ZZ TOP

Favorite of the first 10 studio albums
 
 
Mine is Deguello

I don't really know their catalogue to judge, which will change at some point as I have really dug the pre Eliminator stuff I've heard.

For now my vote goes to Fandango because it's called Fandango!   

Tres Hombres for me. Fandango is killer.

I voted Eliminator even though it was severely overplayed back in the day. It also has my favorite ZZ Top song of all time "I Got The Six".

Fandango

like them all but Fandango rules.

anything in the 70's rules, mainly Tres Hombres and Fandango. Also love El Loco and Eliminator from the early 80's.

stepcousin wrote:

anything in the 70's rules, mainly Tres Hombres and Fandango. Also love El Loco and Eliminator from the early 80's.

La Futura was really good too.

Tejas. Hill and Beard are a vastly underrated rhythm section. I'm glad I have some great vinyl rips of the original mixes.

If I'm going to be absolutely honest then my favourite must be the one I've played most. That happens to be Eliminator.

1 - Eliminator
2 - Tejas, Fandango, Tres Hombres
5 - Deguello
6 - Afterburner
7 - First Album, Rio Grande Mud, El Loco
10 - Recycler

The ZZtop that currently gets the most play from me is a cd-rip of the Live in Essen (1980).

My faves are Tejas and Rhythmeen. Gibbons' tone on the latter is killer.

James B. wrote:

Favorite of the first 10 studio albums
 
 
Mine is Deguello

As is mine

ZZ Tops First Album...Just love the raw sound of the album...

tohostudios wrote:

I voted Eliminator even though it was severely overplayed back in the day.  It also has my favorite ZZ Top song of all time "I Got The Six".

My favorite ZZ Top song as well...

Eliminator for sure.

Those early albums are great, but there's something special about Eliminator. Yeah, they clearly went for that 80s pop sound, but unlike countless other bands at the time, they did so without forsaking their classic sound. It's the perfect melding of 80s pop and blues rock without being cheesy. The leads are killer, great hooks, and like half the songs on the album contain some of the greatest, most memorable riffs ever recorded.

A timeless classic.

Eliminator was basically a Billy Gibbons album. He recorded all of the basslines and the drums were programmed.

DeGuello for mi.

Tres Hombres was always a staple in my room as a teenager. I admit I haven't heard these guys nearly as much as back then.

akeldama wrote:

I'm glad I have some great vinyl rips of the original mixes.

me too!  

The original mixes were released on cd last year in a box set of the first 10 albums - in case you want to pick them up.

I have a lot of fondness for the first album, but I don't really know that there's a bad one in the lot.

Runicen wrote:

I have a lot of fondness for the first album, but I don't really know that there's a bad one in the lot.

Recycler is pretty weak, I think.

ZZ Top was my first ever concert, in Dallas, on the Recycler tour, with Santana and Steve Miller Band when I was 12. I wasn't too into ZZ Top, as I preferred GNR, Crue, etc. But my Aunt and Uncle wanted to take me and I was stoked to go to a concert. It was fun as hell.

I've never really gotten into ZZ Top. I like Moving Sidewalks, as I dig that kind of stuff.

Most of the overplayed radio singles really get on my nerves. Maybe I'll Spotify some ZZ Top proper albums at some point.

Witchfinder wrote:

The original mixes were released on cd last year in a box set of the first 10 albums - in case you want to pick them up.

I have the vinyl up to "Eliminator" and procured said box set for 25 bucks at Wally World. (too good of a deal to pass on to have the cds)The sleeves are cardboard but are replicates of the lp jackets.

I remember "almost" getting the "6 pack" used from "The Beat" in Sacramento. Got me some live Canned Heat instead. Oblivious to them being the remixes, I would have been livid.

It's probably sacrilege, but I really enjoy the Sixpack remixes. They were my first real exposure to ZZ Top though, so there's a nostalgia element to that.

Runicen wrote:

It's probably sacrilege, but I really enjoy the Sixpack remixes.  They were my first real exposure to ZZ Top though, so there's a nostalgia element to that.

If that is what you are a used to, nothing wrong with that.