ZZ Top — 鈥楲a Futura鈥�
ZZ Top’s 15th studio album has all the ingredients to return the little ol’ band from Texas to the top of their game. The blues-rock power trio of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard returns with a back-to-basics approach featured on classic albums “Tres Hombres” and “Fandango!” from the 1970s. The synthesizer boogie of “Eliminator” and “Afterburner” is replaced with vintage electric- blues boogie originating from the band’s roots, fueled by Gibbons’ distorted guitar riffs and growling vocals. I became a fan of the band back in 1979 after purchasing a copy of “Fandango!” while at high school football camp. Inspired by boisterous rockers like “Heard It on the X” and “Tush,” my next purchase was the infectious “Tejas” and I have been hooked ever since.
After losing focus on the last three studio releases, the band enlisted the production help of Rick Rubin to recapture the swagger. The album kicks off with the reworking of a hip-hop chart topper from 15 years ago by DJ DMD, featuring Lil’ Keke and Fat Pat. “I Gotsta Get Paid” sounds like a follow-up to the band’s 1972 single “Just Got Paid,” with touches of “Cheap Sunglasses.” “Chartreuse” contains the bluesy shuffle of “Tush,” while “Consumption” knocks out a funky-rock rhythm courtesy of Gibbons’ old 1954 Fender Esquire. “Flyin’ High” flat-out rocks with the help of some spirited guitar by Gibbons, and “Big Shiny Nine” features glimpses of the band’s spicy humor featured during the MTV days of the 1980s. “La Futura” demonstrates that the band is back on track with a future so bright they still need to wear their signature shades.