Appreciating Little Village: A Humble Supergroup

Editor’s Note: As an experiment, we asked the AI-powered Chat GPT to write a 300-word article about Little Village, one of our favorite bands from the 90s. We’re not trying to replace writers, as we are committed to using human intelligence, flawed though it may be, but we wanted to see if we could use GPT as virtual intern or research assistant. The article it delivered was undeniably cool – it knocked it out in about 30 seconds – but it was full of small errors throughout. This is going to be a useful technology, but it has some more learning to do. In any case, we do love the band, and here’s our old-fashioned, human-powered take on it. The bits from the Chat GPT draft are in blue, just so you know…

As supergroups go, Little Village may not get the love it deserves. It did come and go pretty quickly, lasting for just over a year, but the alchemy was definitely there.

For songwriting chops and musicianship, it’d be kinda hard to beat Ry Cooder (guitar, vocals), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocals), Nick Lowe (bass, vocals), and Jim Keltner (drums). Each of the group’s members worked on Hiatt’s 1987 album Bring The Family, and formed in 1991 while on a break from their own musical projects. In fact, they were originally going to call the band Hiatus, in keeping with their self-effacing point-of-view, but eventually settled on Little Village, an apparent reference to a profane in-studio monologue by Sonny Boy Williamson II, on a Chess reissue album Bummer Road.

Hiatt and Lowe, especially, had earned a reputation for crafting intelligent, clever lyrics, where Cooder and Keltner were celebrated as “musicians’ musicians.” The four members of Little Village brought their diverse backgrounds and talents to the table, creating a sound that was rooted in rock and roll but also drew from blues, country, and folk influences.

Little Village’s self-titled, Grammy-nominated debut album was released in 1992 and was embraced by critics if not the general record-buying public. The album featured a mix of original songs and covers of classic rock and roll tunes, all imbued with the band’s unique blend of musicianship and storytelling. Although all songs are credited to all four group members, Hiatt sang all but three, with two sung by Lowe and one by Cooder.  Standout tracks included “Don’t Bug Me When I’m Working,” a bluesy rocker that showcased Hiatt’s gritty vocals and the band’s tight musicianship, and “She Loves My Automobile,” a humorous ode to the joys of driving fast cars. And “Solar Sex Panel” is a particularly good example of their cheeky wordplay.

Little Village toured in support of the album, playing to enthusiastic crowds across the country. Their live shows were known for their high-energy performances and tight musicianship, as well as the band members’ playful banter and sense of camaraderie.

Unfortunately, the band members eventually went their separate ways after a little more than a year. Nick Lowe said “Little Village was really good fun. Unfortunately, the record we did was no good. I suppose on some level, it worked, but Warner Brothers kind of gave us too much time to do it.” For our part, we think Mr. Lowe was being too hard on the band. While it lasted, it genuinely cooked. And the songs do stand the test of time as classic examples of finely-crafted, roots-flavored rock.

-The CS Team

Fair Use Little Village album cover photo from our album collection