Customer Reviews

The Baddest of George Thorogood and the Destroyers

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While rough and ready rocker George Thorogood may not be original; covering the likes of Bo Diddley, "Who Do You Love" and "John Lee Hooker's drinking anthem "One Bourbon...," his reverential treatment of his latter day idols has a personality all its own. Classic Thorogood originals like "I Drink Alone" and "Bad To The Bone" blend so well with his covers, the boogie magic of "Treat Her Right," that you can't tell the difference. And if you can, it doesn't matter anyway. George and his longtime band The Delaware Destroyers are out to party like its 1959 and Chuck Berry is God. After listening to this "best of" collection, you might be inclined to agree.

This is a great album to listen to when your out riding around with your friends on Saturday night. George's music is fun, energizing, and loud. The guitar is coarse, the drums loud and steady, and the sax is blaring--not polished but it sounds great. Most of the lyrics are simple and catchy, I'm sure you'll find yourself singing along. All of the tracks are good; this is the kind of album you let play straight through. My favorite tracks include, "Move it on Over", "One Bourbon. . .", and "Louie to Frisco." I never get tired of listening to it. Once I was in Circuit City trying out speakers and this was one of the albums I brought to test the speakers out with. A man of about fifty (I was 18) came up to me and asked "Who is that and where did you get it?" I told him and he said "Wow that is some good old rock music." He thanked me and went to look for it. That is how good it is.

To this day, every time I hear "One Bourbon...", I remember the time at a honky-tonk in Lubbock, TX I simultaneously saw: 1) a guy throwing up in the corner, 2) a guy breaking a beer bottle over another guy's head, and 3) George howling away on the juke.

Good times.

This is one of those discs I don't have to be in the mood for--it always works. This is pure, unpretentious rock and roll by a man who compares his brand of rock to a cheeseburger.

Bad to the Bone has been played and played to death. But nearly every song is a little gem, an old fashioned rock feel to the proceedings on tracks like You Talk Too Much, Gear Jammer, I Drink Alone. The oft covered Bo Diddley classic Who Do You Love (once used by Nike to sell sneakers) is a snarling song full of attitude.

I Drink Alone is either a romping good tune or a cry for help from Thorogood himself. Yeah right. George Thorogood makes no secret that he likes drinking, likes driving a truck, likes whiskey, bourbon, scotch, beer, has a woman who talks too much, and will, when push comes to shove, leave his woman if she doesn't start drinking, too. This is about as manly as it gets; enough listens and you'll start challenging people to feats of strength at your local bar.

In a world where rockers like to whine about their personal problems and how confusing the world is, you can depend on Thorogood to do anything but. He straps on a guitar and name drops Jack Daniels "and his partner Jimmy Beam".

What I like about George Thorogood is his attitude. It is what I always liked about early Rolling Stones. It is how blues should be played. Black and dirty.
I always liked One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer of John Lee Hooker, but I prefer George Thorogood cover more. Move It On Over is Hank Williams' cover, but it sounds like his original, just like Who Do You Love, originally written and recorded by Bo Diddley.
About songs like Bad To The Bone, I Drink Alone and If You Don't Start Drinkin' (I'm Gonna Leave) I think I don't need to write. They are already standards.
If you're new to electric blues or George Thorogood and The Destroyers you must buy this album.

Ive seen people try and compare him to the likes of Jimmy page. But thats not what George Thorogood is all about. Hes about women, beer, baseball, music, and more than anything, just plain fun.
And thats exactly how he comes across. When he described himself as a burger bar, he meant it. He doesnt asked to be compared to any one else. Because the only reason he plays, is because HE LOVES IT.
If you like damn good blues, and you just want to chill, this is the one for you. Any time.
He riffs like anything, and the brilliant copies of 'one Bourbon, one Scotch, one Beer' and 'who do you love' will have you playing air guitar all night.

What can ya say? It's George and the Destroyers doing what they do best. This disk is one of ten that are always in my pickup for those long trips.

At twelve tracks this album may seem a little short, but it does actually contain almost all of the Delaware slide guitarist's very best songs, and considering how generally similar Thorogood's output has been, the 30-track "Anthology" is just too much for everybody but the most dedicated follower (who'll probably have George Thorogood's orginal albums anyway).

But this fine selection is just right, and George Thorogood and the Destroyers rock on his trademark "Bad To The Bone", a bluesy rendition of Hank Williams' "Move It On Over", and the Thorogood originals "I Drink Alone" and "If You Don't Start Drinkin' (I'm Gonna Leave)".

The arrangements are all very similar, and a bit of variation would have been nice (maybe some boogie piano?), but that is a minor complaint. Thorogood's brand of blues-rock may be simple, but it is to the point, and it rocks!

Finally, if this excellent introduction whets your appetite for more, go for the 2003 collection of George Thorogood's early output "Who Do You Love" (which has only three overlaps with this CD), or the raw "Live In '99".

You can't take this band seriously to appreciate them. Sure, they're heavily into "male point of view" and "dysfunctional behavior" themes. But that's the fun of it... it's sort of like rocking blues going out of control to the degree that you have to just go along for the ride and enjoy. Love the liner note quote from George, referring to his band, "We're more like a burger joint." Now, who is going to take burger joints seriously?

A previous reviewer asked why "Get A Haircut" didn't make this CD. It's because it was released after this hits CD was compiled.

Anyway, this CD is a fine collection of songs by a fine artist. Nothing more, nothing less. As previous reviewers have mentioned, it is missing some key hits, most notably "Madison Blues."

Enjoy!