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| XXX | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album (with live elements)by | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | April 1998 – June 1999 | |||
| Length | 49:31 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Billy Gibbons | |||
| ZZ Top chronology | ||||
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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 | Writer(s) | 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 developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues 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 commercial success, eventually going platinum five times 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, equaling the peak of their previous single "Legs". The album yielded three other Top 40 singles in the United States: "Stages", "Rough Boy", and "Velcro Fly".
ZZ Top's First Album is the debut studio album by American rock band ZZ Top, produced by Bill Ham and released in January 1971 by London Records. Establishing ZZ Top's attitude and humor, the album incorporates styles such as blues, boogie, hard rock, and Southern rock influences. "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree" was the only single released from the album.
Tres Hombres is the third studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released on July 26, 1973, by London Records. It was the band's first collaboration with engineer Terry Manning. The album would be ZZ Top's commercial breakthrough in the United States charts. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 1974. Its lead single "La Grange" reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is the first of many ZZ Top albums to incorporate the use of Spanish terminology in their branding. "Tres Hombres" means "three men" in Spanish.
Degüello is the sixth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in November 1979. It was the first ZZ Top release on Warner Bros. Records and eventually went platinum. It was produced by Bill Ham, recorded and mixed by Terry Manning, and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
El Loco is the seventh studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1981. It foreshadowed the band's extensive usage of synthesizers on Eliminator, Afterburner, and to a lesser extent, Recycler, by way of employing a synthesizer on a couple tracks, played by an uncredited Linden Hudson.
Antenna is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1994. It was the band's first album to be released on the RCA label.
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.
Eliminator is the eighth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. It was released on March 23, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records, and rose high on the charts in many countries. Four hit singles were released—"Gimme All Your Lovin'" which reached the American Top 40, "Sharp Dressed Man", "TV Dinners" and their most successful single, "Legs". Eliminator is ZZ Top's most commercially successful release, with sales of 11 million and diamond certification in the US.
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1992.
Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top is a greatest hits album by the rock band ZZ Top. It was released in 2004 on Rhino Entertainment. The title is a portmanteau of "texan" and "mexicano", meaning "Tex-mex Ranch". The 2-CD compilation is essentially a pared-down version of the 4-CD box set Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, released the previous year. All songs are original mixes that have been digitally remastered.
Rhythmeen is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1996. It is their last album with longtime producer Bill Ham.
Chrome, Smoke & BBQ is a 4-CD box set by American rock band ZZ Top. Released in 2003, it is a compilation album of material from the band's tenures with London Records and Warner Bros. Records, recorded from 1967 to 1992. An abbreviated 2-CD version of this compilation, Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top (2004), was released the following year.
William Frederick Gibbons is an American rock musician, best known as the guitarist and primary vocalist of ZZ Top. He began his career in 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, starting with his first album Perfectamundo (2015).
One Foot in the Blues is a compilation album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1994. The album contains a selection of the band's songs which fall into the blues genre. With the exception of the songs taken from the Degüello, El Loco, Eliminator and Recycler albums, the 1987 digital remixes were used.
The Best of ZZ Top(10 Legendary Texas Tales) is a greatest hits album by American rock band ZZ Top, released November 26, 1977. Spanning the years from 1971 to 1975, this compilation album does not contain any songs from Tejas, which was released the year before.
"Leila" is a song by American rock band ZZ Top, from their 1981 album El Loco.
Recycler is the tenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in October 1990. It was the last album to utilize the band's synthesizer-driven production style which began on Eliminator and marked a return to the band's blues roots.
The Six Pack is a box set released in 1987 by the American rock band ZZ Top. It comprises their first five albums, plus their seventh album, El Loco (1981). All the albums except El Loco and the live side of Fandango! were remixed with new drums and guitar effects for a more "contemporary" sound, similar to ZZ Top's eighth album, Eliminator (1983). Until 2006, these remixes were the only versions of the albums available on CD. British musician and producer Alan Parsons had also remixed his first 1976 Project album Tales of Mystery and Imagination in the same manner to achieve the same sound, which was also released in 1987. The band's sixth album Degüello (1979) was not included as it was already available on CD individually.
La Futura is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top, released on September 8, 2012. It is the band's first album in nine years, following Mescalero, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard "Top Rock Albums" chart. La Futura is also the last studio album released in bassist Dusty Hill's lifetime.
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| Studio albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Live albums | |
| Box sets | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Video albums | |
| Tours | |
| Related articles | |
