In 2015 Rounder Records released a new remix of the original album under the name George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.
Background
George Thorogood formed the Delaware Destroyers in 1973, together with high school friend and drummer Jeff Simon. The band went through several lineup changes, before eventually settling on Thorogood and Ron "Roadblock" Smith on guitars, Simon on drums, and Billy Blough on bass. In July 1975, the band was discovered by John Forward, and he helped them secure a recording contract with Rounder Records. Recording of the album began shortly after.[1][2]
Content
The album mostly consists of covers of old blues hits, but also contains two originals, written by Thorogood.
"You Got To Lose" was written by Earl Hooker, while "Madison Blues" and "Can't Stop Lovin'", were written by Elmore James. The song is titled "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", but is a medley of that song preceded by "House Rent Boogie", also called "John L's House Rent Boogie". The songwriter is credited as John Lee Hooker, who was indeed the author of "House Rent Boogie". John Lee Hooker's version of the "One Bourbon" half of the medley was used by Thorogood and Rudy Toombs, the writer of the original "One Bourbon" was not credited on the album. "Kind Hearted Woman", written by Robert Johnson, is a country-blues ballad with acoustic guitar and mournful vocals.[3]
Side two opens with "Ride On Josephine", written by Ellas McDaniel, better known as Bo Diddley. "Homesick Blues" is one of the two originals, written by Thorogood. "John Hardy" is a traditional song, based on the real-life killing of a man named Thomas Drews, after he got into an argument with a man named John Hardy. "I'll Change My Style" is a ballad written by William Parker and Manuel Villa. The album's closer is "Delaware Slide," the second original by Thorogood.[4][5]
In 2015 Rounder released George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers,[10] a new remix of the album featuring the three-piece band as originally recorded and mixed. It omits the bass overdubs by Billy Blough, which were added after the original recording sessions. It also adds the previously unreleased Elmore James track "Goodbye Baby".[11]
Critical reception
George Thorogood and the Destroyers received positive reviews from critics.
A Cashbox reviewer wrote "Thorogood deals strongly in early '50s style rock and timeless blues and this album captures him at his slidin', pickin', wailin' best."[20]Billboard magazine wrote "Rocking rhythm and blues, accented by the slide guitar, gives the album a nostalgic '60s sound. Rhythm section backup is tight while the vocals, though somewhat strained, are distinctive enough to stand out."[21]
AllMusic`s Stephen Thomas Erlewine says "this album isn't about groove and it's certainly not about virtuosity -- it's about bashing out the blues at a punishing volume, and their lack of subtlety is why this 1977 debut still sounds powerful years after its release."[22] David Bowling of Daily Vault wrote "George Thorogood And The Destroyers did not change the course of American blues or rock ‘n’ roll but it made them a bit more enjoyable. It is an album for the beer hall or smoky night club."[23]
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