5 comments about The Devil's Rejects.

1. I purchased this album, based upon movie experiences....
   
   I passed up House of 1,000 Corpses, many times, when I worked in a movie store, because the cover was freaky and the special packaging was gruesome. I never rented it. However, I watched The Devil's Rejects (Unrated Widescreen Edition), and loved the movie. A coworker explained that this was a "part two" of House of 1,000 Corpses, so I gave it a chance.
   
   I not only enjoyed the movies, but I must admit that thess are now some of my faves. I also purchased the following items related to this flick; House of 1000 Corpses (Soundtrack, Explicit Lyrics), House of 1,000 Corpses, and [[ASIN:B0009SCUXIThe Devil's Rejects (DUALDISC, EXPLICIT LYRICS, SOUNDTRACK))].
   
   After seeing the Rob Zombie films, the soundtracks have a life of their own. I've become a big Rob Zombie fan over the past few years, and I recommend his stage performances, as well as ALL of his CDs and DVDs.
   
   Troll Amazon for "Rob Zombie" and "White Zombie." He never disappoints.



2. I thouroughly enjoyed this soundtrack. It has a classic rock feel with soul. It introduced me to an artist I've never heard of before, Terry Reid. I liked him so much I purchased a couple of his solo CD's. Great anytime CD to listen to. I highly recommend it's ecclectic vibe to anyone.



3. First of all, if you enjoyed The Devil's Rejects as much as I did, you undoubtedly could not get the film's soundtrack out of your head. And let's not forget to mention that Lynard Skynard's "Free Bird" may never ring the same again (okay, that's not true, but sometimes I'll listen to Free Bird and laugh as I remember the ending sequence to the movie).
   
   So in my most humble opinion, The Devil's Rejects soundtrack is one of the best compilations of music for a film I've heard in quite some time. This soundtrack is filled with classic rock from a few decades of brilliance. You cannot go wrong. After reading this product's details, you will know just what I mean.
   
   As if the music isn't enough, this is the first Dual Disc soundtrack to date. If you are unfamiliar with Dual Disc, I'll give you the quick specs: a two-sided disc where one side is a CD and the other side is a DVD. The best part is that the price of this is reasonable for all of the use you will get out of it.
   
   When you want to enjoy some tunes, put it in your CD player. When you want to enjoy the music with slideshows from the movie or if you want to watch extras on the making of the movie, then flip the disc over and put it in your DVD player. This is a great deal and a purchase you will thank yourself for over and over again.
   
   So do yourself a favor and purchase this. It has several short audio excerpts from the film, plenty of excellent music (track after track), and it's loaded with great visuals and special features on the DVD side. And if not for yourself, then bless someone else with this perfect collection.



4. Excellent music on this CD. However, each song is introduced by a line from the movie. Not only is this not suitable for young audiences, it really distracts from the quality music. I burned the CD to a new CD without the introductory lines and enjoy it immensely.



5. As others have reviewed, the music in the CD is phenomenal. Very well put together, and deliviered.
   My only problem with it was, the skits are between EVERY song, and it is difficult to sit through without skipping around.
   After the third time I listened to this in whole, I couldn't listen to the movie parts...AT ALL. Dont get me wrong the MUSIC MADE THE MOVIE...but the soundtrack could've been better set up.

1 comments about Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress.

1. The cd was just as I ordered; however I was very disappointed in the delivery. I paid for 2 day delivery, and after several calls to dhl delivery service, it was over a week before I received the cd, barely in time for Christmas. I don't think I will order again because of that.

5 comments about Strikes.

1. As I recall, Blackfoot had a reputation for having notabley better live shows than they did for their albums. I never had the previlage of seeming them live. Strikes is probably their best album. However, it is consistent with that reputation. It could have been a whole lot better than it is.
   
   What makes this album worth owning? If you are already an SR/Blackfoot fan, then you know there are a couple of truely great songs on this album. Highway Song is the quintessential Southern Rock anthem, complete with requisit ramped up instrumental closing out the song (and album).
   
   There are two other songs on this album that deserve to be in a Southern Rock "Hall of Fame" somewhere. Left Turn on a Red Light and Train, Train,...(includign the harmonica intro), along with Highway Song, make this album worth owning. All three remind the listener why they like Southern Rock in the first place. I still find the harmonica intro into Train, Train simply amazing, as do my kids! That track gets repeated often just to here that portion. Train, Train, always leaves the listener wishing the song had been a couple of minutes longer.
   
   However, there are some big wholes in the is album as well. The album is short (not uncommon length for the late '70s time frame) and so it does not allow room for many errors. Unfortunately, several of the remaining songs need help. There are not many that are out and out bad. However, they really lack much energy and emotion. The music and lyrics for the remainder of the songs are cookie cutter Southern Rock (think Allman Brothers w/o the Allman Brothers sound). The band just seems to be going through the motions of filling up an album for the three great songs that are on it. Perhaps, that is an indication of just how good those three songs are?
   
   For anyone who considers themselves a closet Southern Rocker, this album is required to complete a proper collection. However, in the genre of Southern Rock, I would consider it an average album at best. I am glad I own it again (used to have it on 8-track), but it will likely not get overplayed. I will, from time to time, pull it out to get my fill of the three great pieces on here. If you are just getting into SR, you should probably look elsewhere for a while and come back to this one once you have developed a collection of several other greats (Lynard Skynard, Molly Hatchet, Allman Brothers, 38 Special, etc.).



2. I have always loved this band. All of their records are worth having.Remember the first time I heard Road Fever blasting out of one of my buddies cars in a parking lot. Had to have it. Been a fan of theirs ever since. Great band.



3. Blackfoot is and will a great "southern rock band" Medlock was a drummer with skynyrd. Great songs , great voice. A must see live!!



4. Blackfoot is another in a long line of underrated bands. They could jam and boy do they jam. This album is for the most part the peoples choice as their best but I rank this as their second best. I think their best album was Marauder. This however is also a classic. Every song is great. I also disagree with the reviews that compare Highway Song to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Free Bird. Both songs are classic but they are very different. This album never gets old. This is not Lynyrd Skynyrd and they sure didn't need to be. They were different and just as good in their own underrrated way.



5. This CD brings back so many memories. If you love Southern Rock than this is one for you. You shuld Also check out a CD called PRIDE & GLORY also Book of Shadows by Zakk Wylde.

5 comments about Highway Companion.

1. Like fine wine Tom Petty keeps getting better and better with age. He's also mellowed quite a bit as well. Gone is the hard edge that once had him thought of as New Wave or even punk. He's now settled into a nice folk/rock/country blend that still works. His skills with a phrase have never gone away and the dripping with emotion voice still remains.
   Highlights of the CD include the radio played Saving Grace (with it's nod to believe it or not ZZ Top's LaGrange) and Big Weekend (sounds like a Traveling Wilbury's tune). There are others though that deserve a listen like Flirting with Time (with a kind of almost Everly Bros. feel) Down South (with great lyrics about going home) and Ankle Deep (just a fun little song). It's not for everyone. Like many of his albums, there are misses but usually his fans find his misses fun enough to listen to. If you're a fan you probably already have this, if you kind of like Petty go out and get it. If you were never a fan, this probably isn't for you.



2. I agree with the reviewer below. I don't like the style of writing or lyrics in this album. Besides 2 songs, maybe 3, you have to try to think to hard to understand the meaning of the songs. MUSIC ISN'T SUPPOSE TO BE A MATH TEST.When you listen to a song, your suppose to know what it means AND not have to read the lyrics and SOLVE THE PUZZLE. I do like, "damaged by love", and "this old town". Those you get fast and can understand, as-well as everbody else. " SQUARE ONE also.



3. Good music,but diffently TOM PETTY's worst writing. YEP,the lyrics are bad.Real bad!!! Music is good (NORMAL), but the lyrics just bore the listener to death. Don't worry TOM, John mellencamp, and Bruce Springsteen have the same problem. When I listen to this album, i have know idea what tom is singing about. EXAMPLE. " SAVING GRACE,TURN THIS CAR AROUND, JACK, GOLDEN ROSE , DOWN SOUTH ", etc. And what about that song about a HORSE? A HORSE ( THAT's RIGHT ). Are you kidding me !!! NO, a stupid horse!! What ever happened to singing about GIRLS,LIFE,FUN,SUNNY DAYS, and jump -up and down songs ? Isn't that how TOM got famous??? YEP!! But ,not on this album.



4. This album "DOES NOT HAVE", that Full Moon Fever feeling. And it hurts the album really bad (IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD ). BUT, It contains what most fans would say as a "FAN FAVORITE", on the album. More important than "HIT SONG". AND THAT SONG IS -"This old town". It just relates to everybody, everwhere. This is the song that TOM PETTY FANS want on a GREATEST HITS 2 ALBUM.And should be. So listen-up, record compay. Though very intellegent, adult sounding songs like "SQUARE ONE, BIG WEEKEND", are also noteworthy and HITS COLLECTION, must be's. I agree that "SAVING GRACE", is not the style of TOM PETTY ( and the lyrics-kind of bother me ). I would not add a song like this to a GR.HITS 2 ,collection------------------It's just doesn't fit the other song's and moods that TOM has written in other songs over the years. . P.s. TO TOM PETTY : stick to the happy places to sing about,the sunhine songs,smile when you here it "SONGS". People pay money to be HAPPY. "THAT's WHAT YOUR GOOD AT, a GIFT ????



5. I bought this album after listening to Petty being interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air where he talked about making the album. Some of the songs on it are simply excellent - clearly the mark of a master songwriter at work.
   
   Some of the few worthy of many, many, many repeated listens:
   1. Square One
   2. Down South
   3. Saving Grace
   4. This Old Town
   5. Flirting with Time
   
   Made me hunt out some of my older Tom Petty albums from the 80's and 90's. Very, very well done and worth every cent...and then some.

5 comments about Hernando.

1. I bought this album on a whim. It was one of the choices Amazon offered to complement another purchase, and I am glad I picked it up. This band has a good clean blues sound and I will certainly be awaiting there next release



2. The songs suck and this disc sucks.I through the copy I bought in the garbage.I was very very disappointed in this effort.Nothing stuck to my heart or my soul on this disc.It sounded very beat and boring.OH SO SAD BUT OH SO TRUE.Can you say bargin bin?



3. This a well balanced, recorderd and sweet sounding disc by the all stars.
   The song writing and arrangeing has matured greatly. Support the all stars ont his one, it's pleasure to this kind of American music still being made.



4. It is not a secret to anyone familiar with this band that their best work has been and is created on stage in front of an audience night after night. Who I consider to be the modern day equivalent to the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream, these three guys make up arguably one of the best improvisation trios around today. Maybe one of the best American rock 'n' roll trios in the history of the genre. Their musical interaction is hardly ever short of impressive, and I contend that they are one of the most exciting acts touring today.
   
   That being said, their track record for making studio albums is less than inspiring. Their first release, "Shake Hands with Shorty," offers a track list of classic Hill Country blues standards that have become staples in the band's live shows. Unfortunately, the track list isn't enough to carry the album, as it suffers from over production, excessive overdubs, and lackluster performances compared to their live renditions of the same songs.
   
   Their next release, "51 Phantom," was a definite improvement in production and in studio performance over the first album, but the sophomore effort is quite unbalanced. It seems to be a hodgepodge assemblage of classic Hill Country tunes (Lord Have Mercy), straight ahead blues rock (Sugartown, 51 Phantom), jam band exploration (Ship), electric folk (Leavin,' Storm), and loud, unruly metal (Mud). Needless to say, it is apparent when you listen to this album that unity was not something the band was striving for on this record.
   
   "Polaris," the band's third release, is generally excepted by the majority of their fans as the disc best left in the shrink wrap, as the band ignores all the aspects of their playing and songwriting that make them unique. While there are a few forgotten gems on the disc, the album is a mostly a collection of pop/modern rock pieces that would likely make the average Nickelback or John Mayer fan wet in the underpants.
   
   "Electric Blue Watermelon" was the next release. With guest artists on many of the tracks, this album does not have the feel of a North Mississippi Allstars performance throughout. It's nice to hear the country side of the Allstars on a few tracks, and the album contains some songs that became instant classics in the live setting. Overall though, "Electric Blue Watermelon" falls under the category of "an okay album."
   
   "Mississippi Folk Music - Volume One" was a nice acoustic recording, but acoustic music just doesn't showcase the band in their true element.
   
   With this history of recorded output, I wasn't sure what to expect out of "Hernando." The unpredictability and lackluster nature of their previous releases had me skeptical. But my fears appear to be unfounded after listening to this album numerous times. The album does not lack unity, a good set of songs, or quality performances. The only thing it lacks is a bad cut.
   
   The opening track, "Shake," is a foot-stomping Allstars original based primarily on a static Ab7 chord, sounding like it could have been penned by one of their Hill Country Blues mentors. The modulating guitar riff that glues together "Keep the Devil Down" sounds like something that Jimi Hendrix would have written during his "Cry of Love" period. "Soldier," the band's musical tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, showcases Luther Dickinson's ability to play inspiring, psychedelic solos that encompass his blues influences and 60's rock influences. "Eaglebird" opens with a Zoso-era Zeppelin type lick and segues seamlessly into a John Lee Hooker style boogie groove. Instead of the momentum killing ballad that most bands seem forced to throw in after four heavily rocking tracks, the North Mississippi Allstars slow things down with "I'd Love to Be a Hippy." Featuring one of Chris Chew's greatest vocal performances, this slow blues not only has great lyrics but also a guitar solo that Luther Dickinson is able to channel the likes of Wes Montgomery and Albert King during a single chorus. "Mizzip," Cody Dickinson's compositional contribution to "Hernando," brings the album's overall tempo back up to speed with a song that can be best described by the word "fun." Keeping up with the `50s/60's feel of "Mizzip," "Blow Out" is a rockabilly romp that clocks in well under the two minute mark. Luther's solo proves that he has heard a Chuck Berry record or two, as he nails the `50's rock `n' roll guitar style perfectly. "Come with Me," takes the mellow approach to Mississippi blues-rock, "Rooster's Blues" takes the heavy approach, and "Take Yo' Time, Rodney" finds a great middle ground between the sounds of the previous two. The closing track, "Long Way from Home," is an earthy, mellow end to a predominantly guttural album. With a sound similar to a ballad by The Doors, Luther Dickinson provides some of his most exploratory soloing on the album.
   
   While I have never had a problem calling the North Mississippi Allstars a great band, this is the first album they've recorded in the studio that I feel comfortable calling a great album.



5. Saw these guys in Champaign at the Wall 2 Wall guitar festival, and they tore the place up. I had high expectations for this album, and they've been met entirely. Everyone in the band kills on their respective instrument, with good vocals to boot. Really need to see them live again.

5 comments about Offerings II: All I Have to Give.

1. This is a great worship album. Third day brings their "A" game for these recordings. If you have never seen them live get this album it gives a good taste, and then get tickets to the first show you can get. This is a great ROCKIN WORSHIP album.



2. I suppose the best evidence of how I view this album would be to confess that I've sat here through the morning with tears on my cheeks as I absorb the potency of its tribute, truly a well-rendered offering.
   
   Third Day, a band of gravelly-voiced, southern-fried rockers in alignment with their Maker offer up a slough of worships songs possessed of an edgy sweetness.
   
   Easily the pick of the litter is a stunning live rendition of the late Rich Mullins' 'I Believe'. This rocked-up rendition of the historic Apostle's Creed gets its spiritual credibility from the anti-mood-of-the-moment refrain:
   
   And I believe what I believe in
   is what makes me what I am.
   And I did not make it,
   no it is making me
   It is the very truth of God
   and not the invention of any man.
   
   When I played this song for a group of colleagues in the Middle East recently, one greatly appreciated friend found it repugnant because the performers were 'up there shouting about sacred things'. I beg to differ. Apostolic clarity is only seldom so poignantly spoken and, in my view, with so little self-absorption.
   
   THIRD DAY's formula is a rock-the-basement bass line with strong acoustic and electric guitars and dependable drumming, all fronted by the inimitable Mac Powell on vocals. Powell has one of those voices that conjures up a full-grown man-baby being born ready and willing to sing from Day One.
   
   It was probably not like this. Perhaps he only began his ragged crooning on the third day.
   
   What this middle-aged reviewer, who perhaps knows enough of both cynicism and hope to offer an opinion, is the wonder of these men turning their talents to praise, to the crafting of an offering.
   
   As they sing, in one of these unforgettable tracks, others have offered more but his is all I have.
   
   Indeed.
   
   It sounds good to hear them place it in just that way.



3. Offerings II is an amazing worship album. It is full of powerful praise and worship songs.
   
   There are so many great songs on this album that it is hard to pick out favorites. Certainly 'Show Me Your Glory' and 'God of Wonders' are amazing. Beyond those, there are several other tracks that are outstanding. Mac Powell's distinct voice, the instrumental talent of the band, and the worshipful lyrics are a powerful combination.
   
   This is a must have CD for anyone who likes worship music and/or Christian rock.



4. Third Day has outdone themselves with a moving follow-up to their first worship album, Offerings. Offerings II is anything but redundant, pushing the listener even further into the presence of God. Those who are familiar with the band's music will find their expectations exceeded with this project. For those not familiar with Third Day, these two worship projects are an excellent place to start. These guys truly have given all they have to give.



5. At first, I was a little disappointed with this album, I'll admit...because I was expecting some great rock songs that I could belt out (way off-key!) in my car. But after giving it another chance without any expectations, I realized that the songs are beautiful, catchy, very well-written, and fill you up with good feelings and inspiration. My favorites are "I want to sing a song" and "Offering". If you like Third Day's "Wire" CD, then purchase this with an open mind. You will still love it, but for different reasons. :-)

5 comments about Afterburner.

1. Of course the music is great. The CD itself was in great shape as was the packaging. I would order from this supplier again.



2. ...And with this, one of my favorite groups, left me behind, abandoned, without a hope of ever hearing good ol' blues-rock ever again. Certainly, I'm exaggerating, well, sort of. The Top's ninth studio album peaked at #4, the highest chart position for any & all their albums to this date. It charted higher than Tres Hombres, Deguello & Eliminator. Is Afterburner a better album than those three? Simply, no. Afterburner doesn't compare to those three albums. Top was going commercial (gasp! not that l'il ol' band from Texas!), they incorporated synthesizers, dance rhythms & straight ahead drum beats soaked in reverb. Basically, what happened here was the 'follow-up effect', Afterburner was released after Eliminator, one of their best albums if not THE best, & was able to capitalize on the previous album's success. Nothing wrong with that but they were veering, somewhat, into club & dance music & this just doesn't fit into the Top's brand of music (okay, my concept of Z Z Top).
   
   After saying all that, Afterburner isn't a bad album but it isn't a good album either. The most amazing thing about the album is that it had seven songs (it had a total of 10) that managed to get on some form of a chart. That's amazing! Simple math reveals that to be 70%! If a baseball player could bat that you know he would end up going to Cooperstown. "Can't Stop Rockin'" (#8 Mainstream Rock), "Sleeping Bag" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #8 Hot 100, #41 Club Play), "Stages" (#1 Mainstream Rock, #21 Hot 100), "Delirious" (#16 Mainstream Rock), "Rough Boy" (#5 Mainstream Rock, #22 Hot 100), "Velcro Fly" (#43 Club Play, #15 Mainstream Rock, #35 Hot 100) & "Woke Up With Wood" (#18 Mainstream Rock). This certainly makes Afterburner a popular album but doesn't make it a good album. The only catch to all this has to do with all the charts that these songs charted on, they were 'specialty charts', not the Pop Singles chart which is more indicative of the overall performance of the songs.
   
   That leaves three songs, "Planet of Women", "I Got the Message" & "Dipping Low (in the Lap of Luxury)". These are all substandard songs for the Top as are "Delirious" & Woke Up With Wood". The rest of the songs are good but nothing is outstanding. Lyrically, the album is typical, they are many double entendres & boogie humor. Don't get me wrong, I've been a big fan of the Top for years & there's nothing wrong with making a buck but, honestly, they sold out with this album. They lost me as a fan & a buying customer, no big deal, for every fan they lost, they probably got two new ones in return. But then, when we look back on Eliminator, we can see the sellout began then, the signs were there hinting at what direction they were going. The big difference was Eliminator still rocked & it didn't seem, at least to this reviewer, that they were compromising their music so much.



3. This is the only album I own that I actually listen to all 10 tracks. Its very rare when I like more than 4-5 songs on an album. Eliminator had one dud (Thug). The energy is strong throughout. I like the synthesizer sound that bands were using in this era. Afterburner was also one of my favorite album cover designs. Recycler was also a great album cover design too.
   
   November 1985 Chicago airwaves were flooded with stations playing cuts off of Afterburner. It was really popular and got tons of airplay. On February 26, 1986 I saw ZZ TOP live for the first time. The show was great but the wait in the parking lot to leave was longer than the concert. And it was like 12 below zero out that night.
   
   I bought the original LP on Nov 1, 1985, made a tape of it and have been rocking ever since. I finally bought the Eliminator/Afterburner CD's in 2005 when I bought a new car that was equipped with a CD player...............and tonight, I Woke Up With Wood



4. I rated this a 4 because the CD,to me, is above average compared to **all** rock CDs made. However,I agree with the low raters that it is below average when compared to ZZ Top's other material. (If you hate synthesizers avoid it. :) )



5. Very Good. Good price, and product arrived in excellent condition.
   
   Very good ZZ Top clstyle of music. Would recommend to all ZZ Top fans.

2 comments about Now It's Tomorrow.

1. Randall has one of the best voices still going today-You can have your Bright Eyes and Devendras. I'll take the the guy who helped shape an entire genre of American music. I just saw him on stage today and he can rock you and melt you in the same breath.Good album.



2. Sucks. Stay away from it. Great song writer but this isnt worth his effort or my time.

5 comments about Two Classic Albums from The Amazing Rhythm Aces: Stacked Deck/Too Stuffed to Jump.

1. Great blend of music by this group, covers the entire range from ballads to rockers, some very nice tracks as well. Great easy listening.Terrific blend.



2. I have looked for this C D for ever so long was very surprised when I found it on Amazon. Great place to shop



3. Actually enjoyed these guys when they first released these albums, saw them once in concert as a teenager, and after hearing a Band play one of their songs at a Wine Festival, it reminded me of how good these guys are so I ordered this CD. It's been 30 years since I first listened to them, and I'm am enjoying them even more now. The Lyrics sound classic at any age. From: "It ain't enough that your legs are long, as strong as you've been comin' on", to "I'm still drinkin' Gin when I can buy it, and I sure bought a lot of it today" and "Tell me why every time she gets a headache, she's always got to give it to you". I can relate to all of it.



4. If you remember these...do yourself a favor.



5. More than a 1 Cut Wonder, some surprising stuff here and worth the price.

5 comments about Eliminator.

1. This is argueably ZZ Top's best effort, and one of the greatest rock albums ever released. Every song is solid right threw till the end!



2. "Dusty Hill's heart-stopping drumming and Frank Beard's sturdy bass."
   
   Hey, Jann, when did Dusty and Frank switch instruments?! Do I win a gift certificate for finding that glaring error?
   
   Anyway, this is a very good introduction to the band. Their gritty rock and blues got a bit of a studio polish but it worked as its their best-selling album.



3. First, folks at Amazon, I must point out a glaring mistake in your own review of "Eliminator" - Dusty Hill is the bassist and Frank Beard is the drummer in ZZTop. I find that boner most annoying when you consider how big this band is. It's like saying Keith Richards is the vocalist for the Stones. Do your homework - it makes me want to discredit every word you wrote.
   That aside, after much thought, I rounded up a list of bands that have crossed the line from highly successful outfits to icons and musical institutions, an honor very few musicians will ever see. We have to consider how the work by these artists become part of the lexicon of society, not just sell records. This is strictly my opinion, and others will agree and disagree, but hey, it's all in fun anyway. Those bands include the Beach Boys, especially Brian Wilson's production work, the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and ZZTop.
   Although some of their later albums didn't reach the status of "Eliminator", it wasn't because the material wasn't great, which is important when we consider the level of popularity ZZTop enjoys. Other big bands like Aerosmith and KISS, for example, have suffered severe low points along the way, and both bands have basically regurgitated old material for years now, content to cruise on their names alone.
   ZZTop have not made that mistake. "Eliminator" isn't the greatest of their career, but ranks very high, thanks to the fearless blend of the old Texas blues and synthesizers, which could have been a disaster in less capable hands. Instead, we have anthems that will be with us forever, especially "Sharp Dressed Man", the most popular cut off this album. "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" follow closely behind.
   "Eliminator" makes a good start point for exploring the catalogue of ZZTop, both backward and forward. Earlier works show the drenched blues and sizzling guitar of Billy Gibbons, who is a genius on the fretboard. He comes full circle right up to "Mescalero", which is once again blues soaked but also heavily distorted, or "fuzzy", in his words.
   Only those lost in caves or confined to certain religious compounds are not familiar with the "little ol' band from Texas", and it's their loss.



4. Very good album. Glad to add it to my collection. CD and package in great shape. No delivery problems. I would order from here again.



5. Eliminator is one of my favourite albums. It works on several different levels, and it works well. On the surface it is a great collection of catchy pop songs. I can dance to them, hum them, play air guitar to them, shave to them, paint the ceiling to them etc. There isn't a boring song on the record, and the album isn't too long. It doesn't cost too much and the cover looks nice. I can hold it up in front of my face, and pretend that I am a car. Eliminator also works as a coherent whole. The music is uniform, but instead of being repetitive and dull, the album instead feels like an excellent half-hour composition divided into movements.
   
   On another level, Eliminator is a thinky album. It's a writey album. I like to ponder it, it sets my mind in motion. Eliminator is a clever scientific musical experiment. It was a conscious attempt to change ZZ Top's style, to make the band more contemporary, and it was an enormous success, on both an artistic and a commercial level. I'm sure that old-time fans of the group might have been upset at the disco rhythms, but only the most uptight square could fail to be moved by "Gimme All Your Lovin'" or "Sharp Dressed Man". I imagine that kids in 1983 might have thought that ZZ Top was a brand-new band, a modern boogie group with a clever retro style, and videos with hot women in them. You know, like Robert Palmer. He made records in the 1970s, but when he did that video for "Addicted to Love" in 1985, an entire new generation assumed that he had just come from nowhere, with a bevy of hot women. Did I mention hot women? Robert Palmer had hot women, and ZZ Top also had hot women. I know this because I have just checked on the Youtube. ZZ Top's women are not as hot as Robert Palmer's women, although it has to be said that any woman would look hot when stood next to ZZ Top. Perhaps that was ZZ Top's way of attracting women. Robert Palmer, on the other hand, did not have to do anything special to attract women, in fact he had to shoo them away, they pestered him so much that he moved to Switzerland, and died young. But I digress.
   
   With Eliminator, ZZ Top did something that Genesis and The Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane and The Who and Paul McCartney failed to do, they moved with the times without trashing their reputation. Of the band's contemporaries, I can only think of Yes having achieved the same feat, although that was done by essentially ditching all that was Yes about Yes except for the vocals.
   
   So, as a musical experiment, Eliminator works brilliantly. I cannot think of another album that combines disco and guitar rock and synth-pop so well without sounding awful. It's a deceptively simple record as well. The drums are basically straightforward four-to-the-floor pulse beat, all the way throughout every song, a mixture of drum machine and real live human drummer. Ordinarily this unvarying drum style would be monotonous, and in a way it *is* monotonous, but it's monotonous in a good way, hypnotic rather than boring. The twin guitar lines are often very complex, but they are mixed so that they become a backdrop. The synths are generally tasteful, restricted to pulse-bass and a few swooshy pads. The vocals have a distant, unemotional quality that sounds cool rather than affected. The songs are classically structured rock tunes, none of them have a rapping bit.
   
   On a further level, and perhaps this is unintentional, Eliminator has a timeless quality. It's a period piece, but it has dated well. There's nothing offensive about the overall sound. The music is classical. The dual-guitar playing is technically impressive and the guitar tone is still awesome, although subdued. The lyrics are generally dumb beyond parody, with sexual metaphors that would make Roy "Chubby" Brown feel uncomfortable, but that just adds to the charm. ZZ Top were real men, you see, from an era that did not value manly manliness. Nowadays they come across as endearingly retro and harmless. Eliminator has dated much, much better than "Afterburner", the band's next album, which came out in 1985. Afterburner really does sound like a mid-80s record, with fake drums and fake guitars that could have come out of an arcade machine. They're both cheesy records, in the sense that you couldn't take them to a posh dinner party without people laughing at you and mocking you and deriding your taste, but Eliminator is likeably cheesy whereas Afterburner is just an anonymous mid-80s synth rock record.
   
   In its day, Eliminator was a big popular success, although the critics thought it was just another modern pop-rock record. Today it is grudgingly respected as a classic of the period, but I believe it deserves more. There are few albums that entertain me all the way through, that I can listen to in one sitting without being bored. Kraftwerk's "Computer World" is one. This is another. It's the musical equivalent of one of those films that you can just sit and watch; Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Where Eagles Dare etc. It's easy to overlook that kind of entertainment, but it's precious and rare and should be cherished. I would love it if Eliminator goes into the time capsule.