teenage Nervous Breakdown | length5 = 3:39 | title6 = Spanish Moon | length6 = 4:53 }}

==Personnel== Source: ''The Last Record Album'', Warner Bros. Records – K 56156, & BS 2884, 1975, liner notes.

===Little Feat=== *Paul Barrère – vocals, guitar *Sam Clayton – congas *Lowell George – vocals, guitar *Kenny Gradney – bass *Richard Hayward – backing vocals, drums *Bill Payne – vocals, keyboards, synthesizer

===Additional musicians=== *John Hall – guitar ("All That You Dream") *Linda Ronstadt – backing vocals (“All That You Dream”) *Valerie Carter – backing vocals ("Long Distance Love" and "One Love Stand") *Fran Tate – backing vocals ("Long Distance Love" and "One Love Stand")

===Production=== *Lowell George – producer *George Massenburg – engineer *Neon Park – cover artwork

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1975-76) ! scope="col"| Peak position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=AUS>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|page=178|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | align="center"| 51 |- {{album chart|Netherlands|16|artist=Little Feat|album=The Last Record Album|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 6, 2026}} |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5|page=166|language=fi}}</ref> | align="center"| 29 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|36|artist=Little Feat|album=The Last Record Album|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 6, 2026}} |- {{album chart|UK2|36|date=19751130|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 6, 2026}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|36|artist=Little Feat|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 6, 2026}} |}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2025) ! scope="col"| Peak position |- ! scope="row"| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)<ref>{{cite web |title=Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 44. hét |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/album-top-40-slagerlista-fizikai-hanghordozok/2025/44 |publisher=MAHASZ |access-date=5 November 2025}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"| 11 |- {{album chart|Scotland|59|date=20251031|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 6, 2026}} |}

==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Little Feat|title=The Last Record Album|award=Silver|relyear=1975|certyear=1978|id=7071-845-2}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Discogs master|type=album|119960|name=The Last Record Album}} * {{youTube|vsNeUZd9n48|Long Distance Love}} – provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner Records

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Record Album, The}} Category:1975 albums Category:Little Feat albums Category:Warner Records albums Category:Albums produced by Lowell George Category:Albums with cover art by Neon Park