ZZ TOP's CD vs Vinyl sound

In recent years I have replaced a few older ZZ TOP albums from vinyl to CD, which is cool, EXCEPT!!! The CD's sound remastered and even re-recorded. Maybe in the 80's I smoked too much pot but I thought these albums sounded more organic, on my 'Tejas' disc for example it sounds like digital drums are on this disc, I did not think computerized drums existed in 1976!!! I am hearing things on CD that I missed on vinyl? Or is this a complete remixing and they added so called modern touches when they slapped these albums on CD, what gives?

What year is listed on the reissues you got?

ZZ Tops albums were "remixed" to add that Eliminator sound in the early CD era and for the longest time, that's all that was available on CD. Recently, the original mixes have come out for several of the early albums and you need to get those.

Check these out:

http://www.amazon.com/Tres-Hombres-Zz-Top/dp/B000CCD0HQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330629146&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Fandango-Zz-Top/dp/B000CCD0HG/ref=sr_1_6?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330629146&sr=1-6

Also, this comp has the original mixes:

http://www.amazon.com/Rancho-Texicano-Very-Best-Top/dp/B0001ZXM54/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330629146&sr=1-2

Here's more info from Wiki:

"ZZ Top's grueling Afterburner World Tour lasted well into 1987, which also saw the release of The ZZ Top Sixpack, a three-disc collection of ZZ Top's albums from 1970 to 1981, with the exception of Degüello. The albums "ZZ Top's First Album", "Rio Grande Mud", "Tres Hombres", "Fandango" and "Tejas" were remixed with the result that the sound of the material from the first five albums was changed to sound like they had been recorded in the 1980s, with echo and drum machines, and very unlike their original album sound.[16] Many of the original mixes were used on the 2003 CD box set Chrome, Smoke & BBQ and it's companion piece Rancho Texicano. Also, remastered versions of Tres Hombres and Fandango were eventually released on CD in 2010 with the original mixes intact. However, the remaining songs from ZZ Top's First Album, Rio Grande Mud and Tejas have never appeared on CD in their original mixes."

Thanks for the clarification, I wasn't sure if the original mixes had been made available again. I still have all the ZZTop I'll ever need on vinyl.

Thank you witchfinder, the albums I have on CD were issued in the mid 80's Shawn, it sounds like I will have to grab that boxset evidently.

S.D. wrote:

I still have all the ZZTop I'll ever need on vinyl.

i hear that. Go with vinyl.

Does anyone know why didn't the other albums get properly reissued (except Eliminator, which was rereleased as a Deluxe Edition)?

Eliminator was my first ZZ TOP album I bought (and I loved it), but knew there was a huge difference from the old material. To me in 1984, they sounded like they were two different bands.
One girl in my Grade 9 or 10 class (in 84 or 85) said she went to their concert and hated it, saying they played too much new material and it all sounded crappy to her.

Thanks for the warning about the CD's.
Definitely will buy vinyl if/when I get around to adding their 1970s discography.

I like their cds. I havent heard the vynals though.

exact33 wrote:

I like their cds. I havent heard the vynals though.

Well, when you do, you're liable to be blown away because you've never heard them as they should sound.

S.D. wrote:

exact33 wrote:

I like their cds. I havent heard the vynals though.

Well, when you do, you're liable to be blown away because you've never heard them as they should sound.

possibly but i dont have an ear for nuances in music like you do.

exact33 wrote:

possibly but i dont have an ear for nuances in music like you do.

Never heard real drums called "nuance".... you still rock Alex

I almost bought that Sixpack set, thankfully I held off till I could read some reviews. I love Eliminator and it's "synthesized" sound. But would've hated tacking that unto earlier recordings. From the sounds of it I'm better off tracking down those on vinyl.

jstate wrote:

I almost bought that Sixpack set, thankfully I held off till I could read some reviews. I love Eliminator and it's "synthesized" sound. But would've hated tacking that unto earlier recordings. From the sounds of it I'm better off tracking down those on vinyl.

I had a similar experience. Saw it used for a good deal, but my friend at the mom and pop shop told me it had been tinkered with. Since I own the vinyl already it wasn't that big of a deal.

I loved ZZ since forever. Years ago I bought the 6 Pack and only ever played it once - eventually figured that I'd grown-out of the band and dumped my old cassette copies (*!*!). Went back to it sometime later and "hang-on a minute..." Both 6 Pack and CD issues are re-eq'd and reverbed and compressed/limited to the point of being remixed. The Tres Hombres and Fandango re-releases mastered by Bob Ludwig are fine and Deguelo was never butchered because of copyright issues around the cover of Dust my Broom; the old "best of" with the cowboy campfire cover is also OK. I have no problem with artists re-mixing (apparently BFG was involved in the decision) but always felt that they should have been stickered as such, or released with both versions. I'm hoping that the new album will create enough interest to prompt the re-release of the other back-catalogue, even if they are just released "as-is" without re-mastering, but the changes in the ZZ organisation will probably scupper that.

jstate wrote:

I almost bought that Sixpack set, thankfully I held off till I could read some reviews. I love Eliminator and it's "synthesized" sound. But would've hated tacking that unto earlier recordings. From the sounds of it I'm better off tracking down those on vinyl.

I almost bought this, good thing now. Never knew they were remixed like that.