Rhino

ZZ Top’s core sound consists of Frank Beard’s complex rhythms, Billy Gibbons’ overdriven Delta boogie riffage and Dusty Hill’s bass, locked in with Beard in motorik precision and with Gibbons in harmonic counterpoint. Their instrumental base rides below Gibbons’ twanged Delta growl and the twin frontmen’s gruff harmonies. The lyrics are raunchily honest on earnest yet satirical songs about sex and favorite inanimate objects. ZZ Top’s First Album (1970) and Rio Grande Mud (1972) are taut with complex, electric riff rock. On the outstanding Tres Hombres (1973), they embrace weirder innovation (Gibbons’ stunning, understated solo on “Sheik” ) and find their voice in the open spaces. On Degüello (1979), they master it in the pocket. Gibbons is a tone fiend, always chasing new effects. During the two decades presented on this release, electronics infiltrate until they dominate. The commercial success of the synth-heavy ‘80s LPs Eliminator and Afterburner (with their videos full of hot, big-haired women and that candy-apple hot rod) so distorted ZZ Top’s arc that they remixed their whole canon with electronic drums and heavy synth reverb – a revision along the lines of having Greedo shoot first. On The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1990, the first three albums’ original mixes are restored. As always, the old stuff was better.