Tres Hombres

Soon as this album gets going you're thrown into the soundscape of some musty hard rock pool hall complete with a few biker guys, cigarette smoke, and a well used jukebox providing the cohesive glue of American blues rhythm of ZZ Top that pulls it all together. By the time you're three tracks in, you're already riding a motorcycle, and your beard is long enough to get caught on the zipper of your leather jacket. A pillar hard rock crafted from blues and the precursor to a sound that would be further explored by bands AC/DC, Motorhead, and Mötley Crüe; ZZ Top's first top ten album delivers on the American Harley dream. Tracks like Waitin' for the Bus,Jesus Just Left Chicago, and of course La Grange utilize the guitar fueled yet ever steady rhythm that is synonymous with throwing on your shades and riding out into the horizon. While these a bit homogenous in the delivery of this type of sound over the course of the album, frequent and sporadic guitar flourishes keep things interesting as you ride along the introspective vibe of wandering the country or getting access to that whorehouse in Texas or simply waiting around for the bus for too damned long. This tale of wanderlust expands beyond waiting for busses and covers other locations in Jesus just Left Chicago and even some out of country locations in Shiek. The track Master Of Sparks stood out to me with interesting time changes throughout the song compared to what I had heard up until it, which was a nice surprise. Sheik also ends with with a bit of a psychedelic outro which also spoke to me thorugh my favorite genre. Very cool. In the end though, La Grange is where it's at, and to be honest, if you've heard just that, then you've heard a decent amount of the album. Favorite Track: La Grange Honorable Mention: Master of Sparks

This is what every bar band thinks they sound like.

This is a great record, honestly. It only gets docked a star because it's not ALL great. Just MOSTLY great. But the songs that are great are REALLY great. "Waitin' For The Bus," "Jesus Just Left Chicago," and, of course, "La Grange" are just ... man. So good.

When I was in high school, I traded an old trumpet for a really, really shitty drum set with a kid who lived down the way. See, he wasn't enjoying the drums, and I always wanted to learn how to play. He wanted to try the trumpet, and I wasn't using this one. Fair trade. He never learned how to play the trumpet, but I ended up practicing that shit set around the clock. Out of sheer force of will, I became pretty good. My pals wanted to do some cover tunes at the talent show, and I asked to be the drummer. I played along with the songs they picked until I could do a passable job. When we took the stage, I was so nervous I thought I would throw up, but the moment I started playing, I lost all of my anxiety in the music. When the audience started dancing during out little four-song set, I was over the moon. One of the best moments of my life. La Grange was one of those songs. One of the first tunes I ever learned how to play. I know I'm no Frank Beard, but dammit, I kept playing until I went semi-pro in university. I still play, much more rusty than I used to be, but I will always have a place in my heart for La Grange and ZZ Top.

That was alright. Not bad, not great.

Straight forward, unpretentious, beardy blues rock. Enjoyable for what it is, but not pushing any boundaries. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: La Grange Date listened: 04/08/22

where are they even finding these albums ?!

ZZ Top is Texas Rock. This album gives groovy blues & touches of early metal. I've always loved La Grange, and Beer Drinkers & He'll Raisers is classic metal - who would've thought they could rock this hard? I'm glad I'm finally listening to a ZZ Top album in its entirety. Being born & raised in TX, this band reminds me of home. They've got some heat in this album - if someone were to ask what the Lone Star state sounds like, I'd play this album. Gonna listen to their entire discography thanks to this challenge.

Few albums kick this much ass. Almost a precursor to metal in some ways, this is HARD hard rock that deserves to be played on a windows down kinda day. If I could give half ratings, I would. Only four and half because of a few duds that drag on first listen, but probably hold up on more. STANDOUTS: -Waitin’ for the Bus -Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers -Move Me On Down the Line -Precious and Grace -La Grange -Sheik

Tres Hombres by ZZ Top (1973) Unapologetically grungy, grimy, greasy, and grotesque, Tres Hombres is philosophically shallow, poetically stunted, theologically unsophisticated, and entertainingly nasty. Posing as a group of hard living country-proletarian party boys with a complete lack of self awareness, ZZ Top speeds us down a Texas two-lane in pursuit of the baser passions, all the while keeping a nervous eye in the rear view mirror for any sign of the transcendent. There’s a lot of heaven, hell, and mercy in the midst of death defying recklessness (“Master of Sparks”—Hold my beer) and rollicking indulgence in the low range of even lower pleasures. This album is celebratory of the bright moments in the otherwise dull lives of barely employed lower middle class American males (i.e., “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”). There’s virtually no reference to love or romance (none at all if one thinks that “Precious and Grace” refers to something other than a couple of chicks—and one might well be right). Furthermore, one could ask how appropriate it is to appeal to Divine Mercy for a speedier trip home on public transport “with my brown paper bag and my take home pay” (“Have Mercy”). Perhaps a better mercy would be for an increase in the virtue of patience, but at least the listener can relate. However: Drummer Frank Beard (the only member of the trio who’s generally pictured without one) is wildly dynamic, yet precise. Bassist Dusty Hill (d. 7/28/21, R.I.P.) clearly mastered the art of doubling the groove of the electric rhythm guitar, while deftly negotiating the volatile relationship between drums and melody. And guitarist Billy Gibbons excels in both rhythm and lead passages. It’s hard to imagine how only three musicians can produce so much quality sound. So what we have here is an exquisite and highly relatable musical and lyrical expression of the dissipated life—well worth the listen, and rising to level of art (kind of like, in its day, Bizet’s Carmen or Puccini’s La Bohème, without the plot or tragic resolution). In “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, we hear a prayerful enough petition to join our Savior in his incarnate embrace of everything he created, all the way to (of all places) New Orleans. “You may not see Him in person, but He’ll see you just the same. You don’t have to worry, ‘Cause takin’ care of business is His name.” (Did I say this album was theologically unsophisticated? Maybe I’ll rethink that.) But the highlight of the album, of course, is the seductive, understated, and growly advertisement for the famous cathouse outside of “La Grange”. (It’s only a “rumor”, but “you what I’m talkin’ about”.) Now, intros come and intros go, but the first 37 seconds of this track are historic. We’re gonna need a bigger set of speakers. The sly reluctance in the lyric to be more explicit might be designed to enable the quasi-pimp to avoid the law, but it’s also designed for ZZ Top to avoid the opprobrium of the American Family Association (or, more likely, disc jockeys and the FCC). But now, I might be mistaken (A-haw haw haw-haw). 4/5

Love this album, and ZZ Top is always a fun listen. Billy Gibbons is fantastic as always, Dusty Hill is so solid, and Frank Beard lays it down nicely. Just three guys playing some groovin' bluesy rock. Still sounds great fifty-ish years later.

I’m more of a man after having listened to this

My first album from the generator. An absolute classic right out the gate. I've owned this for decades, always loved the greasy Mexican food pic on the inner gatefold. Tons of blues, swagger and groove. This will always be a 5 star album.

I love blues but this was a bit so-so

I need a motorcycle

Everything about this album connects with me to the marrow of my being. The songs are superlative but as a collection taken as a whole they come alive with a tight, greasy vibe unmatched in the ZZ Top catalogue - and much elsewhere. Nobody did this kind of twisted, rolling Tejano rhythm and blues better. Have mercy!

I love the vibe of it, and as much as I’ll be saying those six words—I truly dig the way it makes me feel like I’m cool doing something that most likely isn’t.

There's a lot of character to these tracks, pleasantly surprised I didn't hate my time with this album.

As a teen in the 80s it was impossible to avoid Zed Zed Top in their highly successful if not overly commercial era (MTV videos in heavy rotation). Wasn't bad, wasn't my taste. Just there. I was aware of a handful of their older tunes through radio but never thought about them. At the time I remember working a restaurant job late one night on cleanup and one of the older guys blasted this album while we worked and I was pretty surprised "Jesus Just Left Chicago" was the same band that did "Legs" - almost a 180degree turn in production as this album is super dry, simple guitars/bass/drums and barely a hint of reverb anywhere. While southern-tinged bluesy rock isn't something I really reach for, this is a fun album and definitely has a sound and place.

Solid American bluesy rock and roll here. It flags a bit with Move it down the line which includes cliched riffs and lyrics like “big wheels keep on turning” 🙄 but its saved by the excellent single La Grange with the signature ZZ Top geetar sound. I like how they mixed up the tempo and mood with Sheik also.

Pedestrian Dad Rock

Get me a beer and a ciggie immediately. Such a perfectly simple but supremely cool album title to go with such simple and supremely cool set of songs. Love how loose the live version of La Grange is.

Raw, gritty, old school Texas blues and hard rock. Led by one of the greatest guitarists to ever do it, Billy Gibbons. If you play electric guitar, you need to hear this album.

Despite their great 80s albuns this is still the best ZZ top album as it contains Waiting for the Bus.

Awesome album. Watertight rhythm section and expertly executed guitar lines that cut like laser. Stunning.

I actually own this album on vinyl. Every track is exactly what you want from ZZ Top. Great guitar work and the opening three tracks are just a perfect album lead in.

perhaps the most honest, down-to-earth and bone-dry work of the three-headed blues monster from texas. ok, maybe deguello can keep up with that

This bluesy rock really hit the spot today. Effortless to listen to, chugs along in classic fashion. Feels kind of dirty, in the literal mud/grit/hard work sense of the word, and I appreciate that.

Just plain old good fun. No track on here was skippable, it was just damn good guitar right after another.

Southern boogie rock with a touch of blues, what more could you ask for! They swing and the album has a variety of styles that precludes boredom. good voices, some wicked playing although a bit lead guitar heavy sometimes, but then this was the era of the lead guitar and it never becomes indulgent. Great album and I will listen again.

Didn’t even realise it had finished and started playing again from the start, says it all

Couldn't really get into it, sounded quite samey very quickly. La Grange was a good song, though.

Not bad, but rather forgettable. Nothing interesting is going on here. I'll give ZZ Top the benefit of the doubt, give 'em an excuse, and say it just hasn't aged well and leave it at that...

Gonna be a 5 baby

One of the top 3 by these guys. Will never get old for me.

Loved the fuzzy guitar sounds. It's funky but also hard rocky, and the combination interests me a lot more than I expected.

Near flawless in its simplicity. You aren't getting much unexpected, though multiple solos involve pushing a guitar just to the edge of listenable. The trio gets their slow cuts in without breaking up the listening experience with a sudden mood change.

I know several ZZ Top songs, but only one of them is on this album, so I'm excited to listen to their other material. What a crisp version of blues-rock music. Great guitar soloing, solid grooves, the drumwork adds so much. Track uniqueness surprised me, not every song follows the typical blues chord pattern. Best track: had to be 'La Grange'

A solid bluesy 70s rock album

Simple good bluezy fun with good riffs but nothing daring or experimental here. And it doesn't need to be.

ZZ Top's first album recorded in a real studio, and the quality shows. They had clearly been gigging like crazy over the previous few years, and so this unfussy recording really shows off what a tight live unit they were. And they had material that really shows off their southern swamp boogies meets Texas blues at its best. Is it groundbreaking? Not really, but it is best-in-class for this type of thing. Short, sharp and to the point, with no wasted time or filler, this is a catchy and highly listenable boogie album. La Grange still sparks a pavlovian need in me to play the Getaway pinball.

Great blues driven rock and roll. Some filler, but the rest were killer.

Back in the early 70s, ZZ Top was basically a Texan version of Rush.

Classic era Z Z Top, with the glorious fat guitar sound, deep rooted in the blues. Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers - some of their trademark sly wit in there. La Grange is one of the all-time great grooves. Lovely gospel vibe on Have You Heard.

Was expecting a few short embers of enjoyment, but that was really good. Knew of them, but hadn’t hear much - if any- of their music. Toight

Some of the best biker bar music there is. Love the sound of this album, it's hard, fast, and yet still has a comfortable blues/southern rock sound that is endlessly listenable

One of the best 1-2 openers ever. If you were raised on the MTV version of the band, this album was a revelation. It's a shame "La Grange" is so overplayed, because when you revisit it after 5 or 10 years, it's really good.

"The Grange" is by far the best song on this album. The rest is unfortunately forgettable. I liked it, don't get me wrong, it's just not the best these guys have created.

I mean, La Grange. One of those tunes where by the end you have turned your stereo all the way up to 11. But then you add Jesus Just Left Chicago and not too many missteps in between and you've got a very solid album here that even haters of the genre have to respect. Perfect title and album cover. Between the two you know exactly what this is going to sound like before you drop the needle. Great sequencing from the jump, too, though too many tunes end with a (cowardly) fadeout. One of the Delightful Facts of Rock N Roll That Prove it is Heaven Sent is that the only member of this band who didn't eventually become known for his legendary beard is named...Frank Beard.

This version of ZZ Top is one hundred thousand times better than the version of ZZ Top that put out Eliminator. It’s been scientifically proven.

Tres Hombres I have listened to this a few times in the past, as one of my colleagues loves this album and always recommends it, and also because La Grange is a great track, but I think I found it a little underwhelming. Listening through a few times today it’s better than I remember, but I don’t think it fully catches fire, being divided by good southern/boogie/blues rock tracks and less good but fine southern/boogie/blues rock tracks. Waitin’ for the bus is one of the good tracks, I like the riff, but the segue into Jesus Just Left Chicago improves it, as Jesus Just Left Chicago is probably the standout track alongside La Grange, a kind of moody, atmospheric, r&b slow march, and the two songs work well side by side. Master of Sparks is the next of the good tracks, the rhythm/drum pattern is great, kind of jumping around a bit making it feel slightly off kilter and uneasy. Move Me on Down the Line is a nice bit of propulsive blues, a good driving song on a sunny day. And La Grange of course is excellent, an irresistible bit of 70s boogie. Sheik also stands with as a slightly different feel, the same bluesiness but with a slight psychedelic edge, it almost sounds like a 80s new wave track. I do like this type of music, but I do think it’s probably more of a various artists genre than an individual artist’s album genre. Jesus Just Left Chicago and La Grange are perfect boogie/southern/blues/driving playlist tracks, and there are other tracks that would work well in that context, but as an entire album I do feel the lack of variety dragged a little. Still its a solid, unpretentious listen, which makes it a solid 3. ZZ🔝 ZZ🔝 ZZ🔝 Playlist submission: Jesus Just Left Chicago

Background blues.

Tres estrellas. (Couldn’t resist it)

Heard Before? Yes, borrowed from my uncle during my blues phase when I was twelve. Notes: - did you know they are from Texas? - why is the bass so loud? i don't know but i don't mind. - simple, clear arrangements showcase the weak, derivative vocals. - more range than i expected. contains every kind of song that one could reasonably expect to hear in a 70s biker bar. - I'm clearly not the target audience for this. I've never drank beer or raised hell (mostly read books and made music). - "Master of Sparks" jumps out at me for it's story and the ghostly guitar line during the verse. Verdict: Great soundtrack for polishing one's Honda Gold Wing. Listen Again: No, but it was amusing enough this time.

Though this marks the inception and commercial success of Texas Boogie, and therefore is a pivotal moment in history, the album itself is uneven. It's pretty obvious which tracks contributed to the signature sound of ZZ Top years later because those are the only good ones, and it's not many. Some good guitar solos and riffs along the way, though. On the other hand, Frank Beard is an incredible drummer and doesn't get enough credit for his blues shuffles, funky grooves, and overall tasteful playing.

The beards are more impressibe than the songs

2/5. La Grange is great. I didn't care much for LA Grange pts 2 through 13.

Music for a blue collar bar in a suburban strip mall. Hot, Blue and Righteous stands out as a sweet song to end side A on an otherwise greasy collection.

enchiladas

ABSOLUTELY CRAZY story behind this one. So I randomly decided to listen to this album in the morning, and then later in the day I opened this site and lo and behold my album for the day is Tres Hombres!! I couldn’t believe it! And THEN, I went to my 1001 albums book and flipped right to the Tres Hombres page!! What a wild sequence of coincidences. Oh and the album is a masterpiece.

Me gusta mucho la onda de la banda, las letras están buenas y las guitarras suenan con presencia. Le meten sentimiento. Fusionando voces y guitarras qué en algunos casos parecen alaridos. Los temas que más me gustaron Precious and Grace, Shiek y Have your head?

La verdad sorprendente, es una música que me lleva a los 90 siendo de los 70, se escucha increíble de verdad. No me gusta la musica country pero si ese rock blues estilo bien pesado texano me encanta. la musicalidad es impresionante, me da mucho a una escena de una pelea de alguna película yanquee donde se arma tremendos tumultos y vuelan sillas y mesas tipo del crepúsculo al amanecer de Tarantino o esa escena típica de ruta 66 de un motoquero fumando en una harley todo curtido yendo al algún bar de mala muerte. Top Picks 🌟 1- Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers 2- La Grange 3- Hot, Blue & Righteous

No-skip album. I feel like this is exactly what most white blues-rock bands are trying to sound like, but rarely do. My little brother's favourite album at age 5

Great riffs, great groove, and pure attitude. Billy Gibbons’ guitar work is incredible from start to finish.

1. "Waitin' for the Bus" 2. "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" 3. "Master of Sparks"

Having fun with this one while WFH. :) Instruments are the main character. Groovy guitar

great album and some unbelievably brilliant guitar.

Fucking brilliant. Sounds like a scruffy, dingy dive bar. This rocks.

Loved it!!

It's an awesome album. I've been listening it to for 40+ years, and it still satisfies. Reading the less enthusiastic reviews, I sort of get where they're coming from, but ... I jst don't agree. Tres Hombres is the peak of ZZTop and Texas Boogie albums. Every track is a banger, and the guys just mesh together like a well oiled gearbox.

Tres Hombres is ZZ Top before they became the slick MTV dance-rock version of themselves, and honestly that’s the best era. The whole album just grooves, loose, dirty, confident blues rock without trying too hard. ZZ Top had swing and personality. “Waitin’ for the Bus” into “Jesus Just Left Chicago” is ridiculously cool, and even overplayed stuff like “La Grange” still earns its hype. Rio Grande Mud has that same raw Texas feel, while La Futura surprisingly proved decades later they could still tap back into that stripped-down magic.

#387 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ This is my most listened ZZ Top album of all time. Songs off this album have been on my DJ playlists for decades. They've even been on my Last.fm lists for over 20 years now. Their southern boogie style of bluesy rock is infectious and it's incredible how full their sound is with just three instruments, if you don't count the vocals. Beer drinkers and hell raisers all right! Hard 5/5

Some of the best, from Houston, Texas!! I got to Texas just in time to see them grow into the huge success that they are. Missed seeing them in the really small places, like in Conroe .... But have seen them a few times and ALWAYS enjoy the show. Have mercy, Haw, haw haw haw!

Groovy.

very fucking nice, got me into a new genre of music

Very nice, exactly what I was in the mood for!

An absolute burner of a Blues Rock album and my favorite by Billy and the Boys. Starts out smoking and never stops.

don't mess with texas

muy bueno

Best ZZ Top album there is. Hard driving blues rock, mixed with a bit of soul. Couldn't recommend more, essential Top album.

My guys

A great album. It’s been a long time since I listened to it all the way through. It really makes me want to pull my Harley out of the garage and add the roar of the engine to this soundtrack. 5/5

Solid rock album, timeless

Pr. Hombro.

Me encantó, guardé todo el álbum en mis liked songs

Great album, tremendous

How have I never heard this? Late to the party.

Solid album!

Another good one

Tres hombres, cinco estrellas. Unless a certain Rory is involved, there is no better blues rock. Iconic sounds, tight songs and loose charisma to the extreme. Epic gatefold! Favourite tracks: Jesus Just Left Chicago, Waiting for the Bus, Beer Drinkers, Move Me On Down The Line, La Grange

This is a subtle one. It isn't that flashy or innovative, but there's a vibe here from start to finish that these guys delivered very well. A great pub record for sure.

When I reviewed Eliminator I believe I said the album was the Eric Claptonification of the ZZ Top sound and sounded like "canned blues." That is not the case with Tres Hombres. While I did enjoy songs on Eliminator, what I am hearing on Tres Hombres is more of the ZZ Top sound that I am accustomed to hearing and what I would probably like to hear. This is not canned blues and there is no Eric Claptification here. I have never been a huge ZZ Top fan and there music has always been just "there" for me. I really enjoyed this album though. What separates this one out is the songwriting is very good and the sound is much more varied than one would expect having just heard their hits. I loved how Waitin' for the Bus and Jesus Just Left Chicago bled into each other, regardless of whether that was intentional or was a mistake, it worked. My favorite songs: Waitin' for the Bus Jesus Just Left Chicago Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers Hot, Blue and Righteous Move Me on Down the Line La Grange Sheik

My dad took me to see ZZ Top live in the late 90s. My dad loved that the only one without a long beard is named Frank Beard. It was an amazing show! I love the way he laughs in La Grange. Overall, great album.

Love love love ZZ top. Their blues sound is amazing.

H town on top! Awesome from start to finish

🤘🏻

I grew up in a period when a Correct Reading to the way Rock unfoled from 1966-1976. The Reading posited that the wide-open heart of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band gave way to the second British Invasion--Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Sabbath, etc-- that paralleled the political tumult of the era, as it wrestled with Viet Nam and American adventurism. All you need is love passed through the gritty working class and on to the birth of arena rock and heavy metal. Cocaine and heroin, and guns... Sly holed up in his bunker, re-recording his album and getting increasingly paranoid, high all the time. And alongside that Reading, there was a lively right-wing reaction to the hippies--Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers. Others I don't know about. This made for lots of conflict, and was certainly part of the fuel for the deaths at Altamont. And then there was ZZ Top. From Texas, and definitely bar rockers. But somehow they refused to take sides--"shut up and sing". That whole Reading meant a great deal to me, growing up in the 70s/80s, as I followed the boys of my generation in saluting Rock, and the aforementioned Reading, as the true music, and spitting on Disco and all it represented. So, on to the album! Direct steals from Muddy Waters--but Muddy Waters was big enough to handle that. Bar band par excellence! And then there's La Grange. Just Plain Holy FUCK that is a song that forces me to dance.

Great hard blues album, as good as the day it was recorded.

Excellent

Driving rhythms and meaty guitars; what's not to like?! La Grange is the obvious highlight, but it's solid throughout (maybe with the exception of the ballad in the middle, although the change of pace is welcome) - especially those opening 3 tracks. The live versions on the extended edition are great too.