Just a Stone's Throw Away

After Howdy Moon broke up, Valerie Carter worked as a session singer. Her solo debut is a superb record, bringing together the essence of mid-1970s American West Coast rock and offering remarkably rich music in close, intimate surroundings. Lowell George and Maurice White put their respective strengths to work, expanding the musical space in three dimensions. Through it, Valerie's clear, supple voice rises emotionally, taut with feeling. The hot energy released by the chemistry within that triangle finally comes together in the act of letting us hear her sing.

It is hard to say whether Little Feat's essential nature lies in its earthy side or in its polished sophistication. But here, in ‘Face of Appalachia,’ written by Lowell George and John Sebastian, and the title track, which opens sumptuously into gospel, the interplay of those two sides gives the music its moving force. Maurice White's exuberant brass-rock ensemble is equally delightful. A hidden masterpiece whose brilliance is conveyed without a moment's slack.