Essentially,
George Thorogood
has spent most of his career making the same sort of album over and over again, and if anyone knows how to put together a solid set of barroom-friendly, beer-drinking, hard-rockin' boogie blues, it's him. But on his 14th studio album,
Thorogood
has decided to change things up;
Party of One
marks the first time he's made an album without his band
the Destroyers
, and here he plays a set of blues, country, and folk covers with only his own guitar and harmonica for accompaniment.
brings out his electric guitar for a few cuts, but most of
is just
George
and his acoustic, and the bulk of this sounds like it was recorded live in the studio, with the occasional flubbed note left in the mix.
began his career as a street busker, and in a way, this album plays as a guide to his earliest (and strongest) influences, with several
John Lee Hooker
tunes dotting the set list along with classic numbers by
Willie Dixon
,
Elmore James
Robert Johnson
, and
the Rolling Stones
, as well as less expected contributions from
Hank Williams
Johnny Cash
Bob Dylan
. The tracks where
cranks up his amp and gives the tunes his trademark buzzy, growling tone are the most effective, or at very least find him doing what he's always done best.
is somewhat less deft as an acoustic guitarist, though despite the occasional missed note he generally fares well unplugged, and while he sometimes strains to hit the high notes, as a vocalist he displays a genuine love for the material and his passion overcomes his limitations.
suggests
has had his greatest success playing rowdy electric blues-rock for a reason -- it's clearly his strong suit -- but 40 years after the release of his debut album, the guy is more than entitled to a change of pace. As a look back at his roots as well as a detour into more subtle territory, it's an experiment that succeeds far more often than it fails. [
was also released on LP.] ~ Mark Deming