Eliminator

Classic, but definitely not classy.

I’m having trouble describing how I feel about ZZ Top. For the most part I love their hits, and so Sharp Dressed Man and Gimme All Your Lovin’ were great listens, as always. I really don’t care for their slower songs, and this album has two of those, including the hit, Legs. The rest of their songs kind of feel like slightly less good clones of their hits, making this a pretty consistent record, I suppose. For me that was really frustrating. Listening to the deep cuts was king of like… listening to your favorite song on a radio station whose range you are on the very edge of, so you’re getting some static and maybe someone reading off baseball scores. It would be better to just change the station rather than try and listen in those circumstances. And so as I made my way through this album, I just found myself wanting to go back to the singles at the top of the record, or not listen to it at all. By the way, all their records are like this for me, and I hope another one doesn’t show up on here. The exception that proves the rule is their greatest hits, which is pure fire. As far as belonging on this list, it’s mf’ing ZZ Top. It’s worth pointing out that basically all of my favorite artists list Billy Gibbons as a massive influence to them, so for that I am grateful. My personal enjoyment: 3/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5

I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to this entire album while sitting and eating at a Hard Rock Cafe. During the song “I Need You Tonight “, I googled how long does it take to bleed out and die, this song was longer. Tempting. Guitar solo after guitar solo. I started to enjoy the ad pop ups and begged for longer ones toward the end of the album. TV dinner- Enchiladas. Never want to hear another ZZ Top song again. 1/10

Without doubt one of the worst albums i've ever heard, the musical and emotional range of a toddler on sherbet.

From the stark paranoid android landscape of OK Computer, we come to the party-time metronomic robot blues/pop of Eliminator. What a weird premise. Super processed guitars, thick sequencers, Frank Beard's syncopated quarter-note drumming, and blues-infused guitar producing some of the biggest hits of the '80s. Not to mention the entire album centers around Billy Gibbons' obsession with chasing (and catching) dirty women. But when it works, it's really good. The super-thick-slick sound is an accomplishment on its own, and when the riffs are good and the songs are solid, and Gibbons' incessant guitar work is flowing, this kills. But then there's the rest of the material. Some of the B-sides are just fine, but when Gibbon's sings "TV dinners, they're going to my head," it's really clear that the band is out of ideas. Where most of of the misogyny and adolescent lyrics are delivered with enough of a wink to excuse it as one big party, the weaker material makes the high points a lot less glossy. When this is great, it's a 4+, but the weaker material drags this down to a 3.14159265359...

ZZ Flop

this really sounds like music a sexually frustrated dad would listen to in his square body pickup in the late 80s

-S Tier- Gimme All Your Lovin’ Got Me Under Pressure Sharp Dressed Man -A Tier- I Need You Tonight -B Tier- Legs -C Tier- Thug Dirty Dog -D Tier- If I Could Only Flag Her Down Bad Girl -F Tier- TV Dinners AVG SCORE: 2.8 / 5 - - - I love ZZ Top up until right about…1983, and this album. It marked an evolutionary moment for the band. Their music, once bluesy and soulful, started leaning hard toward Pop Rock. And it wasn’t all bad. When you fire up Eliminator, you’re hit with some instant classics. But as the album wears on, you start to notice something: this shit is formulaic and hollow, and it all starts to sound the same. Sadly, I think it was a prophecy for the remaining life of ZZ Top. The band slowly degraded into some generic Rock trio, offering nothing of substance beyond a few cool music videos. Their sound would become over-processed. Their brand would become a caricature. And it all started with this forsaken album.

The music is far lower quality than La Grange, their first album , which was on 1001. Eliminator was made for and shows the impact of MTV. Good music was replaced with long beards, spinning guitars and enough hotties that you might think you were watching a 1980s beer commercial. On Spotify all that's left is the music. 

Cool. A 45-minute summation of why the 80s sucked. Good sound, misogynistic lyrics. Sharp-Dressed Man’s OK. Give Me All Your Lovin could have been a Huey Lewis song. I give this album one star and five lines of coke. P.S. ZZ Top's origin story is worth looking up. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/fake-zombies-zz-top/

This is a very good album, the story of how they dicked Linden Hudson really kind of sours it.

slick guitars, solid n consistent drums, fun and sometimes lame AF lyrics it's missing some heart in a few places... after awhile it gets quite repetitive and SUPER predictable. missing depth. on the upside it does make me wanna drive a muscle car with the hood down. pretty good on that front... not enough to save it tho fave songs : gimmie all your lovin', sharp dressed man, legs, least fave : I got the six would I listen again? no

Second album in a row that absolutely rips. The first few beats of the drum track that kicks off 'Gimme All Your Lovin'' is a free shot of dopamine every time. I think the songwriting is one point, the guitar playing is chewy, and Gibbons' rough voice contrasts wonderfully with the buzz and whoosh of the synths. They never really cracked it again properly, in my estimation - not totally - but as a synthesis of Texas boogie and new wave instrumentation, this was unique and never bettered.

I love Billy Gibbons (I was just listening to 'La Grange' the other day). He's an incredible guitarist, great vocalist, great songwriter, and a wonderful showman (in the most positive sense of the word). I do like this album and a lot of ZZ Top's work. When an artist (or anyone, really) is genuinely having fun at what they do, it's infectious. I lean more towards their more raw, "dirty blues" stuff because I do that generally when it comes to blues-based rock, but this is a fun album.

Big beards and synthesizers... ZZ Top were Shoreditch hipsters with Texan accents. All I knew about the boys was their look, I didn't expect them to be combining southern boogie with new wave. On the first side the mashup is seamless and contains all the singles I somehow already knew. After Legs it begins to wear on me, especially when they inadvisably slow the tempo down on TV Dinners (the single I didn't know, for good reason). A really welcome surprise of an album for me after a run of disappointing rock records on my feed. The not-as-old-as-they-looked dogs showed they had new tricks.

A guilty pleasure album for sure. Not a bad song on it, but the music isn't that great. It feels artificial somehow. I was very surprised to learn this was 80s music. It feels very 70s but with 80s production. I feel bad giving it a 3, but does it earn a 4? It's a 3.75.

I’m not sure that the type of music ZZ Top plays needs to be this slick and overproduced.

Really nice groove which is unfortunately fairly monotonous throughout. The vocals/lyrics were less discernable and thereby less abrasive than Van Halen. I don't think I'd return to this unless I was hosting a themed party or something.

These dudes were diabolically horny.

Top tier music for walking around on a sunny day, or driving while intoxicated

This is rock as it should be rocked. 5 stars, fantastic album.

Awesome album

It only heard one or two of the singles from this album and of course of my life. Now that I've heard the whole album I really get why the band was so popular. They're a pure driving rock band in a very defining way. I ended up listening to it twice today.

ZZ Top were a top tier band and this is a gnarly album, but it’s really a Billy Gibbons solo experiment - and a superb one - than a band record. Packed with chunky riffs and delightful, expressive guitar sketches, this is a joyful, fun record. Doesn’t feel right to compare it to “Très Hombres” et al, as they’re entirely different set-ups.

After so much insipid '80s rock recently it's a treat to get a decent example! Knew the singles and the ominous cover (evoking my library copy of "Christine") from the family Citroen console, if not the rest of the album. Perhaps my dad thought they sold out their blues'n'boogie roots for something more processed, discarding this in disappointment? More fool him, I enjoyed it a lot and salute it's place in this pantheon.

Fortunately I was up for a few guitar solos today, because I'm pretty sure that was 80% of the album.

Enjoyable but disposable 80s trash. Sometimes you just want a Big Mac, and that's fine, but 11 of them is a bit much. I'd say they rate comfortably below Brian Johnson AC/DC, but above 80s Aerosmith.

I expected to not really care about this one, and that ended up being the case for a lot of it - mostly in the first half. The guitar solos were what stood out to me the most, other than that I don't care for the hits and the rest didn't stand out much either. It just really seemed to drag. Thought I would have my first 2-star BUT something about the 2nd half of this album really seemed to pick up, and I was really enjoying it by the end. Just fun songs. I would probably even grab a vinyl copy so i can just play side B. I really liked it. And it does make me want to go back and see if I missed something in the first half. We'll see, but for now I am rating 3 stars. Alright I am starting my 2nd listen through now. Something I was thinking about regarding Gimme All Your Lovin: I'm gen z so this always just sounded like one of the bad-to-the-bone type songs/bands that were overplayed in movies. That was my impression going into this album. But if I close my eyes and place myself in 1983, 15-or-so years old, just picked up this cool car record the day it came out with no clue what its gonna sound like, brought it home after school and put it on my speakers - this song is pretty sweet. Track 2 sounds better to my ears now too. I think my knee jerk reaction was bias from the overplayed tracks. Forgetting that helps me understand the hype.

Eliminator Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs - all cheesy as balls but also hugely enjoyable 80s pop rock bangers. The combination of metronomic drums and new wave synths and sequencers with their blues and boogie guitars is a winning formula and gives the songs a satisfying robotic precision and sheen. The rest of the tracks follow that same pattern to varying degrees of success, without ever quite reaching the immediacy and potency of the three big songs. They are, however, all united by an undeniable enjoyability, even if it’s a rather fleeting and not particularly profound one. Nothing much more to say apart from that overall it's a fun listen, like an intensely sugary snack. Not necessarily something I want for every meal, but at the right time and place definitely one I’ll munch on again. 🚘🚘🚘 Playlist submission: Legs

No. 202/1001 Gimme All Your Lovin' 4/5 Got Me Under Pressure 4/5 Sharp Dressed Man 4/5 I Need You Tonight 3/5 I Got the Six 3/5 Legs 4/5 Thug 3/5 TV Dinners 3/5 Dirty Dog 3/5 If I Could Flag Her Down 3/5 Bad Girl 3/5 Average: 3,36 Good classic rock album.

I remember when this album came out. The videos were in heavy rotation on MTV. I like it but it's not my favorite ZZ Top album.

My dad had this record. I don't think he had any of their earlier albums until much later, but this one pierced his Led Zeppelin shield. At the time all of the lyrics on this record were basically over my head as a single digits earthling but the guitars sounded boss and the car was cool. Later I'll come to ZZ Top's Rio Grande Mud through a brilliant cover of Just Got Paid by some noise rockers who really should've named themselves better. The casual Texas objectification aside, Eliminator is a solid album and I can see why, along with the beards, these guys were a big enough deal that my POP! (as he prefers it stylized) would've picked it up.

The songs you know creep into parody/novelty music - the songs you don’t know, are junk. Also read, of their more popular hits, someone else wrote them and they didn’t give them a credit. Overall, not a fan.

I listened to most of this. Not bad but if you've heard 5 ZZ Top songs you've pretty much got the gist. Really boils down to what kind of vibe you're looking for; today is not a ZZ Top day for me.

I'm not sure I understand the appeal of this flavor of 80s rock music. How did this decade, sandwiched between the 70s and 90s (two of the greatest decades in rock music imho) end up with bands like ZZ Top, Motley Crue, and AC/DC as the de-facto bands of the generation? I've always felt their music to be incredibly bland and vapid. This album only strengthened that feeling of mine. Does this album have some great guitar solos and some good grooves to it? For sure. Does it have anything more than that? I don't think so. Maybe I'm too young, but I just do not see how bands like ZZ Top innovated within the genre at all during their heyday. I would give this album a 2/5, but I have to give it a 1 because TV Dinners might be the dumbest song I have ever heard in my entire life and I feel less intelligent having listened to it.

The sunglasses and beards are to hide their surprise at being on this list. I am pretty sure that if MTV didnt exist, neither would ZZTop.

This was just shit, what were they in about? A whole song about a lady who can use her legs jeez man. Terrible terrible

Long ago on VH1 Classic, I watched Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath describe ZZ Top as "Good ol' Texas Boogie" There's something special about hearing those words in a thick Birmingham accent, and it has always stuck with me. But how right he was. ZZ Top is always a good time, and its pretty impressive how well they made the jump from 60's blues rock to 80's synth rock stars. This album is commercial and poppy as hell, but it is undoubtedly some good ol Texas boogie. This album's gotta be one of the best examples of a band clearly aiming for the masses, while staying true to their roots. Also Billy Gibbons is and has long been one of my guitar idols (and remember when he played Angela's dad on Bones?) Album cover: (A+) A better match of sound a visuals is hard to find.

Fantastic

ZZ Top are obviously legends. But I didn't expect so many great songs on one album. Tough to pick just one for the 1001 best songs playlist but going with "Gimme All Your Lovin'" as it's the most groovable, imo. Not a bad track on the album. ~ 5 Stars

All bangers front to back, I didn't think I would like this one as much as I did.

I really liked this one! I knew a few songs from this album already (Blame my parents during the 1980s :D, but I don't mind.). I didn't really note down my impressions of each song, probably because I was dancing throughout it most of the time, but my favourites were: * Got Me Under Pressure * Sharp-Dressed Man * I Got The Six * Dirty Dog It also HEAVILY reminded me of a few movies I loved watching growing up. I think I need to listen to more ZZ Top, after all. My rating: 9/10.

Loved this, never heard it before

All killer no filler great album

9/10…southern-blues rock

Very solid album. Amazing that only 3 guys produced all that sound! The album plays like a collection of greatest hits.

Nostalgic listening time! One of the first cassettes I ever owned, and the album as a whole, still doesn’t disappoint. Obviously Legs, Sharp Dressed Man and Gimme All Your Lovin , were all over the radio and MTV but all the other songs on the album are bangers in their own way!

Great rock album start to finish.

Groovy southern rock goodness, didn't realise how much good b side material ZZ top had. Really good listen

Great. Loved the guitar.

Greste Rock n Tolk album.

Such a mood boosting, toe tapping, dance inducing album.

ZZ Top’s Eliminator is a defining album of the 80s, fusing blues rock with slick synthesisers and a radio-friendly edge. Packed with iconic tracks like Sharp Dressed Man and Legs, it’s a fun, stylish, and energetic ride that cemented the band’s place in rock history.

I have this album on vinyl. It's a good listen. The hits from this album cannot be denied. They hit you with an infectious groove right from the start, and it delivers consistently throughout the album

Every song sounds the same but they’re all bops

A masterpiece! Gimme All Your Lovin', Sharp Dressed Man and Legs are brilliant! All other tracks are perfect.

Love this album, like earlier ZZ Top but dancier and more upbeat. Love the riffs and the rocky blues sound.

ZZ Top was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. This album made me happy.

A classic album by ZZ Top. The hits are timeless.

Ist es immer das Gleiche? Ja, es ist nicht vielfältig. Aber es klingt einfach geil und es ist lustig

Classic

Is it the best album ever? No. Is it the most technical, well performed album ever? Also no. But what it is is an honest, fun as hell, catchy, and charismatic record that's impossible for me not to smile and nod to

9/10

Who cares if it’s all drum machines and synthesizers, it moves and grooves

Two tallboys way up

I listened this in remaster, but I think I'll still give this 5 stars if I listen to the original.

Sort of giving me Bob Seger lyrics. Enjoying this.

ZZ Top acending to the top of their carreer with a mix between blues and rock. This album contains the top hits "Sharp Dressed Man", "Gimme All Your Lovin" and "Legs".

It was good

Это гениальный Альбом! Скорее всего когда я прослушаю все 1001 одну пластинку, эта всё равно останется одной из любимых!!!

Fantastic album. Start to finish. Very tight. A little samey but that's OK.

No skips.

So many jams. I know ZZ top from the *absolutely wild* stuff my dad would listen to while working on his motorcycles, so I honestly had no idea he had songs that were not completely from outerspace. Every single song on this record is a banger.

great album, shaking ass

I want to make a smoothie now.

Best three opening songs on an album, ever? Yeah I think so.

Great! 5/5

Splendid stuff

Great album. I love ZZ top and their gritty gasoline fuelled ruggedy rock. It's packed with energy and sounds good, even though the lyrics might not be much haha. All I can think of is blue jeans, hot rods, and the open road.

Finally something I can get my ear holes stuck into! This is the kind of thing I’ve been waiting for. Some iconic songs and lovely sounding guitar. Love that Frank Beard made a living out of playing the exact same drum beat in every single song, and also love that he was the only member not to have a beard. It’s a big fat succulent 5 stars from me, putting ZZ Top of my rankings.

One of my parents favorites, and I can understand why. Killer tunes and great fun.

It’s very good I already knew I liked it before

You know how I said Highway to Hell was some perfectly serviceable classic rock? Well, to paraphrase a great thinker of our time, finally, some good fucking classic rock. I can't remember when I last would have listened to this as an album, if ever (I sure as hell don't remember ever hearing Thug before), but this is just bangers all the way down - taut, propulsive, riff-driven country rock, cocky without being pretentious, and just straight-up good fun.

What can I say, it's a stone cold classic of the genre - I know I grew up with this and nostalgia may be playing a heavy part in this rating, but each song hits just right - solos are great but don't outset their welcome, songs tend to be just as long as they need to be, and it's just generally amazing! I took apart ACDC for their incessant talking about sex and women, but here there's at least a self-deprecating current running underneath it all that shows that ZZ Top aren't taking themselves too seriously - the songs end up with them being snubbed by or scared of women, eating meals alone and wondering what to do next, which gives the whole album a playful side that I honestly really enjoy. Easy five stars. Faves: Got Me Under Pressure, Sharp Dressed Man, Thug (that slap bass line!)

80s at its finest.

Goddamn this makes me want to get drunk.

Loved it!

If you grew up in the 1980’s ZZ were on Top of the World and you couldn’t hide from them. Most of their “Best of…” came off this album. One of the favorite songs (…I admit it’s misogynistic but compared to their earlier work this is church ready…) “Legs” combined Frank Beards’ steady drive behind the set with Billy Gibson’s Texas-blue-eyed blues riffing and vocal scratch and Dusty Hills rhythmic bass with synthesized backings. It’s one of those songs that makes you want to run a marathon (I think I did use this for the Bolder Boulder playlist).But the hits don’t stop there! Other songs include Got Me Under Pressure, Gimme All Your Lovin’ , Sharp Dressed Man, and six more just for fun. Honestly, fair weather ZZTop fans can get a way with two albums: Eliminator and Tres Hombres, which are exactly ten years apart. So strap on your beard and let’s roll boys! This is a classic!

This was for me, peak ZZTop. Just the icing on the cake-pinnacle of their catalogue.

Great

While a bit inconsistent this is a true classic with some truly amazing songs.

Добротный альбом, хард-рок с налётом 80-ых, есть прекрасные баллады.

Just a great album to listen to from start to finish.

Really good

I didn’t realize I knew this band until the Silk Suit Black Tie song from Duck Dynasty. Really enjoyed it!

5 STARS!!!!

Oh... My.,.. Goodness! I feel guilty even starting a review on this. They're not my all time favorite band (though Dusty Hill was one of my influences as a bassist), but I don't believe I've ever heard a ZZ Top song I've objected to. This release in particular has 11 tracks, five of which were at least minor hits; Gimme All Your Lovin', Got Me Under Pressure, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, and TV Dinners. There's not a single slouch among the remaining six tunes either. The entire release is heavily doused with what I've come to refer to as "ZZ Top Cool." They're laid back, rockin', cool, humorous, seem like they have a good time playing - and why wouldn't they! Just throw this on - even in the background - and I promise you'll be satisfied. Obviously when Dusty Hill died it left a void. You don't lose something that's been an integral part of you for 50 years and not notice it. But at Dustys' request, his bass tech Elwood Francis took over and they still sound really good. Elwood IS really good, even though he looks a little like a psychotic, grey haired werewolf running around the stage, he's much more than just a sufficient fill-in.

Great

Discazo, me encantó. Creo que nunca había escuchado un álbum completo de ZZ Top y me sorprendió lo mucho que conecté y me prendió. Todo lo que me gusta de estas bandas y épocas lo tienen estos barbudos. Genial.

One of the best in its category. Very effective. 4.51