ZZ Top - Eliminator

Released in 1983

After their somewhat disappointing effort with El Loco in 1981, ZZ Top came back into the music scene two years later with a vengeance. Eliminator took the bluesy rock they became so well known for during the 70's, upped the intensity significantly and bathed it in synthesizers, creating an essential 80's rock album that is equal parts hard blues-rock and new wave.

Billy Gibbons has always been an impressive guitarist, but on Eliminator his guitars just roar to life and lend the tracks a truly fun and bombastic sound. Without his expert guitar work, Eliminator wouldn't have been half the album it was; Gibbons brought a deep vitality to each song. Dusty Hill on bass and Frank Beard on drums keep right up with Gibbons, making this one of the decade's premiere rock trios.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Sharp Dressed Man – A thunderous and fun rocker that achieved tremendous commercial success.
• Gimme All Your Lovin' – Fantastic pop-rocker that was a favorite on radios as well as MTV.
• Legs – Pure, unadulterated party music that rivals Sharp Dressed Man as ZZ Top's best-known and most beloved commercial hit.

There are some old-school fans that accused the band of "selling out" with the release of Eliminator. Personally, while I enjoyed some of their previous work, I really appreciated the new level ZZ Top achieved with this album. The sound is definitely more polished and commercially appealing, but these Texans certainly didn't forget their blues-rock roots.

ZZ Top's Eliminator is one of the proud hard rock albums that helped define a decade.

Rating: 8 stars

Track List Gimme All Your Lovin' Got Me Under Pressure Sharp Dressed Man I Need You Tonight I Got the Six Legs Thug TV Dinners Dirty Dog If I Could Only Flag Her Down Bad Girl

Additional Resources:

• El Loco Review
• Afterburner Review

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