Back in 1969, Billy F Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill joined together in Houston as ZZ Top. The band that would unassumingly go on to be known as That Little Ol’ Band From Texas soon made rock history with a string of hugely successful record releases and tour dates. Over the next 20 years, the trio went on to critical and commercial acclaim, selling millions of albums and concert tickets around the world, while earning induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and status as one of the only bands to have been awarded an RIAA Diamond (domestic sales of 10 million or more) album.
Warner Bros. Records explores the impressive scope of ZZ TOP’s musical legacy with a boxed set that includes the original mixes for the band’s first 10 albums. ZZ TOP: THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS (1970–1990) will be available on June 14.
The set, including the albums initially released on the London label as well as the string of Warner Bros. Hits that followed, includes ZZ TOP’S FIRST ALBUM (1971), RIO GRANDE MUD (1972), TRES HOMBRES (1973), FANDANGO! (1975)*, TEJAS (1976), DEGÜELLO (1979), EL LOCO (1981), ELIMINATOR (1983), AFTERBURNER (1985) and RECYCLER (1990). Each album is presented in a wallet sleeve that faithfully reproduces the original artwork, including the gatefold designs used for TRES HOMBRES and TEJAS. The set presents, for the first time on CD, the original mixes for ZZ TOPS’ FIRST ALBUM, RIO GRANDE MUD and TEJAS that have long been on the wish lists of the band’s most fervent fans.
Today, Gibbons, Hill and Beard remain together performing and recording as, they often say, “the same three guys playing the same three chords.” The trio offered a statement regarding the forthcoming release of ZZ TOP: THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS (1970–1990), “We're gratified that the albums from the first 20 years of the band are going to be made available in this set. We're especially delighted to note the restoration of ZZ TOP'S FIRST ALBUM, RIO GRANDE MUD and TEJAS has been incorporated; it's good to have been made whole again on a certain level.”
The collection spans 100 tracks that follow the band’s journey from the honky tonks of Texas to the stages of the world, starting with the earthy blues and electrifying boogie that defined their ’70s sound, ‘Just Got Paid’, ‘La Grange’, ‘Tush’ and ‘Cheap Sunglasses’. THE COMPLETE STUDIO ALBUMS closes with the familiar synthesizers featured on the group’s biggest singles from the ’80s — ‘Legs’ and ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ from the Diamond-certified ELIMINATOR, and the #1 hits ‘Sleeping Bag’ and ‘Stages’ from its multi-platinum follow-up AFTERBURNER.