ZZ Top Album: “Rhythmeen [Bonus Track]”

That's what this CD is. And I mean that in a good way. The hardest ZZ Top album EVER, IMHO. Yeah, the lyrics are goofy, but they're been lame ever since Eliminator, for the most part. Focus on the sound... that grinding, distorted, blistering lead guitar sound on some great Texas blues melodies... I've played it over and over again, and I just don't get tired of this dirty little grease monkey.

I picked this album up the other day in the used CD bin for six bucks. I am a longtime ZZ fan, but not too fond of their post-Deguello work. I had heard a few cuts on this in the past, and thought I'd give it a chance. This album is really one of their better "new ZZ" records. This is a very back-to-basics recording, no sequencers and synths here. It sounds like they set up a couple of amps and a drum kit in the studio and just rolled the tape. Few if any overdubs, basic song structures. The best thing of course, is Reverend Billy G's AWESOME guitar tone. Almost every song uses a dropped low E string which really gives it that low, heavy, down & dirty blues-rock sound. Love that tremelo, too!

The only weakness of this album is the writing, a lot of the lyrics are just goofy as hell, but then most of ZZ's later stuff is that way anyhow.

Bottom line: great music, goofy songs, still not as good as their old stuff.

This is my favorite up to date ZZ Top album their dirty guitar picking, distorted sound, and their loud amps makes this ZZ Top album much better than XXX. I believe this was the first album that ZZ Top switched over to RCA the record label. I know the best songs on this album are Bang Bang which is really cool the vocals may have no meaning but man its all about the music!!!! I also love the blues songs included on this one Vincent Prince Blues is a great jam. Hummbucking, Part 2 has a really cool grove. The whole band including Dusty Hall, Frank Beard, and Billy F. Gibbons just rock their Rhythmeen!!!This is a must have ZZ Top album!!!!

Wow. Absolutely Amazing. This is where the goods are right here boy. This is dirty, "Mud Music". Like a freight train in a short skirt drivin through a sludge pond. Complete with grinding rhythms, wierd shrieks, and all the phlegmy gutteral moans you can chew, that'll have you checking the liner notes to see if what you heard was actually a word or not. It's a yummy mudpie.

"Rhythmeen"

According to Gibbons, this stands for "mean rhythm" and indicates the album's general mood! Great CD!! A must have!

Got the mojo workin' overtime!!!!!!!!!!! Bigtime........