I guess I never gave much notice or written space to the tribute album release. Partly due to frustration on new album delays and partly due to a loathing of tribute albums in general I just didn't think much about it. Thanks to a good friend I did get a copy and have given it a good listen several times now.
And...its pretty good. A very diverse mixture of artists have covered the group's hits and for the most part made them their own. Only La Grange, which Billy plays on, suffers from stagnation, simply building on the well known foundation of the song and expanding it into an eight minute jam. Wyclef John (who was very popular in my formative years) really does a number on "Rough Boy", and while his version may not suit everyone, it definitely deserves some credit for originality. And its true that even the original "Rough Boy" doesn't suit everyone's tastes, although I really dig it.
The hard rock versions of "Lovin" and "Legs" are pretty sweet too. All in all a fitting tribute to ZZ, the kings of changing the tunes from album to album but never the "sound".
If anyone has hesitated to buy the record to date you could do worse than picking the album up. I will put my official "AntennaHead stamp of approval" on it, but that is only worth as much as you give me credit for.
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