Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers: A ZZ Top Guide

by Neil Daniels

Overview

Fifteen studio albums, fifty million records sold, and more awards than you can shake a stick at - including an induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame - have made ZZ Top legends.

So, let's celebrate 'em in a fact-packed handbook that gives you the lowdown on the Texas trio that's been rocking for well over 40 years and are still going strong. What you get here is:

*The essential history of the band from their 1969 roots to the present day.

*A review of the band's studio output, plus notable tours and gigs.

*Mini-biographies of the boys, plus their influences and who they in turn have influenced.

*Awards won, plus bits and pieces of fascinating and fun trivia charting their rise to fame.

Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers celebrates the music and legacy of one of America's most prominent and popular rock bands. It's everything you ever needed to know about ZZ Top, but were afraid to ask.

So, what are you waiting for? Crank up the volume and give Messrs Gibbons, Hill and Beard all your lovin'.

This is the ultimate guide to those sharp dressed men.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780957144279
Publisher:	Soundcheck Books LLP
Publication date:	03/01/2014
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Neil Daniels is one of popular music's top authors, having written over a dozen books on rock and metal. He has also contributed to many music magazines, fanzines and websites. Visit www.neildaniels.com and neildanielsbooks.wordpress.com

Read an Excerpt

The band set to work on their third studio album, Tres Hombres which was released later in the year. On January 22 and January 23, ZZ Top opened for the mighty Rolling Stones in Hawaii. Some believed that ZZ Top upstaged the Stones. David Blayney had been a roadie for the trio since 1969. He told Gary James of Classic Bands: "…back in those days when no one had a clue as to who or what ZZ Top was, when they would go out and appear to an audience that was totally cold to them and maybe they'd heard one or two songs on the radio...it blew their minds. It would catch them off guard. It was so strong coming from three pieces. It was like, how come I haven't heard of these guys? Where have they been? They would catch a lot of people by surprise. Therefore, people would go away remembering ZZ rather than the Stones. In that respect, you might say they blew the Stones off the stage.”

Table of Contents

Foreword Steven Rosen ix

Introduction xvii

Part 1 The Story of ZZ Top

Chapter 1 The Early Years: ZZ Top's Formation (1969-1971) 3

Chapter 2 La Grange: Finding A Sound (1972-1975) 21

Chapter 3 Bearded Men: Tejas And Takin' A Break (1975-1978) 28

Chapter 4 Gimme Some Lovin': A Triple Whammy (1979-1984) 37

Chapter 5 Afterburner: ZZ Top In The 1980s (1985-1990) 49

Chapter 6 Viva ZZ Top: A New Decade, A New Record Deal (1991-2000) 58

Chapter 7 The Old And The New: Chrome, Smoke & BBQ And Mescalero (2001-2005) 72

Chapter 8 Flyin' High And La Futura (2006-2013) 84

Part 2 ZZ Top's Friends and Influences

Chapter 9 ZZ Top's Associates 123

Chapter 10 ZZ Top's Blues Heroes 131

Chapter 11 ZZ Top's Rock 'n' Roll Heroes 144

Chapter 12 ZZ Top's Country And Folk Heroes 155

Chapter 13 ZZ Top's Peers 160

Chapter 14 ZZ Top's Fellow Modern Blues Rock Contemporaries 169

Part 3 ZZ Top Miscellanea

Chapter 15 ZZ Top's Enduring Legacy 183

Selective List Of Awards 183

Featured Polls 185

ZZ Top Trivia 185

Chapter 16 ZZ Top In Showbiz 189

ZZ Top On TV And Film 189

ZZ Top Non-Music Related Projects 192

Chapter 17 ZZ Top And Their Critics 193

What The Rock Scribes Think Of ZZ Top 193

Part 4 ZZ Top's Music

Chapter 18 The Music Of ZZ Top 207

Studio Albums 207

EPs 212

Live Albums 212

Compilations 213

Singles 218

Soundtracks 222

Music Videos 223

DVDs 223

Albums Of Interest 224

Tribute Albums 225

Chapter 19 It's Not All 'Bout ZZ Top, Y'All 226

Guest Appearances 226

Chapter 20 ZZ Top Memorable Live Performances And Tours 228

Headlining Tours 228

Memorable Festival Appearances 230

Memorable TV Performances 231

Selective List Of Support Bands/Special Guests/Co-Headliners 232

Afterword Martin Popoff 235

Bibliography And Sources 238

Acknowledgements 242

Disclaimer 243