When I was in Australia in 1990 a local radio DJ in Wollongong did refer to "Zed Zed Top." --Elvis Telecom
Sounds like Wollongong all right.
― Call the Cops, Friday, 20 December 2013 13:15 (ten years ago) link
Listening to lots of The Top today, thanks to this thread. The second side of El Loco reminds me in more that a few places of The B-52s circa Whammy!, setting the stage for their synth-rock renaissance.
― Glenn Miller-core (Dan Peterson), Friday, 20 December 2013 20:41 (ten years ago) link
the instrumental on Tejas basically invents Calexico
― My Chief Keef Keef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 20 December 2013 20:46 (ten years ago) link
dying @ "Acca Dacca"
― From the Album No Baby for You! (Matt P), Friday, 20 December 2013 21:20 (ten years ago) link
We had a rebellious VJ on MuchMusic in Canada who said Zed Zed Top. Needless to say it didn't stick.
― A. Begrand, Friday, 20 December 2013 21:22 (ten years ago) link
Mescalero is just now kicking my ass. Guitar tone for DAYS. The cover of "Tramp" is so ridiculously over the top in all the best ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3APxAfzxSw
― Glenn Miller-core (Dan Peterson), Friday, 20 December 2013 21:23 (ten years ago) link
http://24.media.tumblr.com/690a1b9788d2a9c5b9b388a0e0c6f46c/tumblr_n19m031Pv41qbo6leo1_1280.jpg
More early pictures here
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 19 February 2014 22:49 (ten years ago) link
oh my god awesome :D
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 22:50 (ten years ago) link
Music video for "Legs" is pretty amazing. All their 80s music videos rule.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 22:51 (ten years ago) link
every girl crazy for a sharp dressed man
http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/zz-top-nudie-suits.jpg?w=1050&h=1350
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 22:52 (ten years ago) link
My parents saw them opening for Smith (of "Baby, It's You" fame) not long after that prom photo was taken.
― Virginia, Plain and Tall (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 22:55 (ten years ago) link
proto-Pharrell giant hat action.
― Merdeyeux, Wednesday, 19 February 2014 23:00 (ten years ago) link
That "Zee Zee Top" pic is blowing my mind.
― burbbhrbhbbhbburbbbryan ferry (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 23:03 (ten years ago) link
"Hey good lookin', we'll be back to pick you up later."
― earlnash, Wednesday, 19 February 2014 23:04 (ten years ago) link
those giant hats are my favorite thing
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 23:04 (ten years ago) link
amazing
― How dare you tarnish the reputation of Turturro's yodel (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 19 February 2014 23:09 (ten years ago) link
Didn't know Robert Fripp was in early ZZ Top
― sXe & the banshees (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 20 February 2014 14:03 (ten years ago) link
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, February 19, 2014 6:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Just think, those hats could've been their wacky schtick instead of their beards.
But then, their drummer would have to change his name to Frank Hat.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 20 February 2014 14:07 (ten years ago) link
Awesome pictures
― Prince Kajuku (Bill Magill), Thursday, 20 February 2014 19:01 (ten years ago) link
Someone in Skynyrd wore one of those giant hats too, they're officially dope
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 20 February 2014 20:34 (ten years ago) link
ZZ Top's playing a bikerfest in my area in April. I'll probably go to their show, even if the website says their set will be immediately followed by a wet t-shirt contest on the same stage.
http://www.azbikeweek.com/events.asp?day=5
― intheblanks, Sunday, 23 February 2014 00:08 (ten years ago) link
♫La Grange♫♫Sharped Dressed Man♫♫Gimme All Your Lovin‘♫♫Cheap Sunglasses♫Got Me Under Pressure♫♫Legs♫ ♫Tush♫
― Mike Dixn, Sunday, 23 February 2014 01:09 (ten years ago) link
What do you mean, "even if"?
― Humorist (horse) (誤訳侮辱), Sunday, 23 February 2014 01:18 (ten years ago) link
Been spinning a CDR of Tres Hombres & Fandango! in the car changer this week. The live stuff on the latter owns so hard. Really wish the rest of that show had been issued.
― Interior. Ibiza Bar (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 31 March 2014 19:29 (ten years ago) link
Saw them this week, they're total pros, with a polished "the big hits, plus 3 new songs" setlist and the goofy stage moves you'd expect. They project the videos for Sharp-Dressed Man and Legs when those songs are played, and they bring out the fuzzy guitars for Legs. Kind of wish they played a couple more of their 70s jams, but overall this was a really entertaining show.
― good and relaxing like akon dont matter (intheblanks), Tuesday, 8 April 2014 16:17 (ten years ago) link
nice to hear, I'm probably gonna go see them in August.
― sleeve, Tuesday, 8 April 2014 16:21 (ten years ago) link
did they do I Gotsta to Get Paid
― How dare you tarnish the reputation of Turturro's yodel (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 8 April 2014 16:25 (ten years ago) link
Yeah. That plus Chartreuse and Flyin' High were the ones they did off La Futura.
― good and relaxing like akon dont matter (intheblanks), Tuesday, 8 April 2014 16:42 (ten years ago) link
Gonna borrow that Billy Gibbons pic for pics of dudes without beards who normally have beards
I'll bring it back over here when I'm done.
― pplains, Tuesday, 8 April 2014 16:48 (ten years ago) link
http://blog.chron.com/thetexican/2015/06/zz-top-to-literally-play-la-grange-in-la-grange/#22138101=0
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 4 June 2015 17:21 (nine years ago) link
http://www.zztop.com/2015/billy-f-gibbons-launches-solo-project-the-bfgs-album-perfectamundo-due-out-this-october/
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 1 August 2015 21:44 (nine years ago) link
I'm actually really excited to hear that. I won't even make the obvious joke about Eliminator being Gibbons' first solo album...oh, damn.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Saturday, 1 August 2015 22:42 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, I've heard bands mixing "1950s Latin" with ZZ, Zep---can imagine Gibbons' crew doing it better, or at least as well. Looking fwd to this, thanks.
― dow, Sunday, 2 August 2015 02:58 (nine years ago) link
so what's worth hearing that came out between Eliminator and La Futura
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 16:43 (eight years ago) link
never listened to El Loco before, what an odd record - kinda spacey and laid back, almost gentle
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 22:36 (eight years ago) link
Rhythmeen from '96 is worth looking into.
― Boz Scaggs was Adele back in 1976 (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 9 December 2015 22:50 (eight years ago) link
still rockin that clean+chorused guitar sound, tons of processed vocals, there's just a lot of space in the mix, odd rhythms
xp
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 22:50 (eight years ago) link
Afterburner - This one isn't as fat and dry sounding production wise as Eliminator. It's kinda like Genesis when you get to Invisible Touch, synth technology is heading out of the warm old analog into colder sounding samples and way too much digital reverb. The songs are not quite as good either.
Recycler- The album title is pretty honest. The songs are a bit more bluesy. "My Head's in Mississippi" is a good tune. It's sill way too shiny production wise.
Antenna- Sounds weak, there may be a song I missed, but I didn't like it enough after a couple of listens to even bother it again.
Rhythmeen- CD length kinda kills most of their records. I'd think it would work pretty good as a 35 minute album. They get back to basics but there is still scifi in the production.
XXX- Kinda weak. Better production than Antenna
Mescalero- This one is the one I would say to check if you dug La Futura. This thing is dirty and nasty, probably one of their rawest albums. There are some good tunes on this one and again would have been better at LP length.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 23:46 (eight years ago) link
I feel like a single or even a double disc compilation of their RCA years (Antenna through Mescalero) could be pretty good. But I've never been able to get all the way through the albums to really know what would go on it.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 10 December 2015 01:24 (eight years ago) link
OK, I actually checked the albums out on Spotify and came up with a 20-song playlist that covers just the RCA albums; here it is:
https://open.spotify.com/user/burningambulance/playlist/3yVE9fSnWQTVTUf486n4qq
1. Breakaway (from Antenna)2. Fuzzbox Voodoo (from Antenna)3. Girl In A T-Shirt (from Antenna)4. PCH (from Antenna)5. Deal Goin’ Down (from Antenna)6. Black Fly (from Rhythmeen)7. What’s Up With That (from Rhythmeen)8. Vincent Price Blues (from Rhythmeen)9. She’s Just Killing Me (from Rhythmeen)10. Poke Chop Sandwich (from XXX)11. Fearless Boogie (from XXX)12. 36-22-36 (from XXX)13. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (from XXX)14. Belt Buckle (from XXX)15. Two Ways To Play (from Mescalero)16. Alley-Gator (from Mescalero)17. Piece (from Mescalero)18. What Would You Do (from Mescalero)19. What It Is Kid (from Mescalero)20. Que Lastima (from Mescalero)
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 10 December 2015 02:12 (eight years ago) link
while freaking out about how bad the new Danzig covers album is I started A/B'ing his versions with the originals to highlight the contrast and man, "Rough Boy" is such a beautiful record. Every aspect of it is just lovingly tailored the goal of establishing this gorgeous wistful head-rush groove. Incredible.
Danzig's version must be heard to be believed. A/B just the opening drum figures and then tell me that's not Glenn himself on the skins, there's no way a real drummer would suffer that to survive the mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9haef8Wlcg
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 10 December 2015 03:01 (eight years ago) link
U dont say
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 10 December 2015 04:04 (eight years ago) link
tyvm for the spotify list!!
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 10 December 2015 12:40 (eight years ago) link
Mescalero- This one is the one I would say to check if you dug La Futura. This thing is dirty and nasty, probably one of their rawest albums.
agreed.been playing the hell out of this in the last few weeks.
― mark e, Thursday, 10 December 2015 13:09 (eight years ago) link
some time long long ago i briefly mixed up zz top and steely dan, and the result is that still now i can't quite shake the notion that zz are secretly boho hipster intellectuals
― Merdeyeux, Thursday, 10 December 2015 13:12 (eight years ago) link
i can't quite shake the notion that zz are secretly boho hipster intellectuals
Reading interviews with Billy Gibbons will only make this feeling stronger.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 10 December 2015 13:15 (eight years ago) link
Good interview here---wish there were a bit more music, but it's live in the studio, results mixed yet tantalizing (gotta get off my ass, check album:http://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2015/11/26/457294147/latin-roots-billy-gibbons-adds-a-cubano-twist-to-the-blues
― dow, Thursday, 10 December 2015 14:24 (eight years ago) link
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/zz_top_fan_recreates_the_tres_hombres_gatefold_meal_and_then_eats_it
― "Damn the Taquitos" (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 28 January 2016 19:58 (eight years ago) link
Bill Ham, the band's manager from their earliest days till 2006, dead at 79.
― Don Van Gorp, midwest regional VP, marketing (誤訳侮辱), Wednesday, 22 June 2016 12:40 (eight years ago) link
Hill said he couldn’t recall how the band got started: “It was the ’60s, man.”
The True Story of the Fake Zombies
― Edward Bax, Friday, 24 June 2016 06:16 (eight years ago) link