ZZ Top Album: “Zz Top's First Album”

As part of an attempt to capitalize on the success of their Eliminator sound, ZZ Top decided to go back into the studio and remix and also re-record parts of their first 6 albums thinking it would make them more money and entice fans of their newer sound to go back and buy their earlier records. Well guess what, in the process their older fans who were used to the original versions on the old cassettes and albums were shocked when they listened to any of these first generation CD releases. They heard bogus reverbed drums, and entire sections of both music and vocals re-recorded. Talk about tarnishing the legacy of a great band's output. Well someone finally wised up and now at least Tres Hombres and Fandango are now available in original mix, remastered form. So stay away from this trash and wait for the entire back catalog to be released in it's original mix, remastered form on CD.

I am a recording engineer and sound mixer. I grew up in Texas, listening to and watching ZZ Top. The first two ZZ Top albums were released on vinyl records. Tres Hombres was the first to be released on Compact Disc. When the inevitable popularity of the CD overtook the market, Bill Ham thought it would be a great idea to release the first six albums on CD, which they affectionately called the "six pack." While remastering this compilation, somebody (who knows, but who controlled all of ZZ Top's musical movements??) got the bright idea to re-edit, reproduce, re-arrange and remix the first three albums. At the time, there was a new device in the studios that was known as a "digital echo" device for adding reverb and delay textures to sounds. Most notably, Phil Collins was using this echo device to enhance his drum sounds. ZZ Top's producer (you know who) decided it was the way to go as well, that the new sounds would attract the day's "new audience." The echo and reverb patterns on the "six pack" were so much bigger and wetter than on the original first three albums. Then I started to notice that there were different vocal performances and different guitar riffs in a few places. Talk about re-arranging an original! At a later time, the reproduced versions released on the "six pack" were then released on individual CD's which contain the original artwork of the first three albums. However, they are definitely NOT the original recordings. This process is much like Jimi Hendrix's producer, who went into the studio after Hendrix died and actually hired a player to finish the guitar work on recordings that were incomplete when Hendrix died. Those recordings were subsequently released as "Hendrix's final unrealeased recordings." Suffice it to say, that if the world's art museums decided that certain Rembrandt or DaVinci paintings looked "faded" or weren't "up to date with today's audience," and they repainted certain brush strokes on these masterpieces, the world art community would have a cow! Don't buy these CD's, they are not ORIGINAL works. They have been repainted to fit what someone thought would be a new and "catchy" idea.

For anyone who is interested, the vinyl version of this album is available here at Amazon, as well as the cassette version. I would recommend going either route instead of the CD version, since, to this day, the only version of ZZ Top's First Album is still the late eighties remastered version that appeared on the ZZ Top Six Pack set (AKA The ZZ Top Sucks Pack, by me, ever since I purchased it in 1992.)

Although Rhino has re-remastered two albums from the sucks pack (Fandango and Tres Hombres) making them sound fantasticly like the original releases, the other four still are completely void of any musical emotion whatsoever, reminicent of the awful Recycler album. This is because the albums were completely remixed in the late eighties to make them sound like albums recorded in the late eighties (ugh, wasn't that rocks worst period ever!?... the answer is yes.)

With amazing imagery, and a unique sound all its own, the vinyl version of ZZ's First is the type of record that makes the turntable bounce from side to side when you drop the needle. However, the CD version won't make your CD player do a god damned thing. At least not until Rhino does something to correct this. Great lyrics like "She was a sleazy mess in her beat up dress..." or "If her lovin' don't kill me, I know her husband will..." are wasted on that silver peice of plastic. SO the black wax is definately the way to go. Although the release date on it says 1990 here at Amazon. Maybe you should check out a used record store, or a yardsale instead, just to be safe.

This was the third ZZ Top album I purchased, the first 2 being Afterburner and Eliminator. After listening to this bluesy background of ZZ Top, I decided to get more of their older 70's albums. Why? THIS STUFF WAS AWESOME. Throughout all 10 tracks (well, besides a couple songs) this album blew me away

1. (Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree

Great start to a great album. Gibbons sounds great on the guitar. This really is one of the better lead-off songs I've heard, aside from Van Halen's "1984" and ZZ Top's own "Gimme All Your Lovin'" 5/5

2. Brown Sugar

Enough said, this was really one of ZZ Top's greatest blues songs. Sure, "Rough Boy" was great, but this song was just the kind of "raw" sound that really fueled this song. 5/5

3. Squank

Great song, but the lyrics are pretty weird. The guitar work combined with the drums went together great. This wasn't the song that blew my mind, but it was still fairly good. 4/5

4. Goin' Down to Mexico

Great song. Period. Sort of like ZZ Top's first rock song, it was still powered by blues, but at heart I believe that it was really a rock song. Not only that, the vocals go great together with the instruments. 5/5

5. Old Man

Great Blues song. After the rockin' song before it, this really brings you back to the blues. This is another 4/5 song because like "Squank", the lyrics are a little bizarre. 4/5

6. Neighbor, Neighbor

What else can I say but: this tried to be a rock song, but failed. I only give it 3/5 because of the guitar-drum combo. 3/5

7. Certified Blues

Certified what? Are you kiddin'? Certified is like "Brown Sugar" or "Backdoor Love Affair". Clever vocals, though. 3/5

8. Bedroom Thang

What a relief!!! After the previous two songs, I was ready to turn it off and only tolerate the first five, but this changed my opinion. Really a great song the way it all falls together. 4/5

9. Just Got Back From Baby's

After this song, I think it's safe to say that ZZ Top redeemed itself. This is what blues rock should be, just the perfect combo of awesome guitar and bluesy swing. 5/5

10. Backdoor Love Affair

Wow, what a great finish. This was probably the least regarded song on the whole album, not showing up on Chrome, Smoke and BBQ. This was a blues song with just the right dose of rock to make it a fantastic finish. 5/5

If you do end up buying this album, I hope you found my review helpful. : - )

This is the best ZZ Top record ever. The CD will eventually be released with proper sound. We just have to wait for the ivory tower of Warner Brothers to decree it !! Hope I live long enough !!!