Search - Zz Top :: Live From Texas

This is pretty good!

Johnny Boy | Hockessin, DE | 11/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Look, ZZ Top in 2008 is no ZZ Top in 1973, or 1983, for that matter. They've aged a ton (everybody in the band as of 2008 is 59 years of age!), and they are no longer MTV hitmakers. But these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are back and at it with a live album recorded in their home state of Texas.



'Live from Texas' captures the essence of ZZ Top in concert. Performing their '70s, '80s and early '90s classics, and still donning those classic beards, if you can't score tickets to a show, this is the next best thing.



However, the reviewer who stated the sound quality isn't perfect is correct. It's not muddy, and it's nowhere near as bad as he made it sound, but it's still not excellent. This was released on Eagle Records, and not Warner Bros. or RCA, their two record companies.



It's a good show. 'La Grange,' 'Got Me Under Pressure' and 'Sharp Dressed Man' are all incredible live. Of course I've seen them performed live on TV over the years, but it's so cool to have it on CD!!! Billy's voice is great for a man at the age of 59, and this proves the band is still superb.



One complaint: I wish they would have played 'She Loves My Automobile' at this show. At the Willie Nelson birthday concert several years back, ZZ just played a superb version of the song (with Willie, of course!), but the song is so great played live, and it would fit in perfectly on this live album.



But the complaint is more a personal thing than anything. Other than that, it's great! If you, like me, have been waiting for Billy, Dusty and Frank to release a live album ('Fandango!' doesn't count), than you will probably be satisfied. If you can past the fact that they aren't 24 and 34 (their ages in 1973 and 1983) anymore, you should be fine.



Highly recommended for any ZZ Top collector. Casual fans who aren't really used to ZZ Top just yet are advised to buy 'One Foot In The Blues,' 'Greatest Hits' or 'The Best of ZZ Top.'



A great show from their home state of Texas!



ENJOY!!!"

Too little, too late

Fireman Rick | Lakeland, FL United States | 11/30/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD for the extended version of Blue Jean Blues. I knew from the first track with the audience noise and poor mixing that I'd been had again. The performance is mediocre if you listen beyond the poor mix (muddy is an appropriate adjective). Granted the vocals reflect years of beer/whiskey-drinkin' and hell-raisin'. The bulk of the presented performances reflect their popular Eighties hits, not their best material. The biggest disappointment is after the track "Tush", where dialog about shopping at a dollar store abruptly ends the CD. Did anyone preview the CD before it went to "pressing"? Even as a "compleatist", I would pass on this given a second chance."

At Long Last, A Live Disc--And It's Dang Near Perfect!

Screamin' Armadillo | Fort Worth, TEXAS | 11/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to be honest here--I'm one of the biggest fanzz of ZZ Top in the world. I've seen the band at least a dozen times in various venues and locales. I am a bit biased; however, I can be honest when the boyzz put out a product that doesn't stand the test of time (Afterburner, anyone?).

Fortunately, the release of "Live From Texas" is not one of those lowlights.

Amazingly, this concert CD is the first complete live set ever released by the band (the only previous live releases have been side 1 of the 1975 album "Fandango!" and the second half of the 1999 CD "XXX", as well as various CD single or CD reissue bonus tracks). Their original manager/producer/empresario Bill Ham felt that releasing live material would discourage people from going to see the band live.

I was at the taping of this live CD (the DVD/BluRay version was released earlier in 2008, with extras making it worth the purchase) at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas in November of 2007, and as usual, the Boyzz didn't disappoint. They played well, with the rhythm section of Dusty Hill and Frank Beard displaying their usual "1+1=4" perfection and the fine fretwork of the Reverend Willy G (Billy Gibbons) in full effect.

The CD (and DVD) play to the strengths and personalities of the band very well--you'll recognize almost every song within a few seconds, even if you're only a casual fan.

The only criticism is this--the band didn't pull out more "deep tracks" or "lost gems" to document this historical occasion (The DVD does have the excellent bonus track of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady"); it also would have been nice to hear some (or even ONE) track from their RCA releases (some of which were played at the show), but for the obsessive fan/collector (such as myself) or the casual fan of the band, this is a must-buy disc.



Good Vibes To Y'all..."