Time Loves A Hero proclaims the title of Little Feat's sixth album, but time has clearly not loved the band's earlier recordings, which anchor this impressive 13 CD box set, with quite the same degree of fondness as, say, Steely Dan, who shared with them a predilection for the jazzier side of the rock street back in the mid1970s. Formed out of LA's freak underground after Lowell George had worked with Roy Estrada in Zappa's Mothers Of Invention in 1970, they ascended from their gritty countrytinged bluesrock roots towards a greasier jazzfunk swagger, which brilliantly combined George's stinging slide guitar, wryly observed lyrics and soulful vocal with a Meterslike second line groove and a fondness for Zawinul influenced keyboard voicings. A direction shift which produced their most acclaimed recordings but distanced their increasingly drug dependent front man, leading ultimately to the band's break up in 1979, followed sadly by his death months later. Their first two albums, Little Feat and Sailin’ Shoes, have not worn particularly well, rarely rising above plodding boogie rock, save for a couple of Lowell George gems. Their third, Dixie Chicken, adds additional guitar, bass and percussion and signals the beginning of their most potent period including the superb Feats Don't Fail Me Now, The Last Record Album, Time Loves A Hero and the magnificent live album, Waiting For Columbus, which added the Tower Of Power horn section and has been expanded here with 10 additional live tracks. Their final album Down On The Farm, released after the breakup, is contract filler apart from two standout cuts, ‘Perfection Imperfection’ and ‘Front Page News’, while there are enough outtakes and unreleased tunes to satisfy the most ardent fan with the inclusion of Hoy Hoy and Outtakes From Hot Cakes, including a blistering free sax blast on ‘Jazz Thing in 10'. Rad Gumbo is completed with the two albums that followed their reunion in 1988, Let It Roll and Representing The Mambo that, while recapturing much of their trademark sound, greatly miss Lowell George's singing and songwriting magic. All the albums, bar Dixie Chicken and The Last Record Album, have improved sound compared to previous CD reissues, and they come with mini LP replica card sleeves for which you'll need a magnifying glass to read the credits. Alas the absence of a booklet with liner notes, musician details and lyrics is the one let down of this agreeably priced package.