Sad to learn of a founding member of ZZ passing away:
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Greig-early-ZZ-Top-member-dies-at-64-4284956.php
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Had a very busy past month or so, apologize for the lack of activity here on the blog. Look for a post in the next week or so detailing plans for 2013. Also any ideas for new features or what you would like to see on the blog just let me know. Thanks
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
When They Were Young
To have existed as a unit for 43 years means many changes, twists and turns have taken place. Even as a seasoned fan I often think of the group as 1983 and after. To put it starkly when I look at photos of the group from the 1970's, in the Nudie Suits, the thin waist lines, no sunglasses, stretched poses and rose tinted glasses, its almost like a different group. And it kind of is.
ZZ in the 70's were young, hungry, focused, energetic and driven - all the time. After 1983, they were some of these things here and there, but never all of those things all of the time. It is truly a shame that more recordings from the 70's don't exist, yet we have literally 75 tapes from the Afterburner tour, which sounded the same year after year.
I would like for Billy, and Dusty and Frank, to be asked when was it the best time to be a member of ZZ Top. I'm willing to wager the high fame was good and all in its place, but the subsequent inevitable pressure and fall, and the fade into middle age and general obscurity, combined with ghosts of MTV and 120 bpm that are chained around your neck, tarnishes a good amount of your past.
I mean, ZZ was HUGE for a number of years, having one of the first albums to be noted as reaching platinum sales status - and then it all goes away. But the band is still here, 30 years later! Its crazy.
In the early days the band operated as a unit. It was Top + Ham, Pearly, a van, and word of mouth. Damn I bet it was fun. Look at the pictures, look how much fun their having. I can't see the fun as much with those sunglasses on. I'm not looking at you when there are lasers in my eyes. And then when the lasers go away and you stop doing Paula Abdul dance moves long enough for me to see, your older, slower, unfocused, lost, tepid, and confused. Gone are the roadtrips, gone is the unit, gone is the excitment, gone is the van.
ZZ Top were a rock n' roll band in the 1970's. When they were young.
ZZ in the 70's were young, hungry, focused, energetic and driven - all the time. After 1983, they were some of these things here and there, but never all of those things all of the time. It is truly a shame that more recordings from the 70's don't exist, yet we have literally 75 tapes from the Afterburner tour, which sounded the same year after year.
I would like for Billy, and Dusty and Frank, to be asked when was it the best time to be a member of ZZ Top. I'm willing to wager the high fame was good and all in its place, but the subsequent inevitable pressure and fall, and the fade into middle age and general obscurity, combined with ghosts of MTV and 120 bpm that are chained around your neck, tarnishes a good amount of your past.
I mean, ZZ was HUGE for a number of years, having one of the first albums to be noted as reaching platinum sales status - and then it all goes away. But the band is still here, 30 years later! Its crazy.
In the early days the band operated as a unit. It was Top + Ham, Pearly, a van, and word of mouth. Damn I bet it was fun. Look at the pictures, look how much fun their having. I can't see the fun as much with those sunglasses on. I'm not looking at you when there are lasers in my eyes. And then when the lasers go away and you stop doing Paula Abdul dance moves long enough for me to see, your older, slower, unfocused, lost, tepid, and confused. Gone are the roadtrips, gone is the unit, gone is the excitment, gone is the van.
ZZ Top were a rock n' roll band in the 1970's. When they were young.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Garth Brooks sang about the....
....Rodeo.
Appears that the full Houston Rodeo 2013 music lineup will be announced this upcoming Monday (01/07/13). I'm gonna guess there is a 40% chance ZZ will play.
Good looking out Senor...
Appears that the full Houston Rodeo 2013 music lineup will be announced this upcoming Monday (01/07/13). I'm gonna guess there is a 40% chance ZZ will play.
Good looking out Senor...
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Much Ado About Stuff
Well, as is the usual developments for 2013 are already forming. An Australian tour with GnR, a European tour and a handful of US dates have already been announced. They are playing Sturgis again I believe; the show they played there in 1993 really was an amazing event. The rare songs (two of which have never been played anywhere else) and old chestnuts they broke out really were amazing. They went back a few years ago and didn't do crap. Lets hope the surprise of new songs in the set list this year repeats itself in the New Year.
As previously mentioned Billy is also playing with Moving Sidewalks in NY, and it appears a mini tour is likely. Plus he wants to work on his new solo LP. Billy has also been playing live with other bands all month. I don't understand - what did he do with his free time back when Bill Ham wouldn't let them play with anybody else.
Speaking of the old days, does anybody miss the mystery about ZZ that Ham used to encourage and enforce? I actually kind of do. Now when the band does dumb stuff it's just frustrating. Back in the day you just had to wonder and never could know the answer. Does that make sense? It was also more about the music back when Ham was in charge, now there appears to be little direction, with little purpose and no endgame. Kind of like a ship with no rudder. But I digress...
As previously mentioned Billy is also playing with Moving Sidewalks in NY, and it appears a mini tour is likely. Plus he wants to work on his new solo LP. Billy has also been playing live with other bands all month. I don't understand - what did he do with his free time back when Bill Ham wouldn't let them play with anybody else.
Speaking of the old days, does anybody miss the mystery about ZZ that Ham used to encourage and enforce? I actually kind of do. Now when the band does dumb stuff it's just frustrating. Back in the day you just had to wonder and never could know the answer. Does that make sense? It was also more about the music back when Ham was in charge, now there appears to be little direction, with little purpose and no endgame. Kind of like a ship with no rudder. But I digress...
Monday, December 17, 2012
Static...Transmission
Picking up something on the Antenna from Senor Volto:
---
"I've Lost My Friends"
Rodeo 2013
Moving Sidewalks!! Not
just a one-off show?
---
"I've Lost My Friends"
So ZZ Top was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame recently. Each band member was given an award, but Dusty
was the only one there from ZZ to accept an award. My first thought was that it would have been
nice to see the others there with the Dust, but BFG has been everywhere, and
Frank seems to prefer to be out of the spotlight. Maybe Dust walked out on stage, and upon
realizing he was alone for the first time quoted the famous line “I've lost my friends". On second thought, maybe it’s
nice to let the Dust grab center stage for a change.
With a great new album and a recharged live setlist, ZZ top
should continue to ride the wave of success into 2013. There’s no other better way to keep it going
than the play the Houston Rodeo for the second straight year. With no facts to support this, I will predict
that ZZ will play the Rodeo on Monday, 04 March.
Even if ZZ plays the Rodeo, the surprise reunion of the Moving
Sidewalks in March 2013 proves to be a very interesting diversion. We know all about Billy’s ever sharp musical
chops, but have the others been playing?
I have to imagine they will rehearse for this show. Also, Elwood mentioned “gigs” on his Facebook
page - it was either a typo, or this won’t be the only chance to see the
Sidewalks. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Sidewalks in Motion
Appears that the Moving Sidewalks will be playing their first gig in 40 some odd years. Thinking I might have to check this out...
http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=2388
http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=2388
Saturday, December 1, 2012
2012 Year In Review
And what a good year it was....
2012 Highlights -
1) A new album!!! Who would have thought?! "La Futura" proved to be mostly worth the wait, with high quality ZZ sounds and spaces coming through your speakers. Make sure to get the vinyl copy, which has a more forgiving and more dynamic mastering. Gotta get the two extra tracks too, whether through Best Buy or alternative means. Only disappointment was a lack of more songs - nine years for 12 songs can be a little frustrating. But Billy has hinted there is more in the can - hopefully Rubin can maintain some semblance of normalcy and work with Billy to get these additional tracks out in some form or another.
2) A new live setlist. Thank you, thank you, thank you for dropping "Cheap Sunglasses". The additions of "Thank You", "Heaven, Hell or Houston", Vincent Price Blues", "Stages", "Beer Drinker", "25 Lighters", "Chartreuse" and "Mississippi", as well as "Thunderbird" in Europe, made this a year to remember. Let's hope more changes come into play next year. I once was, and always will be, a "Fool For Your Stockings"...
3) Interviews. Billy and Dusty made a point to speak their mind each year, and even if Billy does essentially take forever to say nothing, it's still nice to here the Boyzz speak...
4) Awards. The band received multiple accolades this year, all well deserved for what is now one of America's iconic rock bands.
2012 Lowlights -
1) Dusty's voice. No use in beating around the bush, he is having trouble. His once broad and forceful range is long gone. I know, I know, he's 63. The only person on the planet who sounds the same in his sixties as he did in his twenties is Steven Tyler. Many, like Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Bob Seger all have lost their signature instrument, but Dusty's decline is unique, both due to its late onset (the past three years or so) and its rapid pace (huge change from 2009 to 2012). It may be time for him to take a year off and focus on his health. I know he loves the road and all, but if you want to keep doing this into your seventies you gotta give yourself a break.
2) Linear drumming. As I recently commented to a fellow Top fan and friend, to each his own, it's none of my business. But taking up chain smoking again in your fifties is never a good choice if you want to have energy and stamina to partake in your lifelong passion. It's a little hard to watch, and two drum fills a night is not indicative of the skills and precision that lie within. Another reason to take a year off and focus on health.
Predictions for 2013 are not due until January. And a few shows have already been booked for next year (no Rodeo yet), but it would be good if Billy continued his relentless pursuit of weird and worked on his solo album while his fellow band mates took a well deserved 365 day sabbatical.
2012 Highlights -
1) A new album!!! Who would have thought?! "La Futura" proved to be mostly worth the wait, with high quality ZZ sounds and spaces coming through your speakers. Make sure to get the vinyl copy, which has a more forgiving and more dynamic mastering. Gotta get the two extra tracks too, whether through Best Buy or alternative means. Only disappointment was a lack of more songs - nine years for 12 songs can be a little frustrating. But Billy has hinted there is more in the can - hopefully Rubin can maintain some semblance of normalcy and work with Billy to get these additional tracks out in some form or another.
2) A new live setlist. Thank you, thank you, thank you for dropping "Cheap Sunglasses". The additions of "Thank You", "Heaven, Hell or Houston", Vincent Price Blues", "Stages", "Beer Drinker", "25 Lighters", "Chartreuse" and "Mississippi", as well as "Thunderbird" in Europe, made this a year to remember. Let's hope more changes come into play next year. I once was, and always will be, a "Fool For Your Stockings"...
3) Interviews. Billy and Dusty made a point to speak their mind each year, and even if Billy does essentially take forever to say nothing, it's still nice to here the Boyzz speak...
4) Awards. The band received multiple accolades this year, all well deserved for what is now one of America's iconic rock bands.
2012 Lowlights -
1) Dusty's voice. No use in beating around the bush, he is having trouble. His once broad and forceful range is long gone. I know, I know, he's 63. The only person on the planet who sounds the same in his sixties as he did in his twenties is Steven Tyler. Many, like Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Bob Seger all have lost their signature instrument, but Dusty's decline is unique, both due to its late onset (the past three years or so) and its rapid pace (huge change from 2009 to 2012). It may be time for him to take a year off and focus on his health. I know he loves the road and all, but if you want to keep doing this into your seventies you gotta give yourself a break.
2) Linear drumming. As I recently commented to a fellow Top fan and friend, to each his own, it's none of my business. But taking up chain smoking again in your fifties is never a good choice if you want to have energy and stamina to partake in your lifelong passion. It's a little hard to watch, and two drum fills a night is not indicative of the skills and precision that lie within. Another reason to take a year off and focus on health.
Predictions for 2013 are not due until January. And a few shows have already been booked for next year (no Rodeo yet), but it would be good if Billy continued his relentless pursuit of weird and worked on his solo album while his fellow band mates took a well deserved 365 day sabbatical.
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