Rick Rubin to produce new ZZ Top record?

[Deezer]

If this is true, then thank the Lord!

http://www.antimusic.com/news/08/may/07Ric...ks_ZZ_Top.shtml

[Stargazer]

this is tremendou!

zz top has been getting better these last years, another step forward?

[Deezer]

I hope so. I saw them last October in Fayetteville, and they were phenomenal. Yeah, they only played the hits and Legs was lip synced, but they still were very very good. They still blow most bands away live.

[The Pagemeister]

List of albums produced

* 1985: Radio – LL Cool J

* 1986: Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys

* 1986: Raising Hell – Run-DMC

* 1986: Reign in Blood – Slayer

* 1987: Electric – The Cult

* 1987: Yo! Bum Rush the Show - Public Enemy

* 1988: Danzig – Danzig

* 1988: Tougher Than Leather – Run-DMC

* 1988: South of Heaven – Slayer

* 1988: Masters of Reality – Masters of Reality

* 1989: Dice – Andrew Dice Clay

* 1989: Live Fast, Die Fast – Wolfsbane

* 1990: Same – Geto Boys

* 1990: Trouble – Trouble

* 1990: Danzig II: Lucifuge – Danzig

* 1990: Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer

* 1991: Nobody Said It Was Easy – The Four Horsemen

* 1991: Manic Frustration – Trouble

* 1991: Decade of Aggression – Slayer

* 1991: Blood Sugar Sex Magik – Red Hot Chili Peppers

* 1992: Danzig III: How the Gods Kill – Danzig

* 1992: King King – Red Devils

* 1993: Thrall: Demonsweatlive – Danzig

* 1993: Wandering Spirit – Mick Jagger

* 1993: 21st Century Jesus – Messiah

* 1994: Danzig 4 – Danzig

* 1994: American Recordings – Johnny Cash

* 1994: Divine Intervention – Slayer

* 1994: Wildflowers – Tom Petty

* 1995: One Hot Minute – Red Hot Chili Peppers

* 1995: Ballbreaker – AC/DC

* 1995: God Lives Underwater – God Lives Underwater

* 1995: Empty – God Lives Underwater

* 1996: Songs and Music from "She's the One" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

* 1996: Unchained – Johnny Cash

* 1996: Undisputed Attitude – Slayer

* 1996: Don't Call me Barry – Hermann and the Hermits

* 1996: Sutras – Donovan

* 1998: "Let Me Give the World to You"–The Smashing Pumpkins (unreleased song)

* 1998: VH1 Storytellers – Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson

* 1998: Diabolus in Musica – Slayer

* 1998: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (mix only)

* 1998: System of a Down – System of a Down

* 1998: Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts – Kula Shaker ("Sound of Drums")

* 1998: Chef Aid: The South Park Album – South Park

* 1999: Northern Star – Melanie C ("Suddenly Monday" and "Ga Ga")

* 1999: Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers

* 1999: Echo – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

* 1999: Loud Rocks – V/A ("Shame" by System of a Down and Wu-Tang Clan,)

* 1999: The Globe Sessions – Sheryl Crow ("Sweet Child O'Mine")

* 2000: American III: Solitary Man – Johnny Cash

* 2000: Paloalto – Paloalto

* 2000: Renegades – Rage Against the Machine

* 2001: Amethyst Rock Star – Saul Williams

* 2001: The War of Art – American Head Charge

* 2001: Breath of the Heart – Krishna Das

* 2001: The Final Studio Recordings – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

* 2001: Toxicity – System of a Down

* 2002: American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash

* 2002: By the Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers

* 2002: Audioslave – Audioslave

* 2002: Steal This Album! – System of a Down

* 2003: Results May Vary – Limp Bizkit (with Terry Date and Jordan Schur)

* 2003: Unearthed – Johnny Cash

* 2003: Door of Faith – Krishna Das

* 2003: De-Loused in the Comatorium – The Mars Volta

* 2003: The Black Album – Jay-Z ("99 Problems")

* 2003: Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium – Rage Against the Machine

* 2003: Heroes and Villains – Paloalto

* 2004: Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) – Slipknot

* 2004: Armed Love – The (International) Noise Conspiracy

* 2004: Crunk Juice – Lil' Jon and the East Side Boyz ("Stop Fuckin' Wit Me")

* 2005: Make Believe – Weezer

* 2005: Fijación Oral Vol. 1 – Shakira

* 2005: Oral Fixation Vol. 2 – Shakira

* 2005: Out of Exile – Audioslave

* 2005: Mezmerize – System of a Down

* 2005: Hypnotize – System of a Down

* 2005: 12 Songs – Neil Diamond

* 2006: Stadium Arcadium – Red Hot Chili Peppers

* 2006: Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks

* 2006: American V: A Hundred Highways – Johnny Cash

* 2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds – Justin Timberlake ("All Over Again")

* 2006: The Saints are Coming – U2 and Green Day (single)

* 2006: Window in the Skies – U2 (single)

* 2007: American VI – Johnny Cash

* 2007: Heroes and Thieves – Vanessa Carlton

* 2007: Luna Halo – Luna Halo

* 2007: Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy – Ours

* 2007: "Better Than I've Ever Been" – Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One (single)

* 2007: Minutes to Midnight – Linkin Park

* 2007: Free Life – Dan Wilson

* 2008: The Cross of My Calling – The (International) Noise Conspiracy

* 2008: Weezer – Weezer

* 2008: Scars on Broadway – Scars on Broadway

* 2008: Home Before Dark – Neil Diamond

* 2008: Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy - Ours

* 2008: Seeing Things – Jakob Dylan

* 2008: Metallica's Untitled Ninth Studio album – Metallica

* 2008: Slayer's Tenth Studio Album – Slayer

[Deezer]

Every style of music imaginable. And it seems like he knows how to get quality out of an artist.

[Swede]

If B.G. keep the distortion down for a change, I'll be intrested to hear the new album. Rick Rubin is a great producer.

[jimmie ray]

ZZ Top is one of the few groups who went "pop" that I could still enjoy. So this is good news, whether they go back to their blues roots or put out more "Rough Boy" songs. I've heard that Billy Gibbons first band was somewhat Psychedelic, even. But what's this about lip synching - Billy Vanilli???

[Swede]

ZZ Top is one of the few groups who went "pop" that I could still enjoy. So this is good news, whether they go back to their blues roots or put out more "Rough Boy" songs. I've heard that Billy Gibbons first band was somewhat Psychedelic, even. But what's this about lip synching - Billy Vanilli???

Billy was in The Moving Sidewalks before he formed ZZ Top. TMS was a great band, check out their one and only album Flash, it's great!

[Wolfman]

I hope so. I saw them last October in Fayetteville, and they were phenomenal. Yeah, they only played the hits and Legs was lip synced, but they still were very very good. They still blow most bands away live.

Yeah....what do you mean lip synced....why can't they sing that song properly?

[jimmie ray]

Come to think of it, I saw them do "Legs" during a college bowl game halftime, and it seemed like he was lip synching then, too. What is the story? By the way, thanks for the Moving Sidewalks recommendation, Swede! (is it really psychedelic sounding?)

[Deezer]

I'm pretty sure it's common knowledge that Legs is lip synced and has been for some time. I think it has to do with the fact that Billy can't sing that high anymore. That's understandable, considering how his voice has changed. I don't know, it really doesn't bother me, and I'm about as big a Top fan as there is. That's the one song they do that needs that high-pitched vocal from him, and they're only lip syncing the vocal, the instruments are still played live. But they're still phenomenal live, and definitely worth a trip to go see. I spent 50 bucks on my ticket, and got my money back ten fold.

On the distorted guitars, it wasn't so much that they were distorted, it was all the experiments they've been doing with them. Like dropping the strings down 2 steps on some songs, ect. I know XXX has a lot of that. And also trying to find the weirdest guitars they can find. I think it'll be awesome with Rick Rubin. I think they have made things too complicated. It'll be interesting to see where Rick takes them. I'm very excited about this news. This has been the best news out of the music world for me all year (unless a certain group decides they're going to get back together).

[jimmie ray]

Thanks for that, Deezer. It's not a big deal, as long as they were really playing the instruments - as you said. It's more of an issue for a performer who has fame as a vocalist. I'd love to see them live. And on TV, Billy's guitar was quite unusually shaped - but no shag carpeting on it!

[Deezer]

Look at this on youtube. They're on some Spike show with Carmen Electra dancing to their music (yeah....). They play a bit of Sharp Dressed Man, and then Legs, and the last verse, Billy's got a cigar in his mouth, and still sings perfectly. I used to have my doubts about the lip syncing thing until this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plrlRhCrL-Y

But again, they're playing the instruments, and they kick ass.

[jimmie ray]

That's what I love about a good "Power Trio" - they do the job that most groups with twice as many members can't match!

[Swede]

By the way, thanks for the Moving Sidewalks recommendation, Swede! (is it really psychedelic sounding?)

Yes, some of it is quite psychedelic.

Here's their most "famous" song, 99th Floor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwtt3s0Prf4

[Jahfin]

Tres Hombres is one of the first albums I ever bought back in the early to mid 70s when I first started getting into music but I never saw them live until the 90s on a bill with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Ted Nugent. I love early ZZ Top best. I like a song here and there after they "modernized" (for lack of a better word) their sound but for the most part stopped buying their records back in the Eliminator era. Still, they kicked ass live but I couldn't help but thinking the entire time that I'd much rather be seeing them in a bar than at some shed.

[Swede]

I saw one live concert on VHS many years ago, not a bootleg, it was an official release. I think it was from the late 70's or maybe the early 80's before they changed their style. It was a really great concert, but I have no idea what the title was.. I'd love to get my hands on it again, maybe it's re-released on DVD..

[Jahfin]

I saw one live concert on VHS many years ago, not a bootleg, it was an official release. I think it was from the late 70's or maybe the early 80's before they changed their style. It was a really great concert, but I have no idea what the title was.. I'd love to get my hands on it again, maybe it's re-released on DVD..

I have no idea what that is. I know it seemed to take forever for their greatest hits video comp to even make it to DVD. I'd love to see a full concert, especially one shot before they changed their sound.

[Swede]

I have no idea what that is. I know it seemed to take forever for their greatest hits video comp to even make it to DVD. I'd love to see a full concert, especially one shot before they changed their sound.

Well, it may have been a recorded VHS from a concert aired on television, all I know it wasn't a boot. It was excellent filmed with several cameras and great sound.. I think Billy was wearing a bowler hat, or something like it..

[Swede]

I think it may have been from the German show Rockpalast in 1980.. Youtube is great when one have to check out these kinda things..

Jesus just left chicago

Make a search for: ZZ Top Rockpalast, at youtube and you will find a couple of the songs from the show.. It's really great stuff.

[Swede]

Third post in this matter, yeah I know, but I just gotta post this link. I remember I've seen this, it's an eight minute long version of La Grange! They really rockning out on this one!!

La Grange (Live 1980 Rockpalast)

[Mattmc1973]

I think it may have been from the German show Rockpalast in 1980.. Youtube is great when one have to check out these kinda things..

Jesus just left chicago

Make a search for: ZZ Top Rockpalast, at youtube and you will find a couple of the songs from the show.. It's really great stuff.

Oh yeah, I've posted that link before in other threads, that was a great performance. Billy was still using Pearly Gates on the road, that's when his tone was fantastic.

[Swede]

Oh yeah, I've posted that link before in other threads, that was a great performance. Billy was still using Pearly Gates on the road, that's when his tone was fantastic.

Yeah, there are vids at youtube which is recorded only two years later, 1982, and you can definitely hear the changes in the sound..

[alwizard03]

ZZ-Top rocks I posted a lot of ZZ Top things on the Southern Rock thread take a look if you want.

[Deezer]

ZZ-Top rocks I posted a lot of ZZ Top things on the Southern Rock thread take a look if you want.

It's funny, I've read interviews where when they were told they were Southern rock, they'd say they were from Texas, which is completely different. And they were different, that's for sure. One thing about the Top I like is they're not afraid to get a little weird. Heaven, Hell, Or Houston. Or Manic Mechanic. They were afraid to experiment a little bit. Still aren't.