ZZ Top's New Album

Recent News


In July 2008, the band announced they have signed with producer Rick Rubin and plan on recording a new album.Rubin will be producing the next album, and it has been reported that the band will be aiming to move back to their pre-80's La Grange sound.


Sounds like it should be pretty good, although I like Billy's tone from Rhythmeen to Mescalero the best.

akeldama wrote:

Recent News


In July 2008, the band announced they have signed with producer Rick Rubin and plan on recording a new album.Rubin will be producing the next album, and it has been reported that the band will be aiming to move back to their pre-80's La Grange sound.
Sounds like it should be pretty good, although I like Billy's tone from Rhythmeen to Mescalero the best.

A move back to the pre-80s sound would actually stir my interest in this band again. After "Eliminator", I think the band got obsessed with that pulsing synth sound that made songs like Sharp Dressed Man so popular. That made every song sound the same IMO.

Go back boys...waaaaay back...

tohostudios wrote:

Go back boys...waaaaay back...

That would be awesome.

cool, these guys were the pure embodiement of cool back in the day...

I love everything ZZ Top ever did. Even the synth-pop stuff works. A new record would be great!
It's been a while.

This would be cool to see how rubin does production wise

Hiring Rick Rubin to produce is a step in the right direction, I am not always a big fan of Rick Rubin's production but he seems good in having older artist reconnect to their roots and able to strip their music to the bone witness what he was able to do with both Johnny Cash and Neal Diamond.

Great news!!! And also, very well stated manny about Rubin's ability to reconnect older artists with their roots. Peace.

are these guys hard rock/heavy metal? i wouldn't think so.

tohostudios wrote:

A move back to the pre-80s sound would actually stir my interest in this band again. After "Eliminator", I think the band got obsessed with that pulsing synth sound that made songs like Sharp Dressed Man so popular. That made every song sound the same IMO.

Go back boys...waaaaay back...

Have you heard their recent few albums? Starting with Antenna, they began moving away from the synth drum sound. Rhythmeen, XXX, and Mescalero are really good.

Isn't Rubin a member ZZ Top!

But seriously this sounds good, i hope it doesn't fall through like the
proposed Foghat comeback record he was meant to produce in '93 or
something.

Rubin wouldn't have produced a record like this since the Four Horsemen's classic Nobody Said It Was Easy way back in '91.

Always up for some new ZZ Top! Eliminator is a 80's favorite of mine.

As long as Rick Rubin doesn't push the levels so high that it's DM pt 2

mc666 wrote:

are these guys hard rock/heavy metal? i wouldn't think so.

Maybe not but ELIMINATOR by ZZ TOP ended in the top 5 best albums of 1983, voted by the readers of one of the best metal magazines ever, from the UK:METAL FORCES. (together with PYROMANIA by DEF LEPPARD, PIECE OF MIND by IRON MAIDEN, HOLY DIVER by DIO and one more that i dont remember now). I think ELIMINATOR ended first, best album of 1983.

thejokeriv wrote:

As long as Rick Rubin doesn't push the levels so high that it's DM pt 2

Agreed, that's what I'm worried about. But if ZZ goes back to the La Grange sound, Billy's tone didn't have as much bass as Rhythmeen,XXX,etc.