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| XXX | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album with live elementsby | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | April 1998 – June 1999 | |||
| Length | 49:31 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Billy Gibbons | |||
| ZZ Top chronology | ||||
| ||||
XXX is the thirteenth studio album (also including live material) by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in September 1999. The album's title commemorates the band's 30th anniversary.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
AllMusic only gave the album one and a half stars, and in its review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, he states: "After all, countless blues-based musicians, from Lightnin' Hopkins and Muddy Waters to B.B. King and the Rolling Stones, have aged gracefully, albeit in varying degrees. So why does ZZ Top sound so stiff and useless on XXX, a record celebrating their 30th anniversary? Part of that could be that the songwriting is decidedly weak, but a band as seasoned as ZZ Top should be able to make third-rate material at least listenable." [1]
A more positive review was posted by RoughEdge.com, whose reviewer R. Scott Bolton gave it three out of four guitars and stated that the album "represents the best of both worlds of ZZ Top [...] [t]he bluesy sounds that highlight their early years [and] the special effects and tricks that made their later recordings so popular". [6]
The album peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200.
All tracks are written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Poke Chop Sandwich" | 4:50 |
| 2. | "Crucifixx-A-Flatt" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Fearless Boogie" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "36-22-36" | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Made into a Movie" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Beatbox" | 2:48 |
| 7. | "Trippin'" | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Dreadmonboogaloo" | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Live Intro by Ross Mitchell" | 0:35 |
| 10. | "Sinpusher [Live]" | 5:18 |
| 11. | "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear [Live]" (Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann) | 5:21 |
| 12. | "Hey Mr. Millionaire [Live]" | 4:14 |
| 13. | "Belt Buckle [Live]" | 4:05 |
| Total length: | 49:31 | |
All tracks are written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Ninja Shack" | 5:00 |
Album – Billboard
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| The Billboard 200 | 100 |
Singles – Billboard
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Fearless Boogie" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 2000 | "36-22-36" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 31 |
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For 51 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top had developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues guitar playing style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are known for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.
Afterburner is the ninth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1985. Although critics' response to the album was lukewarm, Afterburner was a moderate success, going platinum and launching one hit single: "Sleeping Bag" which peaked at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
ZZ Top's First Album is the debut studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. It was produced by Bill Ham, and released in January 1971, on London Records. Establishing ZZ Top's attitude and humor, the album incorporates styles such as blues, boogie, hard rock, and Southern rock influences. Thematically, the album is about personal experiences and sexual innuendos. "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree" was the only single released from the album.
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El Loco is the seventh studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1981.
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Mescalero is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in September 2003, as the band's final release for RCA Records. While the band still retained their foundation in blues rock, Mescalero explored genres like country and Tejano. Recording sessions took place at Foam Box Recordings in Houston, with Billy Gibbons as producer.
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William Frederick Gibbons is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary vocalist of ZZ Top. He began his career in the Moving Sidewalks, who recorded Flash (1969) and opened four dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Gibbons formed ZZ Top in late 1969 and released ZZ Top's First Album in early 1971. He has also maintained a solo career in recent years, releasing three solo albums: Perfectamundo (2015), The Big Bad Blues (2018), and Hardware (2021).
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Joe Michael "Dusty" Hill was an American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for more than 50 years. He also sang lead and backing vocals and played keyboards.
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| Studio albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Live albums | |
| Box sets | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Video albums | |
| Tours | |
| Related articles | |
