So why is The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I burned up a perfectly good anecdote as told by George Thorogood himself recently in the piece for The Riverboat Gamblers’ Something To Crow About (#445 of best 1,000 albums ever).
Well, it’s too good not to roll back out again right here:
I recall reading an interview with George Thorogood – he of “& the Destroyers” fame – some years back, in which he talks about how styles of music relate to food. Sometimes you’re in the mood for filet mignon, and other times you’re in the mood for a delicious hamburger and fries that’s served up just right.
While The Riverboat Gamblers are garage punk versus Thorogood and co.’s stomping blues rock, they both fall squarely in the “down and dirty” category, and both qualify as a hamburger served up so well that you’re compelled to tell people about it.
Or place it on a best 1,000 albums ever project.
If there’s a single song associated with Thorogood and The Destroyers, it’s “Bad to the Bone.” It has a certain stripped down and primal bluesy energy that holds up over the decades.
What I enjoy most about the song – and about George Thorogood & The Destroyers generally – is that there’s a little nod and wink in the performance that lets you know that you don’t have to take them completely seriously, and that this is music to have fun with.
As aside: I did not realize until I wrote this piece that the “Bad to the Bone” music video involves Thorogood playing pool with none other than blues legend Bo Diddley.*
* Diddley is also immortalized due to his cameo in the iconic early ‘80s movie, Trading Places. “In Philadelphia, it’s worth fifty bucks.” If you know, you know.
My favorite song is the eight minute-plus journey of “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.” There’s a lengthy narrative and bluesy buildup with some fantastic guitar work, and I’m also always drawn in by the story: I’m compelled by what’s going on with Thorogood and his job and rent status for some reason.
But things really take off when the chorus finally kicks in, and the payoff works fantastically. And as you’ll note if you’ve been following the best 1k albums countdown, I always a dig a song that tells you exactly what you’re getting in the song title: this is a rollicking, hard drinking song that always seems to hit me – like a shot, maybe? – just right.*
* Side note: I don’t think I’ve taken a shot of hard liquor in at least 15 years, and I would venture to say that is for the best.
Speaking of Bo Diddley, the band also performs an exuberant and hard rocking cover version of “Who Do You Love?”
Just by a hair, I’d still say my favorite version of the song is by The Doors.
“Louie to Frisco” is a really nice deep cut that has a rockabilly flair to it.
Stuff that’s somehow related to The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers
I have one tiny, nerdy quibble to make here. The name of the band is George Thorogood & The Destroyers, right? They “officially” use an ampersand (“&”) in their band title. Which is entirely their right.
And yet, for the name of this best of album, we get The Baddest Of George Thorogood And The Destroyers.
And. Not &.
A little consistency is all I’m asking for here, people, and then you can go back to being as bad to the bone as you like!
Stuff that’s somehow related to The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers
I have one tiny, nerdy quibble to make here. The name of the band is George Thorogood & The Destroyers, right? They “officially” use an ampersand (“&”) in their band title. Which is entirely their right.
And yet, for the name of this best of album, we get The Baddest Of George Thorogood And The Destroyers.
And. Not &.
A little consistency is all I’m asking for here, people, and then you can go back to being as bad to the bone as you like!
Some stats & info about The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Blues Rock, Blues, Hard Rock, Album Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers released? 1992
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #436 out of 1,000
The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Baddest of George Thorogood And The Destroyers that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Gonna get drunk, don’t you have no fear – I want one bourbon, one scotch, one beer.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.