To most, the label "supergroup" is one in which the members are individually great. But when you stuff those talented egos into the same recording studio, the results are usually uneven, at best. Bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Blind Faith (Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker) and the Traveling Wilburys (Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan).
But Little Village is one of those rare "supergroups" that is just plain super. Comprising guitar wizard Ry Cooder, singer-songwriter John Hiatt, bassist Nick Lowe and drummer Jim Keltner, Little Village succeeds at the very thing at which other supergroups fail: The whole exceeds the sum of the individual parts.In other words, the level of musical virtuosity actually steps up a notch as the individual talents meld into a cohesive whole.
Named after a song by Arkansas bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Village features Lowe, Cooder and Hiatt alternating on vocals, with Hiatt doing the most (and delivering the best). All four share songwriting credits.
But unlike the casual, even playful attitude of the Traveling Wilburys, Little Village sounds serious. Very serious.
"Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive" is a spare yet breathtaking tribute to old flames, while the juxtaposition of Lowe's pop vocals and Hiatt's distinctive rasp make songs like "Take Another Look" pleasurable, if not downright unforgettable.
The best cuts: the jazzy "Don't Go Away Mad," with the plea, "We can work it out in family style, if you're willing," and "Do You Want My Job," which takes on Third World exploitation and those who "take the cash, so my kids can wear Adidas."
"Solar Sex Panel" (about balding men) and the girls-and-cars ditty "She Runs Hot" (with decades of such songs, it took Hiatt to come up with the "manifold destiny" twist) and the dance-hall tribute "The Action" have a delightfully wicked edge.
Not surprisingly, the strongest presence here is Hiatt, who has been on a roll with his last three solo albums. This time he uses his folk-rock savvy to elevate "Little Village" to a must-own addition to the record collection. Of course, this isn't the first time this foursome has played together. This is the same band responsible for Hiatt's classic "Bring the Family," and Hiatt played in Cooder's band in the '70s. Keltner has backed Cooder for years.
But there's more to "Little Village" than the cohesiveness wrought by years of musical companionship. There's something to make you hope Little Village, the band, is not just a passing fancy but a promise of things to come.