Custom Album Design – 00individual
EXPERIENCE ROCK HISTORY!
ZZ TOP – ZZ TOP’S FIRST ALBUM – January 16, 1971
It is sad and a bit embarrassing to admit that it took the groove of the British Blues bands, who loved and emulated all of the classic American Blues-men, for 00 to recognize and fully appreciate his own country’s rich roots of the Blues. Once all of the Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker classics were electrified he was able to appreciate what was already here his whole life. But better late than never, he went back and listened to all the originals to get the full original spectrum of the Blues.
By 1971 Rockers were all familiar with the electrified versions of Blues classics done by the Brits, but here was an album by Americans, Texans, who truly played the blues in the gritty, raw, and honest, full-force spirit of the Blues as if done by the masters. Plus these were all originals, no covers; there were obvious influences, but that didn’t matter because these guys were the Real Deal – Billy Gibbons – guitar, Dusty Hill – bass, and Frank Beard – drums, delivered stone Hard Rock Blues with a distinct style, sound, and attitude that would prove to be loved world-wide for decades.
This is why 00individual was extremely pleased to see them nearly a decade and a half later rack-up the music video awards in the classic days of MTV as they celebrated and reveled in the pure core of Rock ‘n’ Roll; Hot Sexy Babes, Cars, and cool Hard Rock and Blues – and they delivered consistently and devoutly like no one before or since.
And here’s how it all began: ZZ Top’s First Album Side 1: (Somebody Else Been) Shakin’ Your Tree (Gibbons) – 2:32 Brown Sugar (Gibbons) – 5:22 Squank (Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Bill Ham) – 2:46 Goin’ Down to Mexico (Gibbons, Hill, Ham) – 3:26 Old Man (Gibbons, Hill, Frank Beard) – 3:23 Side 2: Neighbor, Neighbor (Gibbons) – 2:18, Certified Blues (Gibbons, Beard, Ham) – 3:25 Bedroom Thang (Gibbons) – 4:37 Just Got Back from Baby’s (Gibbons, Ham) – 4:07 Backdoor Love Affair (Gibbons, Ham) – 3:20
You can hear them creating iconic hooks in these songs. With fifteen hit studio albums to date, ZZ Top knew where their career was headed when they named this their “First Album!” – and altogether their albums eventually sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide
ZZ Top – their name immediately had Hippies and the Counter-Culture grinning from their combined use of the two most high-profile brands of Marijuana/joint rolling papers of the day; Zig Zag and Top = ZZ TOP.
It’s not easy maintaining any career and certainly not a music career, but ZZ Top have and it’s their attuned talent and fun-loving spirit that makes any age fan feel good and that’s just one more award that they can claim – the ability to lift spirits; a much-needed gift anytime from ZZ Top.
Until Dusty Hill’s death in 2021, for 50 years they are/were the only long-term band that never had an altered line-up.
00INDIVIDUAL 