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 It's tough being an aging rock band in the pop world. At a certain point both fans and record company turn away from your music and focus on what's hot now. ZZ Top, I think, has suffered this fate. While they still continue to make good music, no one seems to be listening anymore. Fine. I still like them. I still buy their cds. This compilation is the only best of ZZ Top that's worth buying for now. They really should have two disc or three disc retrospective like The Cars have and ELO has. However, this one disc compiles some of their greatest 70's and 80's hits in one place with a couple of new songs for 1992, "Viva Las Vegas" and "Gun Love." At 18 tracks this is a nice buy. No extensive liner notes though. After 1992, ZZ Top released Antenna in 1994, which dropped the synthesizers and went back to hard rocking blues. Then they released 1996's Rhythmeen, which seemed like they were going for a more mud-swamp, mid-tempo hard rock blues. In 1999 they released XXX which finds them still rocking the blues but with a bit more fun like they had before 1990's Recycler. This Greatest Hits, however, is perfect for those wanting a sample. This is a must have for any rock collector.
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I had never been much of a fan of this Texan group before, previously well-known for boogieing with the best of them, rock-music-wise. I had only heard "Sharp Dressed Man" and the original version of "Legs" on the radio. And that was before I finally rented and watched the "Back To The Future" movie trilogy, and saw this funky trio as the band in 1885 Hill Valley in the third. And I absoutely LOVED the sound of "Doubleback" off of it's soundtrack. So, about a year later, I found this collection in my local used-music store, and snapped it up. Reading the rather self-serving liner notes, I was skeptical of the down-south blues-band sound at first, but after about two or three listens, I was truly a real fan for sure. My favorites from this CD besides the aforementioned three would have to be "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Pearl Necklace", the sung-by-Dusty Hill-remake of "Viva Las Vegas" (very funky), "Got Me Under Pressure", and "Planet Of Women". The remaining rest are all right too, I suppose. Anyway, I am indeed aware that this material only goes up to 1992, and I haven't heard any of the songs from "Antenna", "Rhythmeen", or from the apparently dissapointing "XXX", according to recent customer reviews. So, for the earlier-era (mostly from the '80's) sound of ZZ Top, pick this compilation up today, these three certainly at one time had a sound all their own! Quite cool, indeed!
Where are the 2 charted hits "Stages" and "Velcro Fly?" Both off the album, Afterburner, it seems odd that they're not included, especially when several soundtrack cuts and lesser-known, less successful tracks ARE included. Shame on you boys.
