| Representing the Mambo | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Little Feat |
| Cover: | Little Feat - Representing the Mambo.jpg |
| Released: | 1990 |
| Studio: | Skywalker Ranch, Marin County, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Country rock, blues |
| Length: | 50:49 |
| Label: | Warner Bros. |
| Producer: | George Massenburg, Bill Payne |
| Prev Title: | Let It Roll |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Shake Me Up |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
Representing the Mambo is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1990. It peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and was supported by a North American tour.[1] [2] "Texas Twister" and "Rad Gumbo" were released as singles.[3]
The majority of the album was recorded at Skywalker Ranch, following a week's worth of work in Los Angeles.[4] The album cover art is by Neon Park.[5] Craig Fuller, Bill Payne, and Paul Barrère sing on Representing the Mambo.[6]
"Those Feat'll Steer Ya Wrong Sometimes" is about a band member failing to get out of a speeding ticket.[7] "Teenage Warrior" is about gang warfare in Los Angeles.[8]
The Calgary Herald wrote that "one or two tunes sound interesting (the album has a Steely Dan-like studio polish to it), but nothing holds up to even cursory scrutiny." The Sun-Sentinel opined that "though the band still packs a tremendous one-two punch with its rich mix of country rock and blues, the crackle that marked Let it Roll, as well as previous releases, is nowhere to be found."[9] The Chicago Sun-Times praised "the evocative, cinematic title cut."
The Ottawa Citizen noted that "there are hints of the post-psychedelic country-rock of Little Feat's infancy, which usually rings stale." The St. Petersburg Times determined that "some of the new album treads closely to standard rock-radio fare."[10] The Times deemed Representing the Mambo "a more full-tilt slice of Southern rock-a-boogie funk."[11]