ZZ TOP 50th Anniversary

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by marklamb, Feb 5, 2019.

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  1. y531ly5

    y531ly5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    I love the Afterburner sound, it's a masterpiece from his age.
    I'm born in 1985 and discovered this album when I was young.

    I admit this compilation and the Chrome BBQ one have to many songs from this record.

    "Sleeping Bag" / "Stages" / "Rough Boy" and "Planet Of Women" are the top one.
     
  2. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    In fact, I forgot that "Stages" is also a song I've heard on the radio a couple of times!

    Anyway, I'll be seeing the guys in Bietigheim-Bissingen in a week. I hope they'll swap out "Pearl Necklace" and bring back "Cheap Sunglasses" plus a slower blues track, but alas...
     
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  3. y531ly5

    y531ly5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    They are in French Festival HELLFEST this week and Friday at the Arte TV channel
     
  4. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I saw them in Sweden a few weeks ago and enjoyed it a lot. What is slightly odd is that they appear to have played the same setlist for at least two years by now; the classics and hits, the great I Gotsta Get Paid from La Futura, and that odd but enjoyable cover of Sixteen Tons (why?).
    Before that they also played Chartreuse from La Futura and occasionally Foxy Lady.
     
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  5. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    It sounds like they totally ran out of creative fuel, starting with Antenna, which did have a few good tunes. I'm thinking of picking up XXX and Mescalero. I heard them at the time of release and they didn't leave an impression, but they must be better than Rhythmeen.
    Songwriting-wise, both Afterburner and Recycler are much better albums than any of the RCA stuff.
     
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  6. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    they make a change or so but the setlist seems to be the same lately
     
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  7. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Mescalero has some good tracks, but the production/mastering is an abomination. They really crushed everything to the point of distortion. But songwise, I love "Alley-Gator".
     
  8. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    I Gotsta Get Paid never really clicked with me until I heard it live in Bietigheim (Dusty on bass synth!!). Suddenly the song actually made sense. On the album, the horrible mixing/mastering just prevented me from enjoying it.

    I bought XXX and while it's not a great album by any means, I certainly enjoy it more than Rhythmeen. At times, it reminds me of El Loco in its experimental approach.

    Mescalero I've only ever heard a few tracks of. I once had some download vouchers from a supermarket thing (long story) and one of the albums that was available to "buy" was Mescalero (of Rhythmeen they only had the spoken introduction to the live tracks, oddly). I listened to the 30-second samples and virtually nothing appealed to me so I used my codes on other bands, with two exceptions:

    "Alley-Gator" was one of those two exceptions, although it's really just one chord. The other was the cover of "Tramp", which I think is competent enough. But I agree with the mastering. It was one of their absolute WORST mistakes to not use Bob Ludwig anymore after XXX. Everything since then has left much to be desired sound-wise...
     
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  9. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    After "Alley-Gator", my favorite on that album would be "What It Is Kid".
     
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  10. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Never heard that. The only other tracks from the album I'm familiar with are "Que Lastima", "Goin' So Good" (both of which I once recorded off the radio) and "As Time Goes By".

    I still think I'd buy the CD if I saw it anywhere, but I'm not particularly determined to do so.
     
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  11. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    i don't think I've ever seen a used copy of it in a store. I got it new for $8.99 somewhere when it was released
     
  12. Randy5554

    Randy5554 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Birmingham, AL
    I really like the Mescalero album. It’s not one that I’d listen to straight through start to finish very often, but there are a lot of fun & goofy songs that work well for cherry-picked listening (Me So Stupid, Punk Ass Boyfriend, Stackin’ Paper, What Would You Do, What Is It Lid).
     
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  13. JasonA

    JasonA Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cereal City
    I like Mescalero as well. "Piece" is the probably heaviest song they've ever done.
     
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  14. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

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  15. marklamb

    marklamb Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Washington DC
    Can’t wait for this looks great!!
     
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  16. Greg Gee

    Greg Gee "I tried to change but I changed my mind..."

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    Big fan of the First Album. Just Got Back From Babes probably my favorite song from them. Saw them Thanksgiving 1974 for the first time. Still have the ticket stub!
    Fave albums:
    First Album
    Rio Grande Mud
    Tres Hombres
    Deguelo
     
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  17. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    I'm happy to have lived long enough for all these documentaries this year. Of course we never thought about a 50 year celebration then, we were just living it.
     
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  18. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    They could add the recent Montreux concert as a bonus DVD if it gets a physical release - it was a slightly expanded setlist, Mike Flanigin came to guest again.
     
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  19. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    I believe we have some of the people involved in it's making on this site.

    I have never heard Frank (or anyone else in an official position) mention his addiction before, so this might be a bit different from what we're used to.

    As he also does in this interview:

    There's footage from the WWTT shown here that I have not seen before, hope it is from the documentary.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2019
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  20. DoF

    DoF Less is more...

    Location:
    Poland
    I like this quote from the video: BG: We don't really know anything else. DH: That's true.
     
  21. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Album details - Dynamic Range Database
    This is weird. So they did remaster "I Gotsta Get Paid" to what looks like really good dynamics but could not manage to do that with "Piece" (which is at least level-shifted as to not be so goddamn loud) and the live tracks??
     
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  22. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    If it was mixed that way there's nothing mastering can do to change it, Mescalero is an extremely processed album (but then La Futura isn't exactly naturalistic either).
     
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  23. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    i just got my 3 cd set
     
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  24. challenge

    challenge Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri
    Finally found a copy of this and got it in the mail today. Can't wait to spin it!

    These are getting very hard to find

    [​IMG]
     
  25. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    Has anybody seen the documentary yet? Here's a review: Film Review: ‘ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’

    Seems it won't be as revelatory as I hoped, just more of the same, keeping the "mystery". I was thinking as they got older they would feel more compelled to open up and be a bit more personal and revealing, but I guess not. The review is also posted on Billy's website, but there the last paragraph (which is the part that has an opinion) is removed. But what I really want most are those film clips from the World Wide Texas Tour, so do I get them?
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2019
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