Bad Kitty Music #9: George Thorogood & The Destroyers
GEORGE
THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS - GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS
1977. Imagine a world where Mr. Thorogood never became bad to the bone. A
world where he never chose to drink alone. Instead, dig if you will, a
picture, where there were only those first three records on the
Massachusetts-based indie Rounder label, and no major label deal for
young G. It is a better world, really. Even though there is no
jaw-dropping technique, or much vocal prowess to speak of on them, those
early records kick a hefty chunk of ass, in a Wednesday night
open-stage kind of way, especially the debut. If I saw this band on a
Wednesday back in the day (playing their set of 85% covers), I would
stick around and get that 9th PBR on a weeknight, work be damned. It did
not surprise me to learn the young George had once roadied for Hound
Dog Taylor. It would appear he learned a thing or two from the master.
If you come to the WPKN Music Mash at Read’s Art Space in Bridgeport, CT
on Saturday, the 2nd, you may learn something, too. George would like
to share a recipe. The main ingredients are one bourbon, one scotch, and
one beer.
John G.
Bad Kitty Music #8: Bob(by) Darin
Bad Kitty Music #7: Todd Rundgren
Bad Kitty Music #6: The Rockets
Bad Kitty Music #5: Rush
Bad Kitty Music #4: Dr. John
Bad Kitty Music #3: Terry Reid
Bad Kitty Music #2: Roy Buchanan
Bad Kitty Music #1: Bobby "Blue"Bland
7 comments:
That Gibson ES 125 he's got on the cover?
I have one nearly identical, except with a Bigsby.
Plugged straight in, it has that sound.
One, Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer.
Indeed.
Just seeing this post made me smile!
I'm sure I'm not the only one, but GT was my gateway to the blues, even though he wasn't pure blues man but a roots rocker, I guess. His first five records (the three Rounder and the first two EMI) still sound great to me. As you said, no jaw dropping technique but good taste in both covers and arrangements, at least on those albums. "It Wasn't Me" is still my favorite Chuck Berry cover. George keeps it simple and rocks without overplaying, which is not as easy as it sounds. Several of his covers (Move It On Over, Who Do You Love and he aforementioned One Bourbon, etc.) and at least one original (Bad To The Bone), like 'em or not, have become classics.
At worst a guilty pleasure, but I don't feel guilty at all.
a Chicago cousin turned me on to this album back in the 70's (he also hipped me to Hound Dog Taylor). it took me until this year to run across a copy in the used bin. snapped it up. not that we were some backwater that didn't have a new copy; it was just never a priority once "Move It On Over" took over the airwaves and George was everywhere.
Thorogood once compared himself to blues greats like Muddy Waters & Howlin' Wolf by saying (and I paraphrase, because I don't have the quote in front of me), "Those guys are filet mignon, and I'm a cheeseburger. But every now and then, it's nice to have a cheeseburger."
In the midst of the AOR stadium rock on one hand, and the rise of punk and new wave on the other, there was George's first album. Such an anachronism at the time, but it was like a barroom door flung open, the smell of stale beer, cigarettes and raw, loud music drowning out all the pretentious bullshit and welcoming you to slide on in and just have a good time.
The original album was recorded with a second guitarist who played the bass lines on his low strings ala Hound Dog Taylor's Houserocker's. When Billy Blough came into the band shortly after they overdubbed his bass into the original tapes and released. The 40th anniversary release has the original recording.
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