ZZ Top - ZZ Top's First Album (CD 1994)

This is the first album from the Texan trio, and it is a classic blues-rock album. It's not in the same vein as their 80s albums that most will be familiar with (Eliminator, for example - which is a great album in its own right) but it really does rank up high in their output in my opinion. It's on a par with Deguello, which is my favourite album of theirs.

It's not as polished as later albums, which gives it a gritty, raw feel. Billy Gibbons' guitar sound on this record is bluesy, rocking, subtle in places, downright unsubtle in others...my favourite track on the album is Brown Sugar, whihc starts with just vocals and guitar licks from Billy Gibbons until the rest of the band kicks in...and it hits you right in the gut.

The rest of the album has some really good tracks too, such as Neighbor, Neighbor, Goin' Down To Mexico, Certified Blues and...well, actually, they're all good, I can't really fault any of them.

For fans of the band who are only familiar with their 80s output, you really should go back to their roots and give this record a spin, then go onto Rio Grande Mud, Deguello, and the rest of their 70s albums. You won't be disppointed if raw blues-rock is what you like. Billy Gibbons is one of the best blues guitarists around, anyone who knows a thing or two about appreciating guitar tone will love the sounds he gets on this album.

A cracker!