Album Review: George Thorogood and the Destroyers: 2120 South Michigan Ave

George Thorogood and the Destroyers
2120 South Michigan Ave
4/5



Whenever I write anything I always try to leave hints of the following disclaimer. My genre of choice is good ole fashioned dirty rock. I dabble in other stuff, but I get rock. I know what it's trying to do and what it's supposed to be.

The soundtrack to my life. The good, the bad and the ugly. Been wronged and want revenge there's a rock song for that. Diggin' on this girl you just met? There's a rock song for that? What if that person is someone you know you shouldn't have fallen in love with. There's a rock song for that. Been a long time home and glad to be back hangin' with the boys. There's a rock song for that. What if the old neighborhood's gone down hill since you were gone. There's a rock song for that.

Guess who just came out with a new album? The king of old fashioned dirty bluesy barroom rock. George Thorogood and his band The Destroyers. The closest thing I'm going to get in this day and age to Texas Blues. If you haven't guessed it yet, I consider Thorogod one of the best blues rock guitarists ever, right up there with Stevie Ray Vaughn.

And boy does he deliver. Fuzz rhythm and blues. It's like I'm listening to concentrated rock. The essence of rock, striped down from all the bullshit.

The Destroyers get it. Before you can rock red hot you got to play cold blue. This is their send up to Chess Records, a lot of whose artists were creating this whole rock and roll thing by speeding up blues. Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley. I hate to admit it, all hell no I don't, to my ears rock always sounds best when it's deep rooted in bluesy goodness.
(Prepare for old man fist to be shaken in 5 4 3 2 1....)

Now days people want to deny the blues. Hell Hendrix watched Buddy Guy and B.B. King do their thing. The Stones named themselves after a Muddy Waters tune. What? The blues not good enough you youngin's? Blues not hard enough you "G's" out there? Screw y'all then.



You think oh oh we can shred. We have our drum machines and our pedals. And don't get me started on those stupid synthesizers. Screw all that. Rock ain't rock without a little blues. Where do you think your power trio came from young folks. A bass, A snare, and a guitar. What chu think half of the British invasion was playin'. Ya heard that Axl. Slash had the right of it.



(You're 23 Miles. Howlin' Wolf and Lightning Hopkins was long dead before you was even crawlin'. Shut up.)

Anyway. This is an awesome album. From a guy who gets rock in a way few do. Thorogood and the Destroyers live and breath this stuff and show it here. If you want a crash course in Rock 101 this is a good place to start.