Reviews (page 10 of 14)
I like "La Grange" as much as the next guy, but I'm nowhere near divorced enough to sit here and listen to a full ZZ Top album. Sorry to this man.
Leads off with three well-known hits and a couple more. Most of the rest is noise except for the final track, “Bad Girl,” which seems like a warm up for the later “Tube Steak Boogie.” Other than that track, I wouldn’t go back to any of it as an album; they come up enough on my radio stations.
I’ll probably give it a three. It’s fun enough for what it is, but it’s definitely from a different time. It’s one of those “it’s fine, I guess” albums. Not shitty enough to be a 2, definitely nowhere near a 4.
Sweet guitar sounds and tight songwriting, but also too over-produced for my liking with some truly cringe-worthy lyrics. This is becoming a theme in my reviews.
I Need You Tonight to tell me how much of a Sharp Dressed Man I am after listening to this album.
Good album. Starts off great, but by the end I was over it.
Pentatonic central with a few exceptions. It's formulaic but good fun, not unlike your mum
Oh yeah! It's been a long time since I listened to this album all the way through but I regularly listen to the 5-6 hits on here. "Thug" is really the only song on here that I would never play again.
A very fun great sounding album. Good vocal performance from gibbons and wonderful lead guitar. Front end better than the second. Would surprisingly listen again.
I love getting xx top
Good album, not my favorite ZZ Top album but it’s still good.
It's like a ZZ Top album - some songs are great, but it's much variation...
Big beards and heavy guitar. Felt like I was driving with my dad. Another classic. I've listened to this one a lot before.
Old school, some good riffs sprinkled across. The lyrics did *not* age well.
This band is hard for me to rate. However, neighborhood kids father worshipped them! I remember listening to a tape of them and was wondering why it was worshipped that way!
Wow this was their 8th album? Didn’t realize they put out so much music. Classic album. Fun songs but never really something I seek out to listen to. These songs are everywhere.
Good ol’ hard rock with a touch of southern US sound. Instrumentals were a bit boring
At their height of success in the 80s, ZZ Top were always an entertaining proposition, from the matching chest-length beards of Gibbons and Hill to drummer Frank Beard's (!) lewd explanation for why he chose not to have any facial adornment. (Look it up!!) However, musically, it wasn't for me. The singles on Eliminator are fine, particularly the rather great 'Sharp dressed man' but a whole album of riff-heavy text book rock, all at the same tempo and with the same plodding drum beat is too much to take in one sitting. That probably explains why the standout track for me is 'I need you tonight'. It's the only one where the base and drums are slowed down, leading to a bluesier performance. Overall though, not an album I'll be returning to any time soon.
No estuvo mal.
Sweet. These guys are classic. So down for this album. Very cool album. Knew a couple songs just from the radio.
OK -- this was an inescapable album when I was in high school. Just hit after hit for the masters of Texas Boogie. But I'd basically put about a third of the album completely out of my mind. And hearing it again, I understand why. Side 2 gets very samey (except for the slap bass on "Thug.") Fun to revisit, because Side 1 is all aces. So, stick to the Greatest Hits... Unexpected bangers: I Got the Six, Thug
Yeah, this is a great example of the hits overshadowing the rest of the tracks. This album is fine, but the 3 hit songs are the best of the bunch.
Reminds me alot of KISS, less bluesy elements in this ZZ top album and more high energy/pinch harmonics/strong basslines. Nothing like 'Bad Girl' to finish off the album on International women day..
The album was surprisingly repetitive and I wasn't across anything outside of the 3 singles. I feel like they try and emulate what AC/DC have perfected and end up being 'AC/DC at home'. Side note, 'I Got The Six' is covered by Electric Six and I think the cover is better.
B- Gimme All Your Lovin 3 Got Me Under Pressure 3 Sharp Dressed Man 3 I Need You Tonight 3 I Got The Six 3 Legs 3 Thug 3 TV Dinners 3 Dirty Dog 3 If I Could Only Flag Her Down 3 Bad Girl 3 Classic rock sound. Cool album cover.
Think I'm pretty much repeating what I said the last time we had a zz top album. It's good, and on paper I should really like it, but it just feels like something is missing. I want more oomph. Turn it up to 11. I think la Grange is better than anything on this album, although I recognised some hits here. Not a huge fan of gimme all your lovin. Sharp dressed man was pretty good. Think the best track was "I got the six" 3.5
wow! rocking from top to bottom! Brings me back to days drinking 8-packs of Bud down by 16th street park...
Ok
Favorite Tracks: Gimme All Your Lovin’ Sharp Dressed Man
Too much fuzz, but then, that's why people love them!
Something a man in his late 40’s to 60’s would listen to while driving his cuda. Cool rock, definitely of its time. 2.7
Couple of really fun songs, couple of really stupid songs. I wouldn't say it's a great album at all, but it definitely captures a moment in time from a band with a unique style, warts and all. It's a definite cultural touchstone, but I doubt many would think of it as a great work of art.
Famous band, well known music.
Solid run of the mill hard rock album.
Så for satans langt skæg! Den hårdeste måde at starte et album på, må være ved at lave en evergreen som album åbner. Resten føltes lidt flad med få lyspunkter.
Hard to believe I have never listened to this album before. Of course I've heard half of these songs at least 1300 times *each* - utterly and completely unavoidable if you didn't live in a bubble as an 80s kid (and if you did you were probably given this album). When listening in a contained (headphones) environment and all at once, it really comes through how processed this album was. Not really a criticism - nor an original thought - since it was pretty obvious that you never had to scratch very deep to notice the sequenced-aspect of nearly every one of these songs. i.e. Press play and let the quantized boogie commence. There's very little variety in the "drumming" or bass playing. So it all comes across as quite soulless, even if at its best there are undeniably catchy moments/songs. I mean ... there's a nostalgic essence to this that is undeniable. And the best songs (the singles) are definitely catchy and even memorable, if still shallow (it's only rock and roll). It's just that it becomes tiresome pretty quickly. Side 2 isn't really any good. And it's the autopilot aspect of the actual "performances" that is the primary and huge culprit - even if you're not a big fan of southwest boogie rock (me) in ZZTop's older days you could at least have an appreciation of the semi-organic blues trio aspect of their music. Full credit to them for embracing emerging technology and probably alienating some of their fans, but it ends up not that exciting in total when every song ends up at nearly the same pace, etc. TL;DR: Stick to the big 3 hits and you'll get it; wavering btwn 2 and 3 but if you have this big an impact on pop culture what the hell, bumping it up. 5/10 3 stars.
just okay, didn't knock my socks off. I probably liked it better in the 80's.
You know exactly what you're getting when you listen to a ZZ Top record. And this is THE ZZ Top record.
It's decent, pretty much all you'd need to hear of ZZ Top is on here
Ok
Hits, Hits, Hits laid back altmodisch
Un disco de rock clásico 70/80s.
Feels like an American bar in a 80’s sugary hallmark movie. Biker gang rock, not edgy though.
Fun.
Indeed it is a disco record, merged with boogie-ing Texas blues and submerging some pretty ace axe work. One in no ways resents these guys their success; they seemed as surprised as anyone and also to be having a lot of fun (and money) -- so good on them. But this wasy overplayed (both on an absolute basis and relative to its merits). One believes it was also misunderstood by all camps – the rock purists fearing the onslaught of new wave video acts and the new wave fans who wondered why these beards were being allowed to crash the party. In the end, for all its crispy chuggin', this record just ain't all that. The latter cuts sound tired, as if they can't keep up the charade. The '70s records are more interesting stylistically and more authentic-seeming (as evidenced by the titles of the songs, such as "Jesus Just Left Chicago"), plus funkier and much, much downer-and-dirtier, and the licks aren't tarted up with chart-friendly effects. Here the hotter and grittier of the licks (e.g., "I Need You Tonight") are dressed up with what sounds suspiciously like a drum machine and/or dodgy-shaky synths. In weighing their legacy, the relevant question seems to have become: were they doing it their way (unapologetically unreconstructed) or just seeming to do so in making a big reach for the commercial mainstream? Having lived it in real time, one suspects the latter. How else to explains the tepid and wholly unfortunate "Legs" and "TV Dinners" – not just musically, but the whole packaging? This was a decided dumbing down for the dudes who gave us "LaGrange." Barely a 3, a very charitable one, mainly because of the obnoxious ubiquity.
A couple of bangers and some other fun tracks. Better than expected.
Great for the time the released the album.
Good energy, got a bit bleh towards the end
I think I’m biased because I love the guitar tone here and the blues beat on the drums. But the song lyrics here have aged like milk. The radio hits stand far above the B sides, which all sound exactly the same. This is also the type of album you really enjoy the first few tracks, but then realize the entire album basically sounds the exact same.
Better than expected & different than expected 3/5
Not my jam but better than expected. Different than expected 3/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some really great songs - lots of good guitar and rocking jams - some misses. I was over it halfway through but finished it out.
“gimme all your lovin, all your hugs and kisses too” can be sung during any song on this album, try it out, overall an entertaining piece, strong 3
A good album, I enjoyed the style of music. Not one I've listened to much before.
good
Decent. What I expected
Blind album, know the hits. I think I liked Tres Hombres more but the album was still a decent listen.
Not bad
Great guitar sounds. The overall sound is not my cup of tea. Some of the songs were recorded well and mastering was sufficient. Others songs the volume and production quality suffered.
Music from this album, for me, should be restricted to a few songs sprinkled throughout a larger rock/80s playlist. This got repetitive and the lyrics (though admittedly incomprehensible to me 80% of the time without looking them up) are just cheesy and cringey as hell. Nostalgic sound of my childhood, but not something I think I'd go back to as a complete listen.
I would have been 9 when this came out and I remember ZZ Top being in high rotation. Loved the car and the film clips. Certainly giving this one some points for nostalgia. Sharp Dressed Man is great, Legs is catchy as and TV Dinners is hilarious.
Growing up in Germany in the 80ies was constantly accompanied by ZZ Top. They first appeared on the radar when they headlined the legendary Rockpalast concert nights in Essen, televised all over Europe. A new style of Blues Rock, celebrated with an unforgiving drive forward. Eliminator then catapulted the band into the MTV area, and you could be sure that every music video delivered. At that time, I was fully into rock myself with my own bands and music startup, and ZZ Top was a band you gratefully stole from, whether it were licks, riffs, titles, stories or sounds. To say it in ABBA's words: Thank you for the music!
There were definitely some bops. Got me under pressure was my favourite. But after a while it got a bit repetitive. Plus, a bit outdated.
most overwhelmingly mid album. the songs all sound the same but low-key i like the sound so i’m giving it 3
That one's so easy to crack. Southern blues-rock / boogie-rock legends go eighties synthetic pop while retaining the basic aspects of their intial sound. And as they do so, they cash in huge checks, thanks to MTV and the likes. On paper at least, the concept of infusing synth-pop sounds into ZZ Top's DNA was promising. And it works for half of this album, with around 5 or 6 tracks that still sound "essential" today (including the stellar four singles, always a great fun to listen to). Unfortunately, the rest of this LP is made out of fillers that are either following that new formula with far less convincing results for those, or rehashing the old blues-rock template for a couple of other tracks, without much conviction compared to ZZ Top's previous efforts in that area... So looking on the bright side, *Eliminator* still marks one of the most commercially sucessful reinventions of a musical act in the last 50 years or so. Which not an easy feat to pull off. Yet artistically speaking, the album is still quite a mixed bag. Too bad. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". Which translates to an 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 3 ; a large part of those three points stemming from the creativity behind the band's reinvention, even if it's not fully convincing in the long run). Number of albums left to review: 337 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 299 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 161 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 212
Fine. It was fine. It's rock and roll of the kind beloved by Americans who also love cars and guns I guess. They can certainly play, and some of the songs are super-catchy, but overall, it felt very derivative and uninspiring.
rabbis rocking out is pretty unique but it's still "gastropub" background music gimme all your lovin' got me under pressure sharp dressed man legs
Endurable
Really really good. I really like it. I wish we had a better rating system. This is like a 3.4. Not a 3.0. But it's missing something to be a 4.
this zz top album is even more unneccesary than the last one. wtf. why is this on the list :/
3.5 stars. Driving fast-paced hard rock infused with blues. It doesn't take itself overly seriously, most notably lyrically. The hits are catchy and fun, "Sharp Dressed Man" being the standout. But the womanizing schtick did get old after a bit.
Where ZZ Top jumps the shark. In order to adopt a “newer” sound, they decide to water down everything interesting about them.
Кажется, мне не нравится хард-рок. Помню, что негативно отнесся к Aerosmith. Здесь так же, скучновато. Плюс голос слабый, раздражает.
Not my style. It was okay for a few minutes, but even though I tried to warm up to it, I couldn't
Fav song: sharp dressed man
Nothing notable.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It scratches the some nostalgia itch for me. Maybe growing up listening to classic rock radio with my dad primed me to enjoy ZZ Top. The riffs and melodies are catchy. It's well-mixed and produced. These guys clearly love the guitar. It's not intellectual rock music, to be sure, but it's great for partying and you can dance to it. It gets a bit samey in the back half. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.
Three great songs; the others are all just weak clones. The same drums, riffs, licks, fills, etc. It gets kind of boring after a while
The album that introduced ZZ Top to many in my generation via MTV. That Ford Deuce, those beards, the ladies. This album introduced an evolving sound of their blues hard rock moving more into incorporating synthesizers and drum machines. Lots of good grooves and hooks. Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Loving, and Legs may have been the biggest hits, but I liked the groove in TV Dinners the best. Great to listen to this one all the way through.
Such an odd listening experience. The guitars - clearly touted as ZZ Top's signature instrument and defining sound - are distorted in a very processed, controlled way, creating an atmosphere where I feel like I should be headbanging but can't quite hit the groove. The sound is too heavy to qualify as pop rock, but not heavy enough to succeed Zeppelin or other towering contemporaries. The instrumental consistency is either a blessing or a curse, depending on how you view albums. It's somewhere in between for me. Many of the tracks sound extremely similar, rendering it good background fodder for a garage hangout. On the other hand, the album has zero flow or order to it, kind of tossing any vestiges of a concept album out the window. That being said, some killer tracks in here. Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin', I Got The Six... in isolation, these are pretty great, possibly 4s or 4.5s. The album experience drops my rating down to a 3.
There's a couple of cracking rock tracks in here, but overall it becomes fatiguing very quickly.
Starts out strong, goes on kinda long.
Thoughts before listening: I love ZZ Top's 70s albums, but I have never listened to this one. They changed their sound a bit in the 80s to become more radio friendly and went hard on the gimmick of their beards...and it worked. I know this album was huge and I'll probably know most of the songs. I'm sure I'll enjoy this, but it's hard to think it's better than an album like Tres Hombres. Review: The hits are definitely poppy, but they're also iconic songs that have been mainstays of classic rock radio throughout my life. Its hard to deny just how catchy this album is while still very much being a blues rock album. I am enjoying listening to this more than I thought I would. Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs are undeniable bangers, and I am also enjoying some of the deeper tracks like Got Me Under Pressure. That being said, the album is very much front loaded with the 2nd half being pretty weak. There are some questionable things here such as Thug's Don Henley vibe meets slap bass breakdowns and too many throwaway songs with dumb lyrics (i.e. TV Dinners and Dirty Dog). Overall though this is a fun listen.
Fun groovy sound
Je suis resté surpris que les deep cuts étaient aussi solide que ça. Je dirais pas que c'est un album que je ferais souvent jouer, mais ce n'est pas un album qui est moitié banger et moitié fillers. Très respectable. 7/10
I liked this album much better than "Tres Hombres," which is also on this list. "Eliminator" grooves more steadily and is pleasant to listen to. Some of the songs like "Legs" and "TV Dinners" are embarrassing, but I really dug the first 4-5 songs. I don't know if I'd want to listen to this entire album again, but I could take half the songs out and put them on a comp, or, at least, it makes me want to maybe try another ZZ Top album...
ZZ Top have never been my jam. Except Tush. That song is awesome.
This album is known for transforming objects with the power of its rocking.
Classic ZZ Top. Knew about half the songs, the other half is basically more of the same. But they’re good at what they do so more of the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Meh
i think my moms friend knew these people. joyce was cool so i bet they were too
sharp dressed man does a lot of heavy lifting for this album
ZZ Top is a greatest hits band. Their best stuff is really good, fantastic maybe. Great grooves, makes you feel awesome. The rest....
All the classics. This was fun to listen to while driving on the highway.
this has some real bangers on it
Un album de plus sur lequel les vieux s'excitent alors que tout ce qui sort aujourd'hui est bien mieux.
Ringard au possible, et pourtant mon géniteur en est fan
its alright, just 80s rock fun
mostly like arena rock which i wasn’t really in the mood for in the moment but it’s good obvs
A good album that brought ZZ Top to the notice of a lot of people but they have much better albums
Good rock music, not for me though
Guay.
legs es un temon dios. me dieron ganas de estar en la ruta. siento que capaz no lo disfrute mucho xq llovía y era un dia garrón adentro. quizá con sol y birra/ o birra y noche sería un diez
I'm on a bad run of albums that I have mixed feelings about. From a personal point of view, I would not listen to this album again, but I can't say this book does not deserve to be in the book. ZZ Top has never hit with me very deep. It's all surface-level sounds to me and the droning of the drum machine and steady sound of synthesizers doesn't help me. The songs are not bad! There are hits here and decent album tracks. It's canned blues for me, and while this sound reached out to a wider audience, "Eliminator" is the Eric Claptonification of the ZZ Top sound for me. This needs to be in the book, but it does not need to be on my Spotify playlist.
Solid rock album, classic singles but nothing else of note
The hits are great, other tracks seem.... bland? 3.27
просто рокешник
Not for me. Who is the audience for this?
ZZ Top goes Pop
Mixed feelings about this album. In 1983 it felt like they sold out. But it made them superstars. Well-deserved, just not representative of who they truly were. Good, not great.
Wow, I did not know this was zztops 8th album.... they must have been around a lot longer than I thought. I seriously thought they got started in the 80's. Crazy that all of their songs I can even think of seem to be on this one album. Something that sticks out to me is that the production is very clean, but i'm pretty sure these tracks are remastered because its almost too good. Like most white millennial men, classic rock has a very nostalgic sound because of how often my father listened to it; but gawd damn I could never get him to listen to anything else. This album definitely has bangers on it, but the music in general is just way too simple. I don't think the drums ever leave 4/4. Also I think every single song kinda just..... fades out hmmm I think I should lay out my thoughts on a 5 star rating system: 1 = Absolutely nothing of redemption for this music, I hate it and wonder how it ever garnished a crowd of listeners 2 = I don't like it, but I understand that it may have cultural significance or is actually semi thoughtful constructed music 3 = The average rating, most albums will rest here. I can listen to it but will never find myself going out of the way to find it again. 4 = I like the majority of the album and the believe the artist to be a step above everyone else in music. 5 = Personal bests of the bests. I love the music, it makes me feel emotion, is very engaging and I would add it to my favorites list. I really do hope to find a handful of 5's from doing this list listen!
Every ZZ top song I know is on this album.
Rock background music 😅
Because this album was so ubiquitous and such a prominent feature in eighties MTV culture, I never even knew of the ZZ Top that existed before 1983; the sound from which they departed with "Eliminator".
it sure is zz top.
Legs, Gimmie All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man, peak ZZ Top. This is when everyone recognizes the Beards.
It's fine. It's fun. A bit too processed though as the mix is drowned in synths which dilutes the rhythm section a bit too much for my liking. Still, it did extend ZZ Top's career and made them icons so I get why they did it.
Fun
Classic guitar riff rock&roll silly at times and sometimes fun. Does nothing special really and drags in places. Highlights: Gimme Your Lovin, Sharp dressed man and Legs
ZZ Top is the exact sound that pops into your head when you think of pure rock and roll. Some standouts like sharp dressed man of course but while the sound is similar throughout the album it maintains a high quality and that's what rock n roll typically is. 6/10
Quite decent and not as... Mindless? As I expected
Lol, why are track 2 and 3 kinda Shera-coded?? She likes French cuisine and he's got a fat wallet?! Track 6 too? Never begs, and knows how to choose men? Thug Seinfeld Fun, unserious stuff
outside the hits its pretty forgettable, they do most of the heavy lifting. I remember my dad air guitaring Gimme All Your Lovin at a pool hall with my uncles one time so I'll always have it in my brain for that reason.
Decent nostalgia filled tracks which create a sense of fun.
This dude's voice sucks for slow songs, he can't hold a note for shit.
Punchy fun guitar solos
Decent album. Basically contains all of the ZZ Top songs you know. The other tracks are fairly forgettable.
Redelijke rock, lijke paar goeie tusse te zitten. Wel edgy
Classic and nostalgic but man I have never heard such stuff drumming
Less annoying than expected
Great album, nostalgia plays a big part of me loving this album. I do not think this is their best album. It is the album that introduce a lot of teenagers with extra money in their pockets to buy more of their albums and discover some great blues rock.
better than expected
What's amazing is offset by what isn't. Still, a decent album worth a listen.
Hyvää tykittelyä
Not my style Jesus. 5/10 ig
Guitar in "I Need You Tonight" is fab, great album, fun, very 80s.
Four big songs: Gimme All your Lovin' Got Me Under Pressure Sharp Dressed Man Legs. I was 11 years old when this album came out, and I remember drawing that car in my art book.
Great
Solid but not the best from Mr. Top. Billy Gibbons ducks tho
3 great tracks and an album bloated with meh. It's a shame, you out this on and you think "yeah here we go a 5" but it'll wear you down and here we are at 3. Less is more folks.
IMO kind of a weird blend with the blues licks + the almost electronic sounding 80s drums.
ZZ Top is one of those bands I kinda like but only in short bursts. If a random song comes on at an event I can enjoy it but an entire album of ZZ Top is entirely too much ZZ Top. Eliminator has some good riffage, some cool licks. But that's pretty much the entire show here. There is a song on here about eating TV dinners. These guys ain't got much to say... Album is 3.5 for me but since I can't rate it as such I feel better about giving it a 3 than I do a 4.
Could see how it could be enjoyable, just not my style of music.
There are some classics and the album is solid but overall it is a bit too smooth.
it’s a cool idea and it’s interesting to hear they were consciously influenced by depeche mode and omd it just seems like they should have been able to crank out more than 2 or 3 memorable tunes from it
Fun rock, goes a bit guitar solo "rock out, man" at times 3.4
Generic 80ties rock album
Sharp dressed man has an incredible driving beat that gets you involuntarily nodding along. They definitely upped the power for the 80s compared to their older work, and the muscular, sometimes simplified progression of the songs tops into the cock rock world, while still maintaining their Texas Identity. The tunes are always listenable, and some take a few tries to really get into.
Definitely a classic album with songs worth hearing for the sake of music history.
I really want to like this unapologetically shallow rock. It's got great attitude and lovely grooves. Great for background, but what's it all for?
Yv
pretty poor but not dreadful
A little samey and predictable but good solid blues rock anyway
Similar to 'Highway to Hell', I liked this but wouldn't want to go through their back catalogue. Decent, heavy-ish rock. Basically good to listen to for an hour or so.
Solid fun slick rock n roll I enjoyed the first few songs but by the end I realized they all mostly sounded the same
I really wanted to like this album. It’s not as generic as some of the boring rock we’ve had, but still leaves me wanting more.
There's absolutely better
There was some good stuff, there was some skippable stuff but none of it was a bad listen at all.
Better than expected.
Good! I especially liked the instrumentals.
Decently good duck dynasty rock.
Some good songs but the fuzz guitar was not enjoyable. I prefer La Grange era ZZ Top over 80s ZZ Top
Better then expected but not really my kind of music.
This is a fun album. Id you go into it wanting anything more, I believe that you’ll be pretty disappointed. The production, lyrics, vocals, and instrumentals are all basically fine, but this album really shines in the way it makes the listener feel. It’s just a good jam. Is there a lot of range on here? No. Do the two hits have practically the exact same opening? Yes. Did they put their two hits on the same side? Yes. Who cares. We ball. Enjoy yourself. 3/5
Se vain vyöryy eteenpäin. Hyvin vaikea olla nyökyttelemättä mukana. Mietin kuitenkin, onko yksinkertaisuus yksinkertaista vai hyvää (ehkä ekaa tässä tapauksessa, kun sitä on koko levyllinen, vaikka levy onkin sopivan mittainen).
Levy ratsastaa avauskolmikolla (joista kaksi viimeistä arvosanaltaan 5/5) sekä naurettavan tehokkaalla tuotannollaan. Gibbonsin laulun ajaminen efektiryppään lävitse kuulostaa yhtä luonnolliselta kuin hänen kitarasoolonsa. Ja vaikka Legs menee jo selkeästi hyvän maun yli, voiko kukaan väittää, että se poistuisi tietoisuuden piiristä?
#23 : Good Fun. What's not to love about ZZ. Rock solid all the way through. Gimme All Your Lovin'
Liked this more than I thought I would
Promedio 6/10
Lacking in some big hitters, but decent
This album is rather odd in how tight everything is, it's almost like you made the album without playing any instruments at all and perfected this synthpop/hard rock/new wave sound. That being said, the hits are fantastic and catchy as hell, but like another commenter said, the rest of the tracks feel like lesser versions of the hits.
I know these songs but the don’t feel like they are for me.
Decent album with a couple of great songs
How can something that rocks so hard be so boring?
This is a rock and roll album that's fine and kind of dumb.
ZZ Top: Not a fave, but listenable when they come on. Obviously, this record is filled with big hits, but none of them hit my core. The other stuff on the record is just ok. Meh.
Doesn't really do much for me, and sounds pretty dated. It's fine.
zz top, liked!
Une valeur sûre, des guitares assumées, on bat du pied, on hoche la tête. Ce sont des faiseurs d'ambiance
Echt peak boomer dit album. Prima
Nostalgia
Polished sound, a well oiled machine. Not a fan of this kind of rock - lacking emotion. No highlight.
Classic sound, yet I have no specific emotions about it.
meh
first listen pretty generic southern hard rock
Rawk! Liked it more than the last ZZ album
Mehhhh
Pretty good songs about fucking, mixed in with some pretty bad songs about fucking.
I remember seeing Jenna Elfman on a late night show once. The host mentioned that she used to be a backup dancer for ZZ Top and asked if she'd do a little dance. The band leader asked what song they should play, and she replied that it doesn't matter, the dance is basically the same for all of them.
I wish we could give half stars on this.
Todas las canciones son iguales. Las que más me gustaron fueron las que no eran tan iguales.
Good stuff, just some good ol rock and roll
Yee haw Solid 7
Pretty cool. I liked how all of the songs fade out. I bet these guys can jam
Dad rock. Classic for sure but didn’t get me hooked. Heard most of the songs before.
Completely insipid and atavistic. The soundtrack to white boy summer. Pretty good stuff.
Good rock album.
I've said before in reviews, there is absoloutely nothing wrong with ZZ Top. I can recognise they are a great band and what they have achieved. It just never quite tips into great for me.
This album has the typical forward-driving sound of the band which can be quite charming but is rather repititive over a while. I liked to listen to it but rock music really has so much more to offer.
Fun, not really my vibe, but good!
This is really fun. It's quite consistent all the way through - to the point that a lot of it starts to sound the same - but that's mostly fine here. It's probably a bit too poppy to be really good, it's a bit too clean for this kind of music, but a nice way to start the week. 3/5.
Some fun songs, a lot of "filler" feeling songs
Fun and ridiculous, if a bit repetitive. I can’t take ZZ Top seriously. They sound like a parody of themselves.
This is one of those albums you didn’t know you knew so many of the songs to because they’re in so many movies and shows. It’s fun catchy rock but not too special in my opinion
OK - so ZZ Top recreated themselves for thew MTV era with this album. The hits are awesome (Legs, Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme Some Lovin') and exposed MTV viewers in the early 80s with some good blues rock bathed in 80s production. But if there is going to be one ZZ Top album on the list (they never made albums without filler), I would go with an early one (like Tres Hombres).
I did not have access to MTV when this came out so I missed it when this band exploded. These songs are catchy blues based rock but I don’t love any of them. I do think that do show off the band’s strength as a “power trio” in the mold of Cream and others.
Totally not what I was expecting. More enjoyable easy listening than hard rock
Singles are decent enough, it’s a bit fluffy after that.
Gimme All Your Lovin and Sharp Dressed Man are super catchy. I love the driving energy of all the tracks, they keep it quick and it makes you want to move. The vocals are probably what I’m most lukewarm on as they feel a bit muddy in the recording compared to the clarity of the guitar and drums, but they are still understandable.
this is a cute record. just the boys having a good time and claiming nothing else. that's why they are such goofy motherfuckers. and legs kinda rocks actually
Some hits but meh otherwise
Solid album with a handful of classics. The drummer does seem to phone it in a bit though, he keeps time well but there's just nothing that interesting in what he's doing.
Not too much stood out from one song to the next, but the guitar riffs are really cool. There's some funky bass in there too that I liked. Fave track(s): I Got the Six, Dirty Dog
Fun album with some classics
A high 3 I think. Its fun to listen to for sure but I don't think it stands out above any other 80s rock.
Beardsssssss
A little too Duck Dynasty for me, but overall was a fun listen
It is hard to be objective about music so deeply worn into my brain. The opening of Gimme All Your Lovin' is so iconic and snapped me right back to the 80's. The hits are still great, the lyrics really haven't aged well but the guitar still rocks. Frustratingly, though, the Album Generator previously served me some earlier ZZ Top, which doesn't do slickified Eliminator any favors.
if i’m in the mood to listen to Zz top. i would play this album. having said that im rarely in the mood to listen to Zz top
Outside of the four familiar classics, which by no means is a flop, the rest of the album is fairly 80s ZZ Top rock. 3.5 / 5.
Sharp Dressed Man reminds me of Duck Dynasty
I am a ZZ Top fan, but have never really liked this album.
TV Dinners singlehandedly put this album below 3 for me. There are a couple hits but meh otherwise. 2.8 but rounding to 3 because this ranking system sucks
There are some good, catchy songs on this album. But there is also a lot of crap. And most of the lyrics are sophomoric as are the "jokes". I struggle to enjoy lyrics that need the word "really" or "kinda" or that turn one syllable words into two, like "the-uh" or "i-is" to finish out a line. Bugs me. And nothing bugs me more lyrically than a "Really, really". Shows a lack of imagination if you ask me. Also, the repetitive keyboard (I think) technique throughout every songs gets old. It's their sound, but I don't dig on it after about two songs. Still get's three stars cause there are some genuine classics on it. Four classics with four role players (Bad Girl, for instance) would've made for a great album. But in my opinion, this is four classics with four or five that should've been left on the cutting room floor (TV Dinners, for instance).
The start of Eliminator is like being run over by a V8 engine. At this point ZZ Top began using synths and drum machine more heavily, and the result is an extremely tight and tempo filled album. Most of Eliminator is just pure fun with the band fully acknowledging that they are here to party, show off and have a good time - and nothing else. My interest fades away on the way too long “I Need You Tonight” and side B isn’t as exciting as the beginning either. But this is nonetheless still extremely fun to rock along to.
80s beardy rock that chugs along. Synth and drum machine elements combine with the guitars and drive the songs forward. Front loaded with the bangers, but pretty catchy throughout. What this lacks in variety it makes up for in riffs and beards. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Sharp Dressed Man Date listened: 26/12/22
Pretty good, better than I thought it was gonna be.
It's turning out rock isn't always my thing, it's generally too simplistic for me, relying more on attitude and tamber than melodic interest. I enjoy the singing but it fails to hold my attention
Die band met baarden en die iconische clip uit de jaren 80 met die coole auto. Tot mijn verbazing is ook de rest van de muziek behoorlijk goed.
Rrrrrrockin' it!
Best geinig.
This is apparently what happens when Billy Gibbons listens to a little too much Depeche Mode. The hits you're familiar with still hold up well, proving they don't need the videos (except for Legs, that's a terrible song that I firmly believe only broke through because of the video MTV deemed clever). In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't appreciate that little ol' band from Texas until they made a documentary for Netflix, with an obvious appearance by Billy Bob Thornton. I mainly think of ZZ Top music as strip club music. That's either a feature or a benefit. Probably both depending on how often one frequents strip clubs.
What is probably their most iconic album, ZZ Top made a name for themselves with their take on Texas Rock and Blues. While the lyrics ooze with subtle misogyny the speed and musicianship hold their own and are the shining part of this. This may be mainstream Top 40 for their catalogs, but it is often what people think of for this band, despite their deep catalog.
ZZ Top embraces MTV and churns out music with a hi-hat driven straight forward danceable beat. I honestly don’t mind the danceable blues aspect of this album. What really irks me is the absolute sameness of the album. If you’ve heard a couple of songs you could be forgiven for wondering if you’ve got a few songs on repeat. The hits are good and the rest feels like variations on those. The musicianship is fine, the shuffling guitar is a great representation of Texas blues, but unfortunately the whole package just doesn’t do much for me.
I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. I think ZZ Top is fun and every once in a while I'll put on one of their hits. But holy crap, this album was repetitive. Every song sounded exactly the same.
I feel like listening to this at 11am on a monday is not the intended listening experience, need to be in a pickup truck on the way to go fishing or in a dive bar somewhere. Kind of goofy. Fun though. Still love Sharp Dressed Man. Lost steam in the middle.
I think this is a nice album that's very indicative of its style of rock, though the songs all sound pretty similar
Dumb songs about nothing, but catchy as hell. Decent album overall.
- I need you tonight: 8,5/10 - I got the six: 9/10 - Sharp dressed man: 8,5/10 - Got me under pressure: 9/10 - Thug: 8/10 - Legs: 8,5/10 - Gimme all your lovin': 9,5/10 - TV Dinners: 8'75/10 - Dirty Dog: 6/10 - If I could only flag her down: 8/10 - Bad girl: 9,5/10
Album was better than I remembered. The poppy MTV hits are catchy but kind of quasi ZZTop.
started strong, finished like me in bed
You can sure tell this is American from the get go. I've never been a ZZ listener, so was disappointed that they didn't live up to my mind's eye of the legend.
Some down and dirty early 80s rock. Couldn't get the image of frizzy beards out of my head.
Öppnar starkt med Gimme All Your Lovin' och sen Sharp Dressed Man som spår tre som är kanonbra låtar. Men resten når inte upp i samma nivå, tyvärr.
Great rock album, it has pretty much everything I expect out of an 80s commercial rock. From dancy rock to ballads I enjoyed all tracks, but I did had one issue, I wasn't blown away by anything, yes, I had fun and enjoyed every second of it, but I had nothing special to say about it, regardless of how much fun it was I wouldn't add it to my monthly rotation since I believe I'll get tired of it after a while
Classic rock' blues
Great bluesy rock 🤷♂️👍
High energy mullet staring me down from the past, mixed emotions tbh
Very decent
Expected a boring wait between hits but it was actually quite a steady album.
1st album since Alex Chudacoff suggested I listen to the 1001 albums.
Great musicianship. I still love the songs from this album that were released as singles. I think whoever was in charge picked the right ones. Except TV Dinners - I liked the B-side much more (Cheap Sunglasses) The rest of the songs weren’t bad, but didn’t make me feel like I missed anything. Fun fact: Billy Gibbons was on the show ‘Bones’ as one of the main character’s bad-ass guitar-playing dad. The song ‘Thug’ had an Eagles vibe. And brought to mind the theme from Seinfeld. I also am sorry I gave OK Computer 3 stars. It deserves 4. Karma Police has been in my head all weekend.
Sounds like the rural county fairs from my youth. 3.5 stars for nostalgia and the top of the record.
Cet album signera l'envol en 1983 vers le succès mondial du groupe texan... Les vidéos tournaient sans arrêt sur MTV, le son avec ses synthétiseurs paraîtra tres novateur, le look des 3 bandits pas manchots, la voiture aux couleurs du groupe, une excellente reprise ("Gimme All Your Lovin'") et une ribambelle de hits feront de cet album un succes mondial.... Pour sûr, pour ma part, je préférais, et de très loin, "Deguello" l'album de 1979 qui avait déjà bien mis le feu... Mais il n'avait pas le côté moderne et "in the mood" de celui-ci... Il y aura au total 3 albums "avec synthétiseurs" dans l'esprit de celui-ci, mais "Eliminator" reste le meilleur du genre.... Ensuite ZZ ToP, usant un peu trop la corde, sortira doucement de l'actualité... Pourtant ils produiront encore quelques albums "monstrueux", dont le splendide "Rythmeen" de 1996, ou encore "XXX" de 1999 ... Mais les yeux de ceux qui font le buzz seront partis butiner ailleurs !!! Le groupels continuera de tourner régulièrement autour du monde avec beaucoup de succès, exportant leur boogie texan avec une ribambelle de hits un peu partout avec un succès tout à fait mérité.... A noter qu'ils feront même un caméo dans "Retour Vers le Futur 3".... Dusty Hill, l'énorme bassiste décédera en 2021... Cela ne mettra pas un terme à l'activité du groupe... D'ailleurs, ils tourneront en 2023 avec Jeff BECK (non barbu) pour leur nouvel album...
This was pretty fun, if a bit samey. Might revisit.
Molto energico, tipicamente americano. Bei assoli.
Iconic singles and videos in ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’’, ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ and ‘Legs’ from unlikely rock superstars ZZ Top. While it’s undeniably a fun record, outside of the hits, there’s a fair bit of filler.
Could have been a collection of all time zztop hits. So many rockers on this
Better than I thought it would be.
Never been a fan of ZZ Top, but I did find myself tapping my feet to this. It was fun, but I wouldn't actively seek it out.
Gimme all your lovin is an incredible song. The rest is fine. I can’t believe this song was only in two things. I swear it was in bill and teds excellent adventure but soundtrack claims it wasn’t. Must be thinking of the two heads are better than one song
This album was huge when it came out, I was in middle school and it got a ton of airplay. I was pretty indifferent to it and over the years most of the hits just became background noise. Listening to it in its entirety I have to give them props—while they turned the gritty Texas sound they were known for into something highly-produced, I did enjoy some of the tracks that weren't played to death such as Got Me Under Pressure, TV Dinners, and Bad Girl. Giving it a 3 but I'm really a 3.5 on it.
When I hear ZZ Top all I think is 'old tired rock' due to all the rock radio I listened to as a kid. However, I will say, even though it is overplayed and tired these guys are/were pretty talented. Plus this music just makes me wish I was driving a fast car through some long desert roads.
It's fine, but not for me. 3/5
Some great songs for sure, not my favourite, but would listen again.
meeeeh
This is what i feel about hard rock of 80's!Overall Classic but not stunning.
Fy faen endelig noe ordentlig rock. Ganske Harry i blant
I mean, it's fun for sure. But all the singles are just so played out for me at this point, and the deep tracks range from cool to super forgettable. I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more 10 years ago lol.
This is classic dad rock. It's fine, and there are couple classic rock songs, but the album gets repetitive very quickly. Like most 80s music, they don't seem to know how to end songs, so most end with a long slow instrumental fade. Songs like Legs and TV Dinners are almost a meme as well. Best Songs: Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin' Worst Songs: I Got the Six, Dirty Dog
Better than expected
Huge fan of the earlier ZZ Top stuff. Although this album has a few good rockers, it's not one I enjoy all that much.
You know, I don't care for ZZ Top, but this was quite decent. Would I play it again? Probably not. I wouldn't be bothered by it, though.
Mah. I never really got ZZ Top, but I had one of their early albums just last week and realised they did start out kind of legit in the 70s. They’ve refined that now and condensed it down to a simpler, more pop oriented sound. I was leaning towards a 4 but when the album finished, I got Radar Love by Golden Earring as a suggestion. It immediacy felt more driving, funky, energetic and focused. ZZ Top are just super average.
There’s something very punchy about the production on this album… and some real bangers scattered throughout… strong 3
Guitars, hotrods, suits, and beards. You know what you are getting from the start with this album and it drives all the way through with flames shooting out the tailpipe. Is that good for the car? For the world? I don't think it matters b/c it is lots of guitar on top of more guitar.
decent southern rock, liked it more than i thought
Not a huge fan of 80s Top, mostly cause of the tacky slap bass that ruins Thug. Sharp Dressed Man is a killer tune though - highly recommend watching The Beards like a version.
A nice listen, they go well together, front end has some hits.
Not bad <Obama face>
Kinda fun. Although we have been having a lot of music on the list that's pretty similar to this
Never herd of them… A generic drum pattern brings on the albums opener gimme all your lovin’ it’s solid but just a very of its time 80’s rock song which is awesome but not a favourite. I love the playful yet crunchy guitar riff on got me under pressure, the lyrics seem to be that generic “ rock n roll” stuff but it’s not badly done. Sharp dressed man is a song that I definitely vaguely recognise as one of the better written songs of the 80’s, the chorus reminds me a bit of nick caves “ red right hand” by the way he sings the line “everybody’s crazy about the sharp dressed man”. I love the long intro to the 6 minute long song I need you tonight, this song has a sense of grandness that the rest of the album seems to lack until now. I got the six is a very odd choice to close off the first half of the album being a short rocker not memorable but not bad. The album goes in a poppier direction with Legs I love the synth work on this one but it’s just not a “must listen” song overall. Thug sounds odd having a robotic yet tribal instrumental and some cool bitty guitars break. The lyrics are still not great but they’re not the worst thing ever. The album goes back to its normal feeling with TV dinners great instrumentals dull and stupid lyrics. I don’t know why but dirty dog ( instrumentally) sounds like a dark sister track to legs with the repetitive bouncing synths . Lyrically, well no this band can’t write well in that department. The penultimate track on the album If I could only flag her down is solid, well written, poppy but slightly bluesier. It feels a bit filler amongst this album but not bad. The album closes on Bad Girl an odd pick for a closer ( even if there’s nothing really to pick from) it just feels poorly done. Typical 80’s pop rock great singles a few other good songs but no real substance to it.
Classic. Highlights are the ones I hear on the radio.
Driving beat, classic tunes, plenty of samey fillers
some good hits, some utter shit.. also reading about it don't like how they ripped of their pal
In which three bonobos tap into their jungle roots and lay down as much funk as they do dumbell boogie and metallic riffing. A minor triumph and, given the year of release, reminder to the overglammed, overemoting, honky, horndog arena rockers of the time that the basics are just groovy on their own, thank you very much.
Totally C average rock. As enjoyable as a Big Mac and fries. Any song from this album would fit in nicely on the soundtrack to a 1980s teen comedy.
Fine southern rock. I get it's popularity but it was a time and a place for me in HS.
Enjoyable. I have been passing on the fact that most rock music during the dreadful 80’s kept the good music going
Will never be my favourite music, but more too it than I would have thought.
Fun album, with some solid songs and great guitars.
A bit more "pop" sounding rock album. There is some catchy songs on here. However, I find most of it to be somewhat bland. At most it's decent. Highlights: I Need You Tonight
This album was fun to listen to. I enjoyed the classics at the start but as the album moved on I began to feel like I was listening to a guitarist jamming over a backing track or a youtube guitar instructional video.
There is something elegant in the simplicity of the concept here - like with the Ramones. But really, in this case it's not for me. Trivia question - which is the only ZZ Top member without a beard - the drummer, Frank Beard! And then there is the Sesame St parody for the letter Z - classic line and the end from the Billy Gibbons muppet: "Only band I've ever played with that can fall asleep and keep playing the blues"!
Not a bad 80s rock album.
Makes me want to go to a Hard Rock Cafe and drink a £6.99 lemonade.
Starts off great. Rather single faceted towards the end 3/5
Gruff vocals, plenty of screaming guitar solos but a little bit samey and not really my cuppa tea. But to be fair, it was ok rock music.
Archetypal rock but better than I had anticipated
It may be a bit cheesy rock, but they're not taking it too seriously, and made a good album for good times. I'm torn between giving it a high 3 stars or a low 4 stars.