We all know that Eliminator was their best selling album, and it made ZZ Top a household name all over the universe. Some people, me included, much like the output that came before that album. This album in particular is one of my favourite ZZ albums. Yes it’s boogie blues, but it’s done with invention, a willingness to try new things, and experimentation with sounds and grooves. This is the 2017 remaster in shocking pink vinyl and it sounds amazing. A lot more clarity to what’s going on in the background – and it’s huge.
Things start off in typical ZZ style with a standard Texas boogie with lots of innuendo and double entendres. I Wanna Drive You Home is a killer sounding track, a blues groove with plenty of experimenting with effects pedals. Ten Foot Pole is another weird and wonderful ZZ tune, it has killer sounding guitars, weird vocals, and a funky groove that makes this one of the best tracks on the album. Leila is the weakest song on the album and is almost a country tune. I hate country music!!! Side close out track, Don’t Tease Me, starts with an awesome Billy Gibbons riff and is ZZ’s attempt at a single done Texas style.
Side 2 starts with a double dose of innuendo with It’s So Hard and Pearl Necklace. The first is done soul style and would have been a great single, whereas Pearl Necklace is pure ZZ Top boogie a great drivin’ tune and reached the heady heights of the Top 30. Groovy Little Hippy Pad is another weird and wonderful tune and sees the introduction of synths into the sound mixed with a boogie – very cool. Next up is one of my favourite ZZ tunes, Heaven Hell Or Houston. A really weird spoken lyric starts the piece before a serious groovy Tex-Mex funk kicks in. The last track is a trademark tune for the band, a good old fashioned blues boogie, Party On The Patio.
This album and Deguello are IMHO the best ZZ Top albums. I guess when you start to make pots of cash, it’s a hard decision not to write tunes not to please the punters instead of yourself. I know recent albums have seen them reverting to a more natural sound. A great enjoyable album.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
