Blues “purists” have always dissed George Thorogood because A) He doesn’t have the proper “reverence” for the blues and B) He is a white guy from the suburbs. Both reasons are ridiculous because most blues “purists” are also white guys from the suburbs and George Thorogood & The Destroyers are a rock n roll band that, sometimes, plays the blues. George has always had more in common with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley than he ever had with Robert Johnson and Elmore James. Save the blues as a religious experience for bores like Eric Clapton. I’ll take Thorogood’s good time music any day of the week.
Which brings us to this great Christmas 45 “Rock N Roll Christmas”/“New Year’s Eve Party”. George and the boys have never taken themselves too seriously (Thank God) and the proof of that is on this really fun holiday record. “Rock N Roll Christmas” is a R&B raver that would do Chuck Berry proud and the flip side, “New Year’s Eve Party” is just that with the great Hank “Hurricane” Carter wailing on the tenor sax.
This is a great record to blast at your next Christmas house party. Crank it up and BYOB. It may even get some of those blues “purists” off the couch and out on the dance floor.
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Check out this cheesy, but fun, eighties video of “Rock N Roll Christmas”. Believe it or not, that’s John Lee Hooker dressed as Santa Claus. Dig those crazy eighties hairdos. Everyone had a mullet back then. Even George.
Merry Christmas
