I am not going to post any "greatest of all time" hyperbole or that they are underrated, just an appreciation for a band that has been consistently very good to great since 1969. Though they've been through a number of stylistic changes through the years, they have stayed fairly close to their guitar heavy hard rockin' blues roots. I remember falling in love with Tush and I've been digging their music ever since. IMHO they were on of the few harder rocking bands that made a successful transition to remain relevant in the 80s with a series of cool songs and videos like Legs and Sharp Dressed Man. In the 90s they returned to a more guitar heavy sound with great albums like Antenna, Rhythmeen, XXX and in 2003, Mescalero. I don't think any guitarist would argue against the fact that Billy Gibbons has one of the best heavy guitar tones on the planet and nobody does better pinch harmonics. It just amazes me that three guys can constantly deliver the musical goods and come up with fresh ideas for over 50 years. And it looks like they're not done yet. In a September 2019 interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Hill stated that "there's a good chance" ZZ Top will release a follow-up to La Futura: "We've got a lot in the can. It depends on how we would want to put it together or redo it or whatever. Because it's years of stuff. We just record everything, and then we go, 'Well, no, this didn't quite feel right, right now.'" Gibbons told Las Vegas Review-Journal in April 2020 that he, Hill and Beard have been "cooking up another round of wicked sounds for the next ZZ record."[51] On June 21, 2020, Gibbons stated interest in having guitarist Jeff Beck make a guest appearance on the album. Feel free to share your appreciation for That Little Ol' Band From Texas.
My relationship with ZZ Top began and ended with 'Tres Hombres' until about a week ago. On advice of this forum, I picked up a copy of 'Deguello' which I have played several times this week. Now I want to dig more.
That lil' ol' band from Texas? The Texas Top? I still love them. That have had some highs and lows but I am always interested in new music from ZZ and from Billy solo as well.
As I have said on other ZZ threads imo they were legends in the making with the first six albums but chose to be cartoons thereafter. Even clowned up their incredible early sound with the 6 Pack debacle. Fuzzy spinning guitars, girls, cars, Pork Chop Sandwich, it's all entertaining but ... With their early albums (first 6) each one had it's own vibe, almost concept like without trying. Mud and Tejas imo are deserted island stuff, must owns. XXX (and others) are clownish in comparison. I look at ZZ as great entertainers, still relevant as entertainers; but imo they could have been so much more. At one point Billy was almost untouchable, nasty good.
I happen to like the Six Pack. The original Best Of sounded out of place in the 80s so I can understand them "updating" their back catalogue at that time.
Great band. Everything through Eliminator is worth checking out. My personal favorite is El Loco. Not interested in their new music but I did see them live three years ago and it was a fun show.
Great band. I love everything up to and including Eliminator. I like Afterburner but they took the synths and drum machines thing too far on it. Some of the songs weren't great either. I haven't got into Recycler and heard an album since until La Futura, which I like but haven't played enough.
Incredible band and a credit to Texas! They sure have a chequered history when it comes to cd releases of their 70’s albums, between the six pack and the switched channels on the WB boxset. I really love that 2 disc ‘The Very Baddest Of’ comp (although the choice of songs from Rhythmeen onwards is poor) That first ‘Best Of’ is a thing of beauty!
I knew there would be posts like this, and I can completely understand. It's almost like Roth Era Van Halen and Hagar era, even though there were no personnel changes. I personally like both eras of Van Halen. Maybe overly simplistic, but I think there are basically three Top eras- the early stuff pre-80s, the 80s, and then back to heavy guitar in the 90s.
I would agree the 80s was their weakest period. I like Eliminator, but Afterburner and Recycler are just okay.
I have Recycler on vinyl and CD but can't remember much about it at all, which was never the case with ZZ Top before then. I'll probably sell the vinyl. The CD is in the Warners albums box.
I recall hitch-hiking across Kansas in the mid 1970s and seeing a semi go by with the ZZ Top logo on the side. Have yet to see them live, even though won free tix to their show from a radio call-in quiz question several years ago - had to work late, gave them to a coworker who took his kid to the show
Agree with everything mainline said as I lost interest when they went MTV Hollywood but I understand why they did it and they did develop a new audience with the slicker sound. I am starting to check out the more recent albums where they got back to their blues roots and like some of the newer stuff. Also glad they finally released the first 6 albums on CD with the original mixes. I never really liked the original 6 pack but it was all we had at the time.
First heard them on FM radio when La Grange became the rotated track off the Tres Hombres LP in 1973. Next year Tush became a favorite. I got those and went back and got the first album..... which blew me away. It still does that to this day, absolutely outstanding. Also Rio Grande Mud. Tejas which is the 5th and last LP of their classic Tex Mex blues period, is an underrated classic. I will say though that Eliminator, often sidelined somewhat due to its association with the 80's, is a fantstic album. I just played it recently and dang.....what a powerhouse. Just a freight train of an album and utterly enjoyable. It was probably my favorite album of the 80's, and one of the (very) few 80's albums I own.
I love ZZ Top. Yeah, not necessary to discuss the usual terms like greatest, underappreciated, etc., though there may be some merit to that. But what I find is that they are more authentic than their brit contemporaries. I might also disagree with the OP in that Gibbons should be recognized for his heavy guitar tone. In fact he is the complete package, a well rounded guitarist and his lighter tones and playing without distortion is every bit as good, e.g., Asleep in the Desert. Those who just listen to the first three albums or the Eliminator period are really missing out.
One of my favourite bands of all time. I didn't get into them until the 80s, not because of the success of Eliminator but because I was delving back into rock from the previous decades, collecting albums. Deguelo was the one that got me really hooked. I love just about all their albums, though I'm not all that familier with Afterburner and Recyler and XXX (which I checked out but didn't head for the till).
While I strongly prefer their early rootsy output, you can't deny their hand for catchy hooks, cool grooves and a sense for a feel that made them superstars in the 80ties. Degüello showed definitive transitional signs, El Loco kept that track, and Eliminator (while more or less a "Gibbons featuring Synths and drum computer" solo album) went full throttle. We covered "Tush", "La Grange", "Jesus Left Chicago", "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" and "Sharp Dressed Man" during our coverband days some 10 years ago, and the crowds always loved it. Well, however, I wish there would be more vintage live material available, because their interplay was (and still is) fantastic. I mean, the structures are not too complex, but effective and detailed while grooving as hell. Up until now, there's only the 1980 Rockpalast concert (as part of the "Double Down" DVD) available - PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong!!!
