ZZ Top - Afterburner

Released in 1985

1983's Eliminator saw ZZ Top tweaking their previous bluesy rock formula by adding juicy synthesizers and a harder rock edge to their work. It was a successful gamble since it created the band's first blockbuster commercial success and multiple chart-topping hits, despite the fact that some old-time blues-rock fans felt the band moved too far forward into the 80's direction.

The bad news for old-school fans that disliked ZZ Top's progression is Afterburner, the multi-platinum follow up to Eliminator, embraced the 80's even more so, nearly stripping away its bluesy overtones in favor of a more melodic AOR feel. But for those of us that truly enjoyed the stylish 80's sound, their continued progression was very good news for us.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Sleeping Bag – Featuring Billy Gibbon's chugging guitar work, this smash hit is the closest resemblance to their previous album's bombastic bluesy hard rock.
• Stages – The second track on the album, and a harbinger of things to come. Gone is the bluesy hard rock, replaced instead by a medium-paced melodic pop-rocker.
• Rough Boy – An absolutely gorgeous ballad that should serve as ear candy to any fan of the decade.

With Afterburner, ZZ Top managed to maintain their distinctive and instantly recognizable sound while expanding into the successful 80's formula that would keep them relevant throughout the decade. While overall the album is much more melodic than previous works, the Texas trio shows they are still more than capable of rocking it up with tracks like the raucous Can't Stop Rockin.'

Whether you believe this is one of ZZ Top's best albums, or one of their average albums, will primarily depend on just how much you prefer the 80's sound to pure blues-rock.

Rating: 8 stars

Track List Sleeping Bag Stages Woke Up With Wood Rough Boy Can't Stop Rockin' Planet of Women I Got the Message Velcro Fly Dipping Low in the Lap of Luxury Delirious

Additional Resources:

• El Loco Review
• Eliminator Review

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