1001 Albums Summary

From the beginning, it's not the usual kind of music I listen to but I can rock with it. Gimme All Your Lovin' feels like a solid album opener, it sets the tone nicely and allows every artist in the band to show themselves off well, from guitar solos to strong, charismatic vocals. The next song Got Me Under Pressure is a lot more intense, there's a heavier driven bass and darker subject matters are discussed in this one. I feel like it's slightly repetitive though, but the momentum is never dropped which is always a positive. Judging by the next song Sharp Dressed Man, I think I've found the style I prefer from them, which is the playful and flirty side of them, which is weird to say about a hard rock group but you know what I mean. It's a lot more charming, and the vocalist's humour and charisma shines a lot more through this. Also, the improvisational sections from the band seem to feel a lot more engaging and free with this kind of concept, so I'm a fan! I won't lie, I feared their ballads as I know a lot of groups of this time easily came off as very cheesy with ballads, but there's a smoothness and a finesse to this track that makes it feel so sultry and sexy. The vocalist's gruff vocals work to add a raw edge to the song, and the guitar solos are something to be admired. The whole sound of this just works so well to create that nighttime romance experience. I Got The Six weirdly comes off as very artificial and abrasive to me, the vocals don't do enough for me to feel engaged but rather feel repelled and the whole energy of the song just feels too camp and processed rather than real and raw, which is what I'm growing to enjoy from their music. Legs has the perfect balance of camp and rock to me, it's sleazy but it's fun and playful at the same time. The composition of this song feels sonically satisfying, I love the blending of synth and acoustic instrumentation and the gruff vocals really shine here as it adds to the whole sleazy aesthetic. Overall, one of the strongest songs on the album so far and a strong showcase of my favourite qualities from this band. I can't lie, the beginning of this song made me feel nauseous but that's because it's wishy-washy. However, as soon as the song begins, I'm hooked. The subversive nature of this song having an instrumental chorus is fantastic, and shows there's a mystery and unexpected element to their music which you wouldn't necessarily attribute to them on a casual listen. They're a multi faceted group with a lot of hidden qualities, and this song feels perfectly within their wheelhouse while also pushing their boundaries. I feel like I could hear New Order or Depeche Mode releasing something similar too, which shows their influence on rock music as a whole. TV Dinners, in comparison to the rest of the album, feels dull and lifeless. It feels like it's just plodding along, and I could understand how someone may enjoy this outside of the album, but when put against such stronger tracks, this just feels pathetic and boring. Every album needs to have a couple of filler tracks, but it's just a shame when you can tell which ones were intended to be the filler tracks. Maybe this will grow on me in time, maybe I'll prefer to listen to this outside of the album like I'm assuming others might too, right now this just feels forgettable, which is more offensive than being bad to me. Dirty Dog sounds like at least 3 of the other tracks on this album, and unfortunately it sounds like the ones I feel come across as artificial. The best way I can describe this song is that it sounds like a theme song for Cops. The guitar solos in this song are very good, I'll give it that at least, but the song itself just feels naff and over-produced. I'm craving the variety back now though, because I'm getting deja vu in the space of 35 minutes. Now I know you think you know what I'm going to say, but I actually really like this one. It's very hypocritical of me, but this actually works. The structural composition of this song aids to keep the interest and momentum going in the song, the genre presentation fits the narrative to a T and there's a new softer vocal quality expressed in this song which feels really nice to listen to. The energy in this song never gives up, and it reminds me of some of my favourite contemporary artists like St Vincent so maybe I'm just more tuned to this style. I hate to say that we've ended this on a slight disappointment but the artificial dad rock sound is back, and I'm not overjoyed to see it. I can see that this is clearly their signature style, and I can understand how that may not be for me but it's a shame it's ended like this for me personally. I will say the energy is electric in this, and it feels like them at their prime so for hard core ZZ Top fans, this would be the perfect encore, just not for me. Track ranking: Thug Legs If I Could Only Flag Her Down Sharp Dressed Man I Need You Tonight ----------------------------------------- Gimme All Your Lovin' ----------------------------------------- Dirty Dog Got Me Under Pressure Bad Girl TV Dinners I Got The Six Final comments: Pleasantly surprised by this album, I found a lot that I could get into that didn't align with their stereotypical style but I still feel a slight disconnect from it unfortunately. Score: 68/100