ZZ Top - Tres Hombres
If you've only ever seen or heard ZZ Top's cheesy eighties' excesses then it's easy to scoff, but the Top of the seventies were a completely different animal. They were a bad ass, shit kicking, blues rock band.
The opener, Waitin' For The Bus, sets the tone with its swaggering blues rock loaded with attitude. Jesus Just Left Chicago has a slightly mellower vibe but it still absolutely swings. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers is as rabble rousing as its title suggests, although it's more hard rock than blues.
Master Of Sparks adds a touch of mystery to the mix and would probably appeal to fans of modern bands such as Witchcraft. Hot, Blue And Righteous is a soulful ballad, imagine The Eagles covering Otis Redding's 'I've Been Loving You Too Long'. Good stuff. Move Me On Down The Line is a Who style rocker. Precious And Grace is a heavy blues funk number with a great lead riff. The instrumental bridge almost has a contemporary Mastodon or Baroness feel to it. La Grange is even better, a classic bluesy boogie whilst Have You Heard has an uplifting, soulful, gospel tinged chorus.
This album is more than a collection of great riffs and beats. These tracks tell tales, fantastical tales of prostitutes, high speed hi-jinx and scary ex-con ladies if the liner notes are to be believed.
This reissue comes with three live tracks which are a little raw but still crackle with energy. The live version of La Grange is particularly excellent with some blistering playing.
Forget 'Eliminator'. Forget 'Gimme All Your Lovin''. Forget 'Legs' and 'Sharp Dressed Man'. Forget the car. Even forget the beards. This is classic rock music which deserves to be rediscovered, especially considering the current vogue for retro rock.
No comments:
Post a Comment