ZZ Top

I can't believe there are no threads about these guys. One of the non-metal groups I really like and I like all their phases though their heavy blues stuff is my favorite. Songs like, Jesus Just Left Chicago, and I'm Bad I'm Nationwide are inspired songwriting.
Any other fans? What do you like?

I can't believe that they haven't released a live album yet, or, at least, a full-length live album.

I can't believe it's not butter.

I liked this band up through Eliminator. After that, I think they fell in love with that synth-pulse sound that permeated that album. Every freakin' album has that pulsating synth all the way through it.

I admit I haven't listened to their latest release and hopefully they ditched that gimmick but they'll always be tainted in my ears for trying to re-create Eliminator for years.

Tres' Hombres is an awesome album

tohostudios wrote:

I liked this band up through Eliminator. After that, I think they fell in love with that synth-pulse sound that permeated that album. Every freakin' album has that pulsating synth all the way through it.

I admit I haven't listened to their latest release and hopefully they ditched that gimmick but they'll always be tainted in my ears for trying to re-create Eliminator for years.

I agree. Some of their 80's outputs are a bit hard for me to digest. Too digital/dancy.

However, you really should give albums like Rhythmeen and Mescalero a listen. In my opinion, they are a return to form. Lots of bluesy songs. Humor filled lyrics. No synths or drum machines.

ultmetal wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

I liked this band up through Eliminator. After that, I think they fell in love with that synth-pulse sound that permeated that album. Every freakin' album has that pulsating synth all the way through it.

I admit I haven't listened to their latest release and hopefully they ditched that gimmick but they'll always be tainted in my ears for trying to re-create Eliminator for years.

I agree. Some of their 80's outputs are a bit hard for me to digest. Too digital/dancy.

However, you really should give albums like Rhythmeen and Mescalero a listen. In my opinion, they are a return to form. Lots of bluesy songs. Humor filled lyrics. No synths or drum machines.

I would say that even Antenna is worth checking out. I think that's when they started to shift back toward a solid rock/blues style. XXX is also pretty good, but weird that it's got those live songs on it.

There was once a really long thread here on the band; must have gotten the axe, though.

Quote :

you really should give albums like Rhythmeen and Mescalero a listen. In my opinion, they are a return to form. Lots of bluesy songs. Humor filled lyrics. No synths or drum machines.

Yeah, that.

I love ZZ Top, particularly the seventies material, when they were just
a rockin' blues/boogie band. The six pack is usually available for a
pretty good price. Essential albums, in my book.

I don't hate the later material, even when they were doing the synth stuff. It was still good songwriting.

Even the digitally stuff still had Billy Gibbons signatures on them. Just a side note - Hendrix sited Gibbons as one of his biggest influences. Now that is quite an honor!!

I will stick with the 6 pack. 6 of the first 7 ZZ albums on 3 discs. ESSENTIAL!!

"They all call her puta cause no one really knows her name.
She works the cantina, dancin and a-lovins her trade.
Her mama was mezcan and her daddy was the ace of spades."


"Mexicn Blackbird" is my fave TOP tune....but I really like the earlier stuff through ELIMINATOR....

primo blues rock!!!!

Try writing those lyrics nowadays.

I love ZZ Tops First Album.

I gots to have me dat brown sugah!!!!

i like the two zz top songs i know. - la grange and sharp dressed man.

grew up listening to these guys alot and played alot of thier stuff doing the biker dives. Havn't heard much past the TV Dinners video, which was great. I lost interest when Frank quit playing drums like he used to, underated player to say the least. Saw them lots of times in the 70's , opening for everybody pretty much and only once as headliner in 83' with QUiet Riot opening.

Laterz

Viva ZZ TOP!

I would like to give a shout out to the Top rekkid Tejas.

Wow, one of the best records made in the 70's, no mean feat in itself considering music reached it's peak sometime in that bygone era.

8 or so decades of indigenous American musics fleshed onto a simple boogie hard rock skeleton. Its pointless naming all the styles represented on this album but then some don't have names considering ZZ Top invent quite a few new sub-genres that only one song inhabits.

As the cover conveys the Texan outback so does the grooves inside much like that other Texan trio.

I'm not one for instrumentals but Asleep In The Desert is the King Daddy of vocaless songs, also my fav track on the record as well.