George Thorogood & The Destroyers: George Thorogood (vocals, guitar).
Liner Note Author: Joel Selvin.
Recording information: 1977 - 2004.
If George Thorogood did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. With his Delaware Destroyers by his side, Thorogood spent the 1970s, '80s, and '90s cutting through all pretense and pomposity with a raw, rootsy, bare-bones style steeped in traditional blues, R&B, and early rock & roll. His gravelly vocals, power-tool slide guitar, and no-frills bar-band aesthetic have endeared him to fans of honest, good-time music for decades, as documented on this hits package.
30 YEARS OF ROCK is like a walk through through American musical history, as Thorogood makes his way through the songs of such roots legends as Hank Williams (a rocked-up version of "Move It on Over," a proto-rockabilly song to begin with), Elmore James (the blistering slow blues "The Sky Is Crying," predating Stevie Ray Vaughan's version), Bo Diddley (a tough, pounding "Who Do You Love?"), and more. Thorogood's own songs are on offer as well, most notably the Muddy Waters-like jukebox staple "Bad to the Bone" and the humorous "I Drink Alone." Hoist a bottle of (domestic) beer in celebration of George Thorogood's 30 YEARS OF ROCK.
