Title: Tres hombres
Artiste: ZZ Top
Year: 1973
Chronological position: Third album
Previous experience of this artiste: "Eliminator", "Afterburner", the Greatest Hits, "La futura" and some singles.
Why is this considered a classic? This was ZZ's breakthrough album (first time) and their first hit single, "La Grange" was on it
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Ger-eat!
One track in --- Great!
Halfway through --- Great!
Finished --- Great!
Comments: I'd love to tell you I was one of those people who was into ZZ at the start, long before they kicked the **** out of the charts with "Legs", "Gimme all your lovin'" etc and made having a beard cool and synonymous with sexy girls in leather minis (ahhh!) but no, I can't. Although I had heard "Tush" previously, and that only on the basis of wanting to know what the original sounded like having heard the Girlschool version, I knew nothing of the tres hombres prior to the explosion that was "Eliminator". I also got to hear
Jesus just left Chicago, as it was the B-side of
Tush, if I recall correctly. But now I can hear them in all their glory, before fame, before videos, before synthesisers and drum machines.
I did however know that ZZ were all about the blues, and this certainly shows on their third album, widely regarded I believe as one of their finest. Unknown Soldier, correct me if I'm wrong! This is just pure blues heaven all the way through, and while some of the tracks are a little weaker compared to giants like
Jesus just left Chicago and
La Grange it's a solid album with pretty much nothing on it I don't like.
Favourite track(s):
Jesus just left Chicago, Hot blue and righteous, La Grange, Have you heard?, Move me on down the line
Least favourite track(s): Non Sequitor, Senor!
Final impression --- ZZ as they were meant to be, as they started out, before all this electronic nonsense made them pop stars. Ah yeah, I loved "Eliminator" but this is REAL music!
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
Definitely a big A!