ZZ Top, the "little ole Band from Texas" is at heart, a blues band, heavily influenced by Mississippi Delta Blues.

these 3 guys helped so many Texas musicians get their start...literally paying for buses for the road trips...much love

Yes, Billy Gibbons voice has a black timbre. It fits perfectly to their blues. Hendrix spoke highly of Gibbons. I met him here once in Germany on the street. Cool guy.

Billy, Dusty, and Frank were large fans of Muddy Waters, and I am sure John Hooker and other well-known bluesmen as well. They had some great role models who taught them how it is done!! I have always loved ZZT and think Billy Gibbons is really pretty cool. Love his voice. Another excellent reaction Harri. Thanks.

This album is killer.

I saw them in early 70's in lasvegas. They truly are blues men.✌✌☮

3 guys from Texas. I grew up in Texas, and the music influences across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Arkansas at the time were incredible. At night on the AM band of the radio, you could hear stations from Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, and Mexico, with the pirate stations blasting the sound back into the US. They even have a song about it called "I Heard It On The X" Every night, you could hear rock, country, blues, R&B, Gospel, Classical, you name it, it was there, and it was coming from all over the country at night. I was a roadie for the boys in the late 70s for a time on the ZZ Top World Wide Texas Tour. Dusty's big influence was Elvis. Billy has a number of them.

They know what cool is, And perfected it. All of Texas loves them. They were given an award by the president.

“Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers”, is off the same album, and is a really funky duet between Dusty and Billy.

I was a high school freshman when this album was released, it blew everyone away. We had never heard anything like it. Billy's family had a black house keeper and she often would bring Billy along with her to blues clubs,it definitely influenced Billy and we're thankful for that!

I’ve been a ZZ Top Fan since 1973. My favorite band.

I was born in 1979 so was a kid during the Eliminator/Afterburner "resurgence" if you will. They were played anywhere and everywhere including MTV during it's hay day. Tres Hombres was well before my time, but in my opinion is their best work. Dirty, gritty, bluesy, funky rock n roll. Just the way I like it.

Billy Gibbons grew up in Houston, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States. He sings the way he sings because he can't sing any other way, it's how his voice has always sounded. I sing this pair of songs every gig I play, and I don't even come close to Billy, but people love it.

Thank you for this! This may be their best album, or the studio side to their next album ‘Fandango!’ It’s all fantastic. For 2 or 3 years in the mid-‘70s they may have been the greatest band in the world. Billy Gibbons got to open for Hendrix when he was young. Hendrix gave him advice and a pink guitar. Johnny Winter helped ZZ TOP when they were starting out, and they helped out Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan and Fabulous Thunderbirds with guitars, exposure, and buses full of hometown fans to look good at away gigs. It’s a Texas thing. “Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings”, please!

I venture to say that most long -term ZZ Top fans think of this when you mention ZZ Top. This is exactly what they sound like. It's high-energy blues.

The first 3 albums are absolutely essential listening! Even though "Tejas" is very under rated and one of my favorites.

This album was on heavy rotation at one of the hippie houses from my past. At one time Billy Gibbons and friends were musicians' musicians, but they were typecast in the video age, and they became more known for their look than their sound. Hearing it with headphones is an entirely different experience, and an enriching one at that. They sounded like they had walked the talk. And their instruments were distinct and creative voices in their own right. Brilliant dyad.

I was just singing Jesus Left Chicago in my home office today. 🙂Great song.

Very few bands from the 70’s made the transition into the 80’s and MTV era as well as ZZTop. It was as if MTV was made for them, and it is hard to imagine early MTV without the Eliminator videos

ZZ TOP is fantastic. Since the 1970s.

They were playing dances and such in my neighborhood when I was about 14 made for great high school parties. Love my hometown boys. Enjoy

When ZZ Top headlined the Byron Bay Blues Festival in Australia 20-odd years ago, Billy Gibbons apparently wasn't happy about being labelled "old" in the local media. And so, like the absolute boss that he is, he demonstrated his youthful vigour by bringing a treadmill onto the stage, and delivered most of his performance while jogging virtual rings around the critics. Watching the man deliver a blues-rock guitar masterclass while getting in a nice, long aerobics workout was priceless.

Those Guys Are Fabulous. Seen them many times. Miss Dusty. RIP

Pre-MTV ZZ Top is so much better than post-MTV ZZ Top. Both are good, but there is no comparison. Thanks, enjoyed your review! By the way, this is arguably the best ZZ Top album according to us "old guys" who heard it when it was new! If you can get an album, open it up and look at the food!!!

“It Sure Got Cold After the Rain Fell” is a very laid back bluesy song. On of my favorite ZZ Top songs.

ZZ Top formed in 1966 and until Dusty Hill died this year they were the longest running original line up of any rock band

Been a fan since the 70's. Don't miss Rough Boy! Amazing slow number from ZZ Top.

Their older music was better in my opinion much more bluesy. Sharp dressed man and others were more commercial sounding

You should check out their song Fool for your Stockings... Blues at its finest... Great songs man... Great reaction.

70's ZZ Top is simply Texas Blues. Spent a week with these guys in prolly 80/81. I was a kid and they were my best friend's dad's best friends from childhood. Had NO clue who they were. Went camping, fishing and shooting! Crazy!

early ZZ is the funkiest and best imo!

I consider myself lucky to have seen these guys in concert five times here in Seattle. Starting in the mid 70s up into the early 80s great band awesome show…

This album came just as I started college in ‘73, and was able to sneak into the bar in a small college town while this music was playing and it was the nuts back then…jamming while playing foosball with this music cranked up on an incredible sound system! Seems like yesterday, but it’s obviously been awhile!

That drum part in the intro is a test of a drummer's prowess. In my bands, I've only had three drummers who could do it correctly. It took an entire 4 hour practice session for two of them to get it right. (One got it right the first time. He was AWESOME!!!)

I been loving ZZ Top since the Early 80’s get the best of ZZ Top and the 6 Pack you will find some great songs. Blue Jean Blues

ZZ Top Drivin while blind...... great song...

ZZ Top is one of my top three favorite bands. They are in between Skynyrd and Pink Floyd IMHO. Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Dusty Hill (RIP) were deeply influenced in the blues, jazz, funk of what was traditionally done by black artists. They have actually mashed them all up into their own sound. I could listen to them all day long, and have done so.

This album shook even the blues/rock scene in Australia upon its release. My friends and I played Tres Hombres on high rotation in our cars' cassette players and partied hard to it in our teens (I'm in my late 50s). R.I.P. Dusty. You made a difference in our lives.

This is from my era, the golden days of music. We listened to all genres of music and the bands were simply marvelous! Thank you for the great reaction.

Thanks Harri!! My favorite ZZ album, and I could put it on repeat for hours. Early ZZ Top is just bad ass!!

You might also like their version of "16 tons" Also "Blue Jeans Blues"

From funky southern rock, transitioning into straight up blues. Such talent.

In the guitarist world, they are legends for TONE. Amps., Tubes, Guitars. Laid on top of all that THEMSELVES!.

watching the reaction and deep authentic appreciation, gives me incredible satisfaction!

The sound of ZZ Top is summed up in a single word…Texas. You get the same flavours listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, Willie Mae “Big Momma” Thornton, and anything Swishahouse. It’s our own thang.

Hey Harri, this is the “real” sound of ZZ Top, before their venture into more commercial rock in the 80’s, and you hit the nail right on the head when you said you heard the influence of old black American blues players…the whole band are huge fans, especially the guitarist/singer, Billy Gibbons. He has been very influential in raising funds over the last 40+ years for the Delta Blues Museum in Mississippi.

ZZ "Loved" all the Old Blues players most of them Black of course and they learned all they could and then put their "own" Texas style to their music Harri 👍🎸🎶

Super amazing and fun shows. I had the pleasure of seeing them in 1979. Sadly Dusty Hill passed a couple years ago.

Best sounding band I've seen live.... 1990 at the Cotton Bowl, Texas with Santana and Steve Miller.

Oh yeah! My brother's favorite song to play With their band! Also (I'm bad) Nationwide and Beer Drinkers and He'll Raisers! You'll love em! The guys grew up listening to old blues players growing up in Texas. They have a bio video of ZZ top and their beginnings . Ck it out. It's fascinating! This was my first album and favorite! I have fav songs on all their albums. To me ZZ Top didn't make any bad songs. It just depends on what mood your in when choosing the song! 😂

Great to see someone new love them as much as I do. Loved the reaction.

70’s was about the best years!

I actually sang with them on stage! I was so little, Billy had to hold me up to the microphone.

Saw a callout in the comments below for "Blue jean Blues." I have this song on my all-time, any genre top ten list. A must listen. Another great song for a road trip is "Going Down to Mexico." The bridge is pure cruising music.

60yrs old and still gives me chills seen them concert few times when I was a young man thanks BROTHER

👍 Time keeps on ticking... Going through a box of old ticket stubs not long ago. My first rock concert: May 19, 1973 East Tennessee State University Rory Gallagher - ZZ Top 4 bucks It was about two months before Tres Hombres came out. (Dusty Hill's 24th birthday, I came to find out on his passing) It was Festival Seating and I managed to get about 15 feet from mic center. Rory Gallagher was pure fire right out of the gate, and his band was phenomenal. (particularly Lou Martin on his electric piano) Rory was amazing to see play and I think that he had as much fun as anyone. Then, BG and the boys came out. Back when they were the most badass blues rock band that ever was. Straw hats, jeans, no beards (but Frank. lol), and BG in a white tshirt w/ pack of Marlboros rolled up in the sleeve(lol). Needless to say, Rory and BG made a big impression on a 16 yr old. Blues rock, slide guitar nut ever since. RIP Dusty, Rory, Lou, and Rod. Thank You! Keep Rockin, Gerry!

One of the tightest bands ever I can't think of one bad song

They are so great, and this is one of the absolute best songs. Billy Gibbons shows now and again that you don't need to play a thousand tones in a guitar solo to make it great...!

Saw them live about 25 years ago. They put on an amazing show.

One of the best 3-piece bands to ever rock the 70's-90's, RIP Dusty, rarely a party where ZZ didn't rock our socks off!

Highly influenced by Lightnin Hopkins and other blues artists. Their first 3 albums, including Tres hombres, were very bluesy. Great musicians.

ZZ TOP is one of the best three piece blues bands ever !!!

Enjoyed you enjoying them. ZZ Top an all time fave.

Seen them twice. Love them.

This album is one of their earlier ones. During the bands early days, they did a lot of touring along the deep South from east Texas all the way across and played a lot of small clubs in Louisiana and so forth. They have a very distinctive, bluesy, funky sound simply because of Where they grew up and also where they were playing. When I hear this album in general, I think of gravel, parking lots, fried chicken, beer, and Cotton Fields. That’s a bizarre description I know, but that is what I see in my minds eye as I hear the music. There was never really anything like ZZ Top before, and there really hasn’t been anything like them since. They are pretty much in a category all by themselves. They are definitely Texas through and through.

This was originally the first and 2nd cut off the album but the radio stations segued them together to make them into one song. Definitely a different sound on this band. Guitars still have some great Bluesy appearances. Some of it makes me think of Cream. Call me crazy. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Dump the Stump. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

As a French Canadian, ZZ Top is one of my favorite band of all time. Saw them 4 times here in Montréal. I envie you hearing them for the first time. Must be a very cool feeling! Sorry for my English here, Doing my best. Cheers!

Yes, there is a huge influence from black artists who brought the blues to the forefront of music to many of us. I pray that God continues to bless you and yours. I love ya brother. Stay strong and rock on.

A couple suggestions, just because they're among my favorite ZZ Top songs: "Fool for your Stockings" (classic ZZT blues song, my fav), "Hot, Blue, and Righteous" (kinda like a blues gospel song?), and "Manic Mechanic" (crazy song about a guy Dusty Hill knew). Then there's "Master of Sparks" which is apparently a true story of Billy Gibbons and his friends welding up this round steel cage where someone would get inside and they would drag it down the highway behind someone's pick-up truck.

Another overlooked great early song is “Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings”. Course all the early ZZ is great!

This is my favorite ZZ top song, ever. Was very blessed to grow up with this type 70s Southern 'rock' music. 😁

One of my favorites. I every one of their albums.

ZZ Top’s albums “Tres Hombres (Three Men), “Tejas (Texas)”, “Rio Grande Mud” are classic albums. All songs off of those three albums will not disappoint.

Texas girl here! coming in late but cannot be silent. love, love, love your content! YES most classic 'american' rock is highly influenced by BLUES, FUNK, SOUL, and JAZZ! thank the universe for all the black artists that gave us the revolution for the evolution!

ZZ Top number one in my book 50 years of music rock on😎😎😎

Saw them in concert in 1977! Awesome performance!

Funky? Try "Heard it on the X".

Caught them live when I was a teenager...EPIC. Great that you have discovered them, sorry you can't catch them live

Saw them in Tucson in the early 80's. It was awesome. I won tickets to the concert and to dinner prior. Got to meet them at dinner and then went backstage. Pretty neat :) "Jesus Done Left Chicago" is one of my favorites. One of the best southern rock bands. My ears rang for days lol.

Bb king is one of their biggest influence

Absolutely loved your reaction

Harry, you need to do "Blue Jean Blues" from the Fandango Album. It's a live performance (no video) that is very slow blues done as only ZZ Top can do it!!!

Maybe my favorite ZZ Top cut! Massive blues and funk influence. Love it! Nice job brother.

Two of my favorites for sure along with Brown Sugar off there first. This whole album is gold definitely there best.

In college in the 70's this was the most borrowed album out of my collection. It was almost never in my room.

When music was music!!! I was so blessed to be a teen in the 70’s and in my 20’s in the 80’s !!! So much great music!! The great thing is I can continue to enjoy it today !!! RIP Dusty !!! Lots of Rock bands( Led Zeppelin, ZZ, The Rolling Stones and many more) started in the Blues Genre !!! ❤❤❤❤

March 20 1980, 4 in the morning - ZZ Top enter the stage in Essen (Germany) for their first show in Europe, broadcasted live via TV and radio all over the continent. I watched it on TV in East Germany and it was a great concert :-)

One of my favorite songs by ZZ Top is blue jeans blues well worth the listen

Why yes, yes you do. These guys are legends.

One World, many rhythms ... i was first introduced to this concept while attending the Musikfest in Allentown Pennsylvania held annually towards the end of summer. I enjoy the beat of the drum, the indigenous rhythms of our world's cultures. It is my feeling an Africa drumbeat would sound similar, but not the same. This is the music i grew up with and enjoy. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Peace and Love our brother.

I always thought Billy Gibbons was a great player when I was a teen but after I broke away from the rock stuff and got heavy into the blues through SRV, Albert and Freddie King really appealed to me. Billy Gibbons is straight up Freddie King. Of course he developed his own thing, amazingly might I add, but his roots and thought processes are pure Freddie. After playing blues at a high level for years, most of the rock players I liked in my teens were almost comical looking back but a few had the goods. I went and seen ZZ Top on their blues tour way back when and Billy's sound filled the arena and played with such confidence I was blown away and humbled. Few rock players had Billy's unique understanding of space, he seemed to understand the notes you don't play are as important as the ones you do. His version of Rough Boy, which is not even really a blues tune, that night was scary good. Most underrated guitar hero of his era(s)

Been a ZZ TOP fan since the 70's. The blues is so rich and thick it lifts your heart up and makes you want to pop open a smooth Mexican Brew!

Gotta love the funk !! Thanks for the great song Domp Stomp and thanks to Harri the best dude ! ✌👍

Great reaction, I will now be playing ZZ Top for the weekend.

Like others said, they had many, many influences -- from the pirate radio stations which played everything from blues to country to Latino stuff and more, and the music scene in Houston and other parts, to the various scenes that were happening in the 60s when they were starting out. Billy Gibbons, the guitar player and lead vocalist on most stuff (the bassist Dusty Hill, RIP, sang on some stuff too) tells how when he was a child his babysitter took him out to various venues and introduced him to all kinds of cool music. Billy was in a psychedelic rock band in the late 60s called Moving Sidewalks. They recorded an album and opened a few dates for the Jimi Hendrix experience. The Reverend Billy F. Gibbons is one of the greatest guitar players of all time. He's not a fancy, complex shredder or anything, but when it comes to pentatonic based blues, boogie, rock stuff, nobody plays with the kind of feel and groove that he does, and his guitar tone, particularly the earlier 70s stuff, is something to which many guitar players aspire. You don't need to be technically complex or anything to be great. BB King's playing was very simple, but he said more with every note he played -- and every note he didn't play -- than most shredders do with 50 notes. Billy has greatly influenced my own solo/lead playing, more than anyone else perhaps. He's also the reason I felt comfortable switching to very light guage strings. He uses 7s, I use 8s (9s on my Telecaster). I have physical problems with my hands, so light strings makes it easier to play. I've also discovered that, once you get used to it, you can achieve a lot greater subtlety and control over the strings. I had always heard people say you need thicker guage strings to get a good tone. But when I found out Billy used 7s, I decided if very light strings were good enough for Billy, they're good enough for me. Billy says it was BB King who got him to use light strings, btw. Apparently BB played Billy's guitar and commented on the 11s or whatever Billy was using at the time. Billy says something like "don't all you guys use heavy strings to get the good sound?" and BB responded something like "well, let me ask you, why do you want to work so hard?" After that Billy went went light and ended up on 7s.

ZZ Top have been playing since 1969, so they have a good 55 years under their belt. Their solid foundation was based on B.B. King and Z. Z. Hill and they originally wanted to call the band ZZ king in homage to the two musicians but found it was too similar to their own names. They then decided the King is at the top so the name ZZ Top was agreed on, and the rest , as they say, is history. Until their 1981 Eliminator album, ZZ Top music was very much New Orleans Blues orientated and you can really feel it in Jesus Just Left Chicago.

Big ZZTop fan from Texas!! The OLD ZZ Top is the best.. I can listen to it all the time! Go check out Heard it on the X. That's the Old Pirate station we listened to.

This is one of my go to albums. Such good blues rock. My favorite riffs are on it. Master of sparks, beer drinkers and hell raisers.

Slight hint of gospel...... LOVE ZZ TOP!

Billy Gibbons is a quintessential Texas Bluesman!!! And there have been SO MANY!!! From T-Bone Walker to Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown to Freddie King to Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan to Billy Gibbons!!!