ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 233 ZZ TOP - DEGUELLO (35TH ANNIVERSARY - 1979)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: ZZ Top

Genre: Blues/Rock

Country Of Origin: United States

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes (2004)

Album: Deguello

Producer: Bill Ham

Release Date: November 1979

Running Time: 34:03

RJ's Top 4 Songs: 1. Cheap Sunglasses...2. I Thank You...3. Esther Be The One...4. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide...5. Manic Mechanic

 

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it). 

How 'bout some ZZ Top this week?  Deguello is your CRB Album Of The Week.  Deguello was released 35 years ago.  Here are a few nuggets regarding the album:

• Deguello is the band's sixth studio album.
• It has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
• It reached number 24 on the U.S. charts.
• I Thank You and Cheap Sunglasses were released as singles, with the former reaching number 34 and the latter making it's way to number 89.  Of course, I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide still gets airplay to this day along with those two singles.
• Deguello means to cut or slit someone's throat or possibly "no quarter".  It was also the title of the bugle call used by the Mexican Army at the Battle Of The Alamo.  
• Dusty Hill performs the lead vocal on Hi Fi Mama.

Truth be told, I was not a ZZ Top fan growing up.  Don't really know why, they just never appealed to me.  I guess I was more of a fan of the melodic stuff back them.  I'm still a melodic fan, but I'm much more at ease with ZZ Top now as well.  This is the second ZZT album I have now featured in this column, the other being Tres Hombres.  Overall, I like this.  The hits are terrific and I think Esther Be The One is a fantastic hidden gem.  Manic Mechanic is a bit strange, but I really like it.  This probably sounds crazy, but musically that song makes me think of Van Halen.

Anyway, what do you think of this album?  Do you own it?  Vinyl or CD?  C'mon, tell us about it.

Side A:

1. I Thank You

2. She Loves My Automobile

3. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

4. A Fool For Your Stockings

5. Manic Mechanic

Side B:

6. Dust My Broom

7. Lowdown In The Street

8. Hi Fi Mama

9. Cheap Sunglasses

10. Esther Be The One

 

[Scott]

Better late than never!  ZZ Top was a staple of my childhood, especially Cheap Sunglasses and thus, this album.  Seen these guys in concert twice and each time was a party!  Boogie and Blues go so well together!  Especially live....

Not much need to talk about the 3 hits, they still get loads of airplay to this day!

But, doesn't the jamming' blues of She Loves My Automobile and A Fool For Your Stockings just get inside of you?  So good!  And how fun is Manic Mechanic and Hi-Fi Mama?  Have Mercy Miss Percy!!!

Esther Be The One, and isn't she always?  What a fun closer to a killer album.  I should do a Part II to my infamous Closer series since no ones done one before or since, there's a lot to choose from still!

Dust My Broom is the only track that's just OK buts its not bad so this makes an album full of good time boogies, blues and geetar!   You're on a roll boss!!!

[Jon]

This is an ok album, it's listenable but not really memorable except for the songs that they play on the radio. Never really got into "Cheap Sunglasses", always thought it was a silly song. And it still is. ZZ Top as a whole is kinda just "there" for me. Sure, I had all those big selling albums from the 80's, but listening to them now they just don't really do much for me. Same with this album, even though it wasn't from the 80's.  

The album cover is quite cool, I'll give it that.

I do own this, found it in the cheap-o WalMart bin a few years ago. The bin is now long gone................. 

[Gordon Williams]

Love me some ZZ! But this one is not "up there" with their best, IMO. Good, but not great. The best ZZ was early ZZ...Tres Hombres, Rio Grande Mud, Tejas. I do enjoy their latest from a few years back, La Futura.