Thanks, I'll Eat It Here

Thanks I'll Eat It Here is the only solo album by rock and roll singer-songwriter Lowell George. While George is best known for his work with Little Feat, by 1977 Lowell felt that they were moving increasingly into jazz-rock, a form in which he felt little interest. As a result, he began working on his own album. Thanks I'll Eat It Here is an eclectic mix of styles reminiscent of Little Feat's earlier albums – in particular Dixie Chicken, on which the track "Two Trains" originally appeared. The album was released just before the death of Lowell George in 1979 and has cover art by Neon Park (a feature of almost all Little Feat albums) containing several pop-/cult references including a picnic scene, mirroring Édouard Manet's Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, which shows Bob Dylan, Fidel Castro and Marlene Dietrich as Der Blaue Engel with an open copy of Howl beside them.

Thanks I'll Eat It Here
Studio album by
Lowell George
ReleasedMarch 2, 1979
StudioSunset Sound, Los Angeles[1]
GenreRoots rock, southern rock, blues rock, swamp rock, R&B
Length33:47
LabelWarner Bros. Records
ProducerLowell George
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[3]

Track listing

Unusual for a first solo album from a singer-songwriter, of the nine tracks on the original release only four were written by George, and of these three were collaborations. "What Do You Want the Girl to Do", "Easy Money" and "Can't Stand the Rain" were cover versions.

Timings of tracks are shown as minutes:seconds.

Side One
  1. "What Do You Want the Girl to Do" (Allen Toussaint) – 4:46
  2. "Honest Man" (Lowell George, Fred Tackett) – 3:45
  3. "Two Trains" (George) – 4:32
  4. "I Can't Stand the Rain" (Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Bernie Miller) – 3:21
Side Two
  1. "Cheek to Cheek" (George, Van Dyke Parks, Martin Kibbee (aka Fred Martin)) – 2:23
  2. "Easy Money" (Rickie Lee Jones) – 3:29
  3. "Twenty Million Things" (George, Jed Levy) – 2:50
  4. "Find a River" (Tackett) – 3:45
  5. "Himmler's Ring" (Jimmy Webb) – 2:28
CD bonus track
  1. "Heartache" (with Valerie Carter) (George, Ivan Ulz) – 2:28

Cover art

The cover, painted by Neon Park, is a version of Édouard Manet's famous painting Le déjeuner sur l'herbe with Marlene Dietrich, Fidel Castro and Bob Dylan as the diners.

Personnel

Although they do not play together on any single track, Richie Hayward and Bill Payne, both members of Little Feat, play on the album. George was also able to call on the services of top-class session players and backing vocalists.

  • Lowell George – guitar, vocals, production
  • Bonnie Raitt – vocals
  • James Newton Howard – keyboards
  • Chuck Rainey – bass
  • Denny Christianson – keyboards, horns
  • David Foster – keyboards
  • Chilli Charles – drums
  • Nicky Hopkins – keyboards
  • Jim Price – horns
  • Jim Keltner – drums
  • Jim Gordon – drums
  • Michael Baird – drums
  • Dennis Belfield – bass
  • Bobby Bruce – violin, guitar
  • Turner Stephen Bruton – guitar
  • Luis Damian – guitar, keyboards
  • Gordon DeWitty – keyboards, piano
  • Maxine Dixon – piano
  • Arthur Gerst – harp
  • Jimmy Greenspoon – guitar, piano
  • Roberto Gutierrez – vocals, guitar, drums
  • Richie Hayward – drums
  • Jerry Jumonville – saxophone, guitar
  • Ron Koss – guitar, engineering
  • Darrell Leonard – horn, vocals
  • Maxayn Lewis – vocals
  • David Paich – keyboards
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums
  • Dean Parks – guitar, keyboards
  • Bruce Paulson – keyboards
  • Bill Payne – keyboards, vocals
  • Herb Pedersen – vocals
  • Joel Peskin – vocals, saxophone
  • John Phillips – saxophone, drums
  • Peggy Sandvig – piano
  • James Self – tuba
  • Steve Madaio – horns
  • Floyd Sneed – drums, vocals
  • J.D. Souther – bass, vocals
  • Paul Stallworth – bass, guitar
  • Fred Tackett – guitar, vocals
  • Maxine Willard Waters – vocals
  • Michael Ward – Truck Driver and Drum Tech
  • Gene Vano – Road Manager

Additional personnel
  • Brad Kanawyer, Michael Hollyfield – design
  • Neon Park – cover art
  • Elizabeth George, Bob Marks, Nancy Goldfarb – photography
  • Donn Landee, George Massenburg – engineering
  • Billy Youdelman, Bruce Botnick, Doug Botnick – assistant engineering
  • Richard Hayward, Lee Herschberg – digital mastering

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1979 Billboard Pop Albums 71[4]
1979 Australian (Kent Music Report)100[5]

References
  1. "Little Feat – Hotcakes & Outtakes (2000, CD)". Discogs.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: G". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. officialcharts.com
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 123. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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