The following are recent direct quotes from Mr. Willie G. -
ZZ Top "In full production" of a new album
New album is predicted to be out "by the end of the year"
This would be the best indication yet of a new album hitting the shelves this year. Let's hope the band and management stay on track and make it happen.
Have Mercy!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
New Album Release Date Rumors
One of my good friends in France ( I have several!) has advised a French newspaper recently indicated a fall 2011 release date for ZZ's new album.
As it currently stands this is strictly a rumor. These type of indications have been sent out before, only to result in nothing. Remember when the offical ZZ Top web page talked about a new album over a year ago and nothing happened? Still it is exciting to see these little hints and all things do point to the band being in the studio and recording. Let's hope for the best.
If anybody hears anything please post in the comments. Thank you!
As it currently stands this is strictly a rumor. These type of indications have been sent out before, only to result in nothing. Remember when the offical ZZ Top web page talked about a new album over a year ago and nothing happened? Still it is exciting to see these little hints and all things do point to the band being in the studio and recording. Let's hope for the best.
If anybody hears anything please post in the comments. Thank you!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Another Mention of a New Album
Billy Gibbons says a ZZ Top tribute album featuring the Foo Fighters, Nickelback, Kid Rock and others is set to be announced soon. The band are also working on a new studio album in Houston and LA.
http://rocknewsdesk.com/oneliners/one-liners-there-will-never-be-another-ronnie/993/
http://rocknewsdesk.com/oneliners/one-liners-there-will-never-be-another-ronnie/993/
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Dust My Broom / In the Studio / Hot Sauce / Australia
Okay, three good things can be taken from the below link.
1) Billy got up on the stage and started playing "Dust My Broom". Let's hope this song stays on his mind throughout 2011 - great track, need to bring it back with Dusty on lead vocals. Time to dump "Future Blues".
2) Billy was quoted as saying he is in the studio with his bandmates working on a new album. Please let that be true.
3) Billy is coming out with his own hot sauce. Have mercy.
Here is the link:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gLynmXkvpJOggldlJxa-88gj6uHA?docId=N0120511300698780080A
Lastly, are there any fans from Down Under that read this blog? If so please let yourself be heard and help us with finding out the set lists from the upcoming OZ tour. Thank you!
1) Billy got up on the stage and started playing "Dust My Broom". Let's hope this song stays on his mind throughout 2011 - great track, need to bring it back with Dusty on lead vocals. Time to dump "Future Blues".
2) Billy was quoted as saying he is in the studio with his bandmates working on a new album. Please let that be true.
3) Billy is coming out with his own hot sauce. Have mercy.
Here is the link:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gLynmXkvpJOggldlJxa-88gj6uHA?docId=N0120511300698780080A
Lastly, are there any fans from Down Under that read this blog? If so please let yourself be heard and help us with finding out the set lists from the upcoming OZ tour. Thank you!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Is a new ZZ Top record a "ZZ Top" record?
Since around the time of El Loco (and possibly Deguello) ZZ Top has had outside musicans contribute, both musically and creatively, to their albums. These musicans are, with a few exceptions, not credited for their work. Excluding Eliminator, which has a relatively well known issue of major contributions coming from an uncredited producer (enough info on that for a blog entry by itself), Afterburner all the way through to Mescalero likely feature varying degrees of uncredited players. I would be very surprised to find out that Dusty is actually the one playing all those keyboards and synthesizers on "I Got the Message" and "Doubleback".
But the purpose of this writing is not to speculate on who played what and how much this or that person contributed to a track, but rather to address the apparent decrease in the band working as a consise, united and creative force. Around the time of Deguello Dusty and Frank, tired of being second tier to Billy, requested to be treated equally with regard to writing credits for each song. Henceforth each song was attributed to Gibbons/Hill/Beard. And it stayed that way until Antenna, where all songs except four were attributed to the band (four were credited solely to Billy). With each subsequent album however there are less attributed to the three and more to Billy and individuals working in the studio (soundmen, producers, etc.). Mescalero had only two tracks (if you count the Japanese bonus song) attributed to the actual band members.
Now I don't really believe that Dusty and Frank contributed to every song on El Loco or Afterburner or Recycler - my point is they are likely becoming less and less interested in ZZ Top, as a viable entity anyway. It seems that Billy still actively writes and certainly records, as evident through his work with other artists. As previously mentioned he likely has 40 to 50 songs in various stages of completion. However Dusty and Frank seem to show little interest in being in the studio and recording. And with 1) Billy being the only writer, and 2) the propensity of so many other people to play instruments on their albums, just how much is a new ZZ Top record really a "ZZ Top" record? Just how wide is the line between a Billy solo album and a ZZ Top album? Was Mescalero a Billy solo album?
I'm likely overthinking it, as a big fan tends to do. The band has probably always operated this way to some degree since the very beginning, and the process is just continuing. Still I would rather see a lot of Gibbons/Hill/Beard than a little.
But the purpose of this writing is not to speculate on who played what and how much this or that person contributed to a track, but rather to address the apparent decrease in the band working as a consise, united and creative force. Around the time of Deguello Dusty and Frank, tired of being second tier to Billy, requested to be treated equally with regard to writing credits for each song. Henceforth each song was attributed to Gibbons/Hill/Beard. And it stayed that way until Antenna, where all songs except four were attributed to the band (four were credited solely to Billy). With each subsequent album however there are less attributed to the three and more to Billy and individuals working in the studio (soundmen, producers, etc.). Mescalero had only two tracks (if you count the Japanese bonus song) attributed to the actual band members.
Now I don't really believe that Dusty and Frank contributed to every song on El Loco or Afterburner or Recycler - my point is they are likely becoming less and less interested in ZZ Top, as a viable entity anyway. It seems that Billy still actively writes and certainly records, as evident through his work with other artists. As previously mentioned he likely has 40 to 50 songs in various stages of completion. However Dusty and Frank seem to show little interest in being in the studio and recording. And with 1) Billy being the only writer, and 2) the propensity of so many other people to play instruments on their albums, just how much is a new ZZ Top record really a "ZZ Top" record? Just how wide is the line between a Billy solo album and a ZZ Top album? Was Mescalero a Billy solo album?
I'm likely overthinking it, as a big fan tends to do. The band has probably always operated this way to some degree since the very beginning, and the process is just continuing. Still I would rather see a lot of Gibbons/Hill/Beard than a little.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
ZZ Top - second Spring tour date announced
Looks like ZZ may indeed be touring with Lynyrd Skynyrd this year. A second date (after Lubbock TX on May 9th) has been announced: May 20th in Big Flats, NY.
I'm thinking about attending this show. If anybody is going and would like to meet up send me a message.
Anybody heard anything regarding the new album? Are recording sessions taking place?
Here is a link to the tour date announcement:
http://www.bravewords.com/news/157577
I'm thinking about attending this show. If anybody is going and would like to meet up send me a message.
Anybody heard anything regarding the new album? Are recording sessions taking place?
Here is a link to the tour date announcement:
http://www.bravewords.com/news/157577
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Solo album ~ ZZ Top album
In response to the recent rumor of a pending Mr. Gibbons' solo album a fan quickly, and rather correctly, pointed out that Billy already had a solo album - Eliminator.
In a collaborative effort with an uncredited producer (a long story more fit for it's own post) Billy slowly removed both Dusty's and Frank's contributions to the rough draft of Eliminator. In the case of Frank he was replaced with sequencers and drum machines. In Dusty's case his bass parts were replaced by lines laid down by Billy. That technical bass work on "Thug" - that's Billy. Dusty couldn't get it right, at least according to Billy at the time.
Initially Frank took great offense to being replaced by what he thought to be another drummer. When Billy explained it was a drum machine, not another player, Frank reluctantly relented. Dusty didn't seem to mind, at least he didn't verbalize any complaints. Billy could now lay down his virtuoso guitar licks with a perfect rhythm section. It could be theorized that this approach was partly the result of Billy's dissatisfaction with Frank's playing on "El Loco" and the apparent decline in Frank's skills, resulting from a decrease in practicing after he got off drugs and alcohol.
Based on Billy's increasing influence on the production of ZZ's albums starting in the early 90's (check out the album credits) and decline in Bill Ham's participation it seems clear that Billy has been the driving force ever since Eliminator, with one exception. "Rhythmeen" was a significant return to the old way of recording, with the band sitting together in the studio and playing the basic song structures live. The result was arguably the greatest record since "Tejas".
So its likely a Gibbons' solo album would sound a lot like a ZZ Top album. Maybe like Mescalero. Which isn't a bad thing. But a great thing would be another record like "Rhythmeen" - something that can only happen when the band works together as a unit, all members are physically present in the studio at the same time, and all three contribute ideas and sounds.
Let's see what happens.....
In a collaborative effort with an uncredited producer (a long story more fit for it's own post) Billy slowly removed both Dusty's and Frank's contributions to the rough draft of Eliminator. In the case of Frank he was replaced with sequencers and drum machines. In Dusty's case his bass parts were replaced by lines laid down by Billy. That technical bass work on "Thug" - that's Billy. Dusty couldn't get it right, at least according to Billy at the time.
Initially Frank took great offense to being replaced by what he thought to be another drummer. When Billy explained it was a drum machine, not another player, Frank reluctantly relented. Dusty didn't seem to mind, at least he didn't verbalize any complaints. Billy could now lay down his virtuoso guitar licks with a perfect rhythm section. It could be theorized that this approach was partly the result of Billy's dissatisfaction with Frank's playing on "El Loco" and the apparent decline in Frank's skills, resulting from a decrease in practicing after he got off drugs and alcohol.
Based on Billy's increasing influence on the production of ZZ's albums starting in the early 90's (check out the album credits) and decline in Bill Ham's participation it seems clear that Billy has been the driving force ever since Eliminator, with one exception. "Rhythmeen" was a significant return to the old way of recording, with the band sitting together in the studio and playing the basic song structures live. The result was arguably the greatest record since "Tejas".
So its likely a Gibbons' solo album would sound a lot like a ZZ Top album. Maybe like Mescalero. Which isn't a bad thing. But a great thing would be another record like "Rhythmeen" - something that can only happen when the band works together as a unit, all members are physically present in the studio at the same time, and all three contribute ideas and sounds.
Let's see what happens.....
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