George Thorogood will release his first-ever solo album—Party of One—August 4 via Rounder Records.
The album's 14 tracks include everything from traditional blues to a cover of Hank Williams’ “Pictures from Life’s Other Side.” The disc also includes new covers of John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” Bob Dylan's "Down the Highway," Elmore James' "Got to Move" and the Rolling Stones’ “No Expectations.”
Party of One was produced by Jim Gaines (John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison and Stevie Ray Vaughan). The album’s primarily acoustic instrumentation—including slide, Dobro and harmonica—is performed entirely by Thorogood, raw and stripped down, with an intimate one-on-one feel.
“I think this is a project that’s long overdue," Thorogood says.
"Maybe it should have been the very first album I ever made. After playing with the band for all these years, I had to kind of reverse my hands and my head in order to do this thing justice. But I think Destroyers fans—and hardcore blues fans, too—are ready for the unexpected. My whole career, I’ve always said, ‘Just give them what you are, and they’re either going to dig it or not.’ This record is what I was, what I am, and what I always will be.”
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“I’m a Steady Rollin’ Man” (Robert Johnson) “Soft Spot” (Gary Nicholson and Allen Shamblin) “Tallahassee Women” (John Hammond Jr.) “Wang Dang Doodle” (Willie Dixon) “Boogie Chillen” (John Lee Hooker) “No Expectations” (The Rolling Stones) “Bad News” (Johnny Cash) “Down the Highway” (Bob Dylan) “Got to Move” (Elmore James) “Born with the Blues” (Brownie McGhee) “The Sky Is Crying” (Elmore James) “The Hookers (If You Miss ‘Im…I got ‘Im”) (John Lee Hooker) “Pictures from Life’s Other Side” (Hank Williams) “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” (John Lee Hooker)* “Dynaflow Blues” (Robert Johnson); bonus track on CD version only
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
