Sunday, March 14, 2010

#498: Tres Hombres- ZZ Top

Listened to: MP3

Tres Hombres was a nice album to start listening to right after the soundtrack to Shine A Light, which is what I had been playing before, because the sound is very similar. ZZ Top, despite the beard gimmick, were some extremely talented musicians. Billy Gibbons can rip on a guitar like it’s nobody’s business, a fact we learn from the opening track, “Waitin’ For The Bus”. That slides straight into the dripping-with-blues track “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, another vintage track that knows it’s roots. After two old-school tracks, it was due time the boys broke free and did their thing, which is exactly what they did on “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”, where Billy lets it rip yet again in a solo I wish I could play. “Masters Of Sparks” is another killer track, and to be honest, I could say that about every track on the album, but let’s be honest, they all pale in comparison to “La Grange”.

Yes, this album contains the epic genius that is “La Grange”. This truly is a guitar song, and one of the finest there is. I’m still not sure what the vocal part is, but who cares? This is the track where Billy Gibbons truly shines.

One note I will give is that while this album is great, make sure you listen to the 2006 release, not just for the three bonus live tracks, but because that release was the first CD release to use the original analog mixes from 1973. The MP3 I’m listening to now is a shitty digital remix, and the sound quality is terrible. So please, look this up. The right copy will be worth it, as it really is one of the best ZZ Top ever put out, and a fantastic album for any guitar enthusiast.

-Mike

See you guys tomorrow for #408: Time Out Of Mind, the first album on this blog by the master, Mr. Robert Zimmerman.

No comments:

Post a Comment