Thanks, I'll Eat It Here

Thanks I'll Eat It Here (1979) 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.

Thanks I'll Eat It Here
Studio album by
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]

The album was released four months before George's death and has cover art by Neon Park, who created artwork for most Little Feat albums.

Track listing

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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

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The cover, painted by Neon Park, is a satire of Édouard Manet's famous painting Le déjeuner sur l'herbe which shows Bob Dylan, Fidel Castro and Marlene Dietrich dressed as her character in the film Der Blaue Engel; an open copy of the poem Howl is beside them.

Personnel

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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.

Additional personnel

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  • 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

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Album

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

References

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  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.