ZZ Top's First Album

Last updated
ZZ Top's First Album
ZZ Top - ZZ Top's First Album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1971
RecordedJune–October 1970
StudioRobin Hood Studios, Tyler, Texas
Genre Blues rock [1] [2]
Length35:16
Label London
Producer Bill Ham
ZZ Top chronology
ZZ Top's First Album
(1971)
Rio Grande Mud
(1972)
Singles from ZZ Top's First Album
  1. "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree"
    Released: January 1971

ZZ Top's First Album is the debut studio album by American rock band ZZ Top, released in January 1971 by London Records. It was produced by Bill Ham. Establishing ZZ Top's attitude and humor, the album incorporates styles such as blues, boogie, hard rock, and Southern rock influences. The song "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree" was the only single released from the album.

Contents

Background, recording and release

The album was recorded at Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas. ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons said:

We called the record ZZ Top's First Album because we wanted everyone to know that there would be more. We weren't certain if we'd get another chance in the studio, but we had high hopes. [3]

The only single released from the album was "(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree" (backed with "Neighbor, Neighbor") on London Records (release number 45-138). It failed to appear on the Billboard charts.

In 1987, the album was remixed for CD release. In 2013, the original vinyl mix was released on HD Tracks in high-resolution digital download formats. [4] The original mix of the album was released on CD in June 2013 as part of the box set The Complete Studio Albums (1970–1990). [5] In October 2017 a 180 gram vinyl edition of the album was released, using the original mix.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

AllMusic retrospectively gave it 3 stars, stating: "ZZ Top's First Album may not be perfectly polished, but it does establish their sound, attitude, and quirks." [1]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."(Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree" Billy Gibbons 2:32
2."Brown Sugar"Gibbons5:22
3."Squank"Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Bill Ham 2:46
4."Goin' Down to Mexico"Gibbons, Hill, Ham3:26
5."Old Man"Gibbons, Hill, Frank Beard 3:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Neighbor, Neighbor"Gibbons2:18
2."Certified Blues"Gibbons, Beard, Ham3:25
3."Bedroom Thang"Gibbons4:37
4."Just Got Back from Baby's"Gibbons, Ham4:07
5."Backdoor Love Affair"Gibbons, Ham3:20
Total length:35:16

Personnel

ZZ Top

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZZ Top</span> American rock band

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.

<i>Afterburner</i> (ZZ Top album) 1985 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>Rio Grande Mud</i> 1972 studio album by ZZ Top

Rio Grande Mud is the second studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in 1972 by the London Records label. The album title was inspired by the Rio Grande, the river that forms the border between Mexico and Texas.

<i>Tres Hombres</i> 1973 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>Degüello</i> 1979 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>El Loco</i> 1981 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>Antenna</i> (ZZ Top album) 1994 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>XXX</i> (ZZ Top album) 1999 studio album (with live elements) by ZZ Top

XXX is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in September 1999. The album's title commemorates the band's 30th anniversary.

<i>Tejas</i> (album) 1976 studio album by ZZ Top

Tejas is the fifth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in late November 1976, on the London label. The title is a Caddo language word meaning "friends", which is the origin of the name of the band's home state, Texas.

<i>Eliminator</i> (album) 1983 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>Rhythmeen</i> 1996 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<i>Chrome, Smoke & BBQ</i> 2003 box set by ZZ Top

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.

<i>One Foot in the Blues</i> 1994 compilation album by ZZ Top

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legs (song)</span> 1984 single by ZZ Top

"Legs" is a song by the band ZZ Top from their 1983 album Eliminator. The song was released as the fourth single in May 1984 more than a year after the album came out. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and the dance mix version of the song peaked at number 13 on the dance charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tush (ZZ Top song)</span> 1975 single by ZZ Top

"Tush" is a song by American blues rock band ZZ Top and was the only single from their fourth album Fandango! The song was named the 67th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

<i>Live from Texas</i> 2008 live album by ZZ Top

Live from Texas is a live DVD/Blu-ray by ZZ Top. It was recorded on November 1, 2007, at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, and released on June 24, 2008, by Eagle Rock Records. It was also released on audio CD in Europe on October 28, 2008, and in the US on November 4, 2008. A vinyl version is also available in Europe.

<i>Fandango!</i> 1975 studio & live album by ZZ Top

Fandango! is the fourth album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1975. The album's first side consists of selections from live shows, with the second side being new studio recordings. A remastered and expanded edition of this album was released on February 28, 2006.

<i>Recycler</i> (album) 1990 studio album by ZZ Top

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Head's in Mississippi</span> 1990 single by ZZ Top

"My Head's In Mississippi" is a song by ZZ Top from their album Recycler. The song was produced by band manager Bill Ham, and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning. In December 1990, the song reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 166 in Australia.

"Arrested for Driving While Blind" is a song by American blues rock band ZZ Top. Written by all three band members Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, it was released as the second single from their fifth studio album Tejas (1976).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. ZZ Top's First Album review allmusic.com. Retrieved on 24 May 2011.
  2. "How ZZ Top's First Album Established An Unbeatable Blues-Rock Blueprint". Dig!. January 16, 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  3. Bosso, Joe (4 June 2013). "Billy Gibbons talks ZZ Top: The Complete Studio Albums (1970-1990)". MusicRadar.
  4. "Homepage – HDtracks – The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads".
  5. Gallucci, Michael. "New ZZ Top Box Will Include Original Mixes of First 10 Albums". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  6. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "ZZ Top". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  907-8. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.