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 Lowell George
Released	March 2, 1979
Studio	Sunset Sound, Los Angeles[1]
Genre	Roots rock, southern rock, blues rock, swamp rock, R&B
Length	33:47
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Producer	Lowell George

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	C+[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

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

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 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

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 guitar
• 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 guitar
• 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
• JD Souther – bass guitar, vocals
• Paul Stallworth – bass guitar, guitar
• Fred Tackett – guitar, vocals
• Maxine Waters Willard – 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]