helterskelter.ca

ZZ TOP
1973 - Tres Hombres.
1983 - Eliminator.
way more Helter Skelter.

July 26, 1973 - 2023: 50 years of: Tres Hombres.

The Lone Star State gets a powersurge.

From the muddy Rio Grande, to the Forum fame ...record number three sets the ZZ's to the top. During the hard rocknroll-less USA of the early 70s, ZZ TOP were the alternative for electrified rhythmnblues.

Instant boogie strikes at the knees, as "Waitin' For The Bus" kicks-in and Holy Chicago-blues gets properly displayed on the appropriately titled: "Jesus Just Left Chicago". Red-hot rebel-rock and overall mayhem are worshipped on "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers", while the almost heavymetal tone of "Precious And Grace" melts speakers into a pulp.

Another bar-blues heart-melter in the form of "Hot, Blue And Righteous" warms the hall for the upcoming all-star arena-crunch of "La Grange" ...a now iconic 50 years young US-of-A whore-playin' overdriven-tone blues-rock wall-shaker.

Future Rocknroll Hall Of Famers, from bad to Nationwide, ZZ TOP was drawing crowds as the destructive effects of live hardrock and rhythmnblues would soon get more squadrons on board, in the form of AEROSMITH and KISS.

RIAA-certified Gold and fan-certified favorite, the ZZ's would crank more decibel delights on 1975's fun-filled Fandango ! LP.

HAVE MERCY !

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Tres Hombres = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnXSzgNe4xE&list=OLAK5uy_m21kJIPRTeEQkYjxRkPELl3euTKGCmaX0

March 23, 1983 - 2023: 40 years of: Eliminator.

...and our asses were about to get kicked by some little 'ol band from Texas.

1983: breakthrough year when hardrock and heavymetal took the main-stage and brushed-off the disco-leftovers and the newwaves-preppies. 1983: when ACCEPT, DIO, DEF LEPPARD and new bad-boys MÖTLEY CRÜE broke down rocknroll barriers and made millions of eardrums bleed.

Keeping the grooves alive from 1981's El Loco LP, the beer-drinkers and hell-raisers were finally hitting a Grand Slam with their eighth release. Massive rhythms, massive guitars and now massive fan-base, ZZ TOP took the flag and ran away with it: the iconic show-stoppin' 10 million+ selling high-beam high-rollin' piston-machine: Eliminator !

Drummer Frank Beard kicks the door wide-open with "Gimme All Your Lovin", all hips are shakin', all fists are pumpin' and all heads are bangin' ...grade-A American southern-rocknroll. The heat turns-up with "Got Me Under Pressure", look around you, that sea of air-guitar players in action. What Angus Young started ...Billy F. Gibbons perfected it.

Slow down, Zippo in the air and hold on to that special someone with "I Need You Tonight" and jump right back into action, as bikers unite for some fine delicacy with some "TV Dinners" ...a feast that will surely fill some of the biggest rock-appetite. In strip-bars across the nation, 4 years before the women got some sugar poured on, this muscular-hit was the be-all end-all of late-nite tavern-rocknroll. The supercharged supersexy "Legs" stunts the masses with it's infectious synth-rhythm and rock-solid beat.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen:
...please stand-up,
...kindly remove hats,
...apply right-hand palm to the heart,
...and pledge allegiance to the Rock-N-Roll State Of The Union address.

"Sharp Dressed Man" is the 80s-track of all 80s-tracks. Attitude in altitude, where testosterone freely burns like gasoline. Fashionable rebels, who says you cannot kick ass in a three-piece-suit ? Full low-end bass, rough dirty guitars, pounding drums and that snarl vocal line that makes 'em weak at the knees. A lethal dose of boogie-rock that has taken the air-waves by storm. If you don't get the vibe of this one, you must be rigor-mortis !

Back then there was the single-45, then there was FM-radio and now there was MTV ...yet MTV wouldn't have a gig without ZZ TOP and the video-trilogy of "Gimme All Your Lovin", "Sharp Dress Man" and "Legs". The time was right, the people wanted it and the people got it. RIAA-certified Diamond, there is no household in America that didn't possessed a copy of the Eliminator LP.

Texas's terrifying-trio shall repeat the carnage with 1985's top-gun Afterburner LP. What a great time to be a decadent acid-jeans wearin', arcade playin', muscle-car drivin', hair-spray fixin', Malboro smokin', Budweiser drinkin' and cocaine snortin' teenager in America !

The best elements of raw-rock and addictive guitars ...ZZ TOP is the band and the year is 1983.

RIP Dusty Hill (1949-2021)

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Gimme All Your Lovin' = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae829mFAGGE
Sharp Dressed Man = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRHBLwpASw
Legs = video featuring the spinnin' furry guitars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDcTLaWJuo
TV Dinner = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6mI708yWc
Eliminator = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k1VSeudgxA&list=OLAK5uy_lNkF0KnpICFVl079NmbTulL2wPaAexiVU
Interview on French TV in 1983
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_cFk3wKcLA
Live on The Tube in 1983
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBvCooOKXwA
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWFQnpAoi9k