In the fall of 1985 and throughout 1986 ZZ Top was at the peak of their commercial success. "Eliminator" had gone platinum, one of the first albums to do so under the new RIAA guidelines. The pressure was on the group, likely internally view Billy's desire to keep the momentum going, and externally via Warner Bros. business instinct to keep the profits rolling in. So it was, "Afterburner".
I like the album. I like the songs. Even "Rough Boy". The record fits perfectly square in the middle of the '80's. It takes you back to that time, often as music does. But it would change the group thereafter in my opinion, mostly for the worst.
After a highly successful headlining of the Monsters of Rock festival in August of 1985, the group retired to put the finishing touches on "Afterburner". Rehershals for the new tour came in November, and the next month the album was brought to the road. This time, when you came to see the concert, you saw a "show".
A larger than life replica of the Spinx that sucked a giant curtain up it's nose, having served as a cover to the stage setup prior to the start of the show. Ever wondered when listening to tapes what that weird noise at the very beginning of 1985 / 1986 concerts was - it's the Spinx sucking cloth through its nascal cavity. A stage size replica of the interior of the Eliminator car dash. Lasers out the wazoo. And so many speciality guitars, one for any number of songs (Eliminator shaped guitar, fuzzy guitar). The fans definitely got their money's worth.
Or did they. Was anyone listening to the songs, I mean really listening closely - something was missing. The creativity, the spark, the lowdown and dirty blues, Billy's howl - the sound of a band working, clawing, pounding, pummeling to get to the top. It was mostly gone. The group was already at the top. And therein lies my long winded point. In 1985 ZZ Top was at the "top". They no longer had to work as long or fight as hard to get the acclaim, the success that most bands desire. They had it. They were living it.
Gone were the changing solos of "Ten Foot Pole", replaced by a more rigid and structured outro. Gone was the bite and aggressiveness of "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers". Lost was "Fool For Your Stockings" and the obligatory sermon from Reverend Willie G. Lost was the occasional variation in the set list, the here and there insertion of "Dust My Broom", "Francene" and "Just Got Paid". No more Elvis hommages via "Jailhouse Rock".
Initially the price was smaller to pay. Early shows saw the group playing "Delirous" - a unique tune to this day. The rocker "Planet of Women" was debuted. "Stages", while the truest example of ZZ's radio friendly pop faze, was a crowd pleaser. Another staple of years before, the enigmatic "Party On The Patio" was faithfully presented. But these were all quickly dropped. By late Spring 1986 only "Sleeping Bag", "Velcro Fly", "Can't Stop Rockin" and "Rough Boy" were played. Perhaps most puzzling is the group's display of "Rough Boy" as the token Blues song of the show. Choosing to play the radio friendly track, the Boys devastatingly omitted the opportunity to play the stunning "I Need You Tonight" that had gone down so well back at the Monsters of Rock festival. Years later when the song was played it would not serve as the sole blues number, being followed often by "Catfish Blues" or "Just Got Back from Baby's".
Perhaps the ultimate price of the bands success was the relinquishment of the seemingly limiting, but so well defining title as the "Little Ole Band from Texas", a band fighting to be heard.
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This Friday ZZ Top will play a live show for the 5th decade in a row. Almost six in a row - the first show with the now legendary trio lineup was not until Spring 1970. Here's hoping the 2010's see more new tunes than the 2000's.
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