Mescalero - ZZ Top

...are some other highlights though- Mescalero is a great opener, and dusted has a fantastic laidback groove and wah wah solo. I still highly reccommend this album, it has enough great somgs to make it worthwhile, but at 16 tracks long, it just feels a bit bloated. They still put most other bands to shame though.  ... more

ZZ Top's most recent studio release, shows that even after nearly 40 years together, they are still capable of producing some of the finest music out there- an almost perfect combination of blues and rock n' roll. This album has several standout tracks, which easily match their most famous work. Bassist dusty Hill takes over singing duties on Piece, and the result is one of their finest tracks to date, with two incredible guitar solos from Billy Gibbons. He also demonstrates his considerable vocal talents on closing track Liquor, a classic down and dirty blues number that shows that ZZ Top are still up there with the best of them. Buck Nekkid shows the bands more humorous side, with great lyrics, a classic blues riff, and some seriously good guitar playing.But sadly, this album is far from perfect. The main criticism is that there are just too many songs. If five or six of the songs were cut, the album would be much better for if. The two ballads Goin' so Good and Que Lastima, are nowhere near as good as 2000 Blues off their recycler album, or I Need You Tonight off the Eliminator album. Some of the other tracks are just plain uninspiring. There are some other highlights though- Mescalero is a great opener, and dusted has a fantastic laidback groove and wah wah solo. I still highly reccommend this album, it has enough great somgs to make it worthwhile, but at 16 tracks long, it just feels a bit bloated. They still put most other bands to shame though. 

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