ZZ Top - Mescalero (CD 2003)

another class album from the hairy ones.
Good solid guitar rifts. ideal for training to, or tapping your toes to

I bought this CD for my husband from the children for Father's Day. He is a big ZZ Top fan, but didn't have this one.

He totally loved it as it is in keeping with their style of music. There was only track that he wasn't particularly keen on, but I think that everybody could say the same thing about every CD they buy, even from their favourite artist.

If you want to be reminded of how Z Z Top sounded in their commercial heyday, their 2003 album 'Mescalero' will do the trick better than other recent releases, 'though it doesn't simply retread the old tunes. With only a few tracks that could be described as "filler", it was their best in years and featured much that would've sat happily alongside the best of the Deguello/Eliminator period. Their sense of humour is to the fore once more, especially in the Tex-Mex tracks ('Que Lastima' is a wee Three-Amigos-type gem), and in the hidden track at the end - a less than serious rendition of 'As Time Goes By'. There is also plenty of the hard rock end of blues at which they excel, enough to satisfy even those of us who hanker after the brilliant but more subtle blues of their earliest days (2nd album, 'Rio Grande Mud', is still their best in my admittedly biassed opinion). When Billy Gibbons lets rip on his solo on 'What It Is Kid', he justifies the well-worn 'Hendrix's favourite guitarist' tag once more. Another highlight is the cover of Lowell Fulson's 'Tramp', 'though hear Buddy Guy's version for the best ever. Overall, 'Mescalero' was a purchase which was worth every penny.
JJMcD