ZZ Top

Listening to Rio Grande Mud, it's no wonder that Jimi Hendrix dubbed Billy Gibbons the best guitarist alive. From the insanely great riff that underpins "Just Got Paid Today" through the countless lead phrases that fill out every square inch of tape on this classic record, the man smokes. Drummer Frank Beard and bass player Dusty Hill are pretty good, too.

There are probably thousands of bands across the country like Z Z Top that remain
provincial favorites because they rarely play anywhere further than a few hundred miles
from home. So far, Z Z Top has confined major tours to its native Texas and neighboring
states in the South and Southwest. This in part explains why few listeners outside these
regions have heard or heard of Z Z Top, which is a shame, really, because its tw... More >

Significant that the only memorable song by (or from, rather) this no-organ Allmanesque trio--"Francene," a small but deserving hit--was not written by the principals. Let's just hope it isn't very significant. (Grade - C)