ZZ Top - El Loco

Released in 1981

ZZ Top's El Loco may have been the band's first album of the decade, but it was actually their eighth studio album. Many 80's fans have the mistaken impression that ZZ Top cranked out a few radio hits and then disappeared, but the reality is this band has been laying out their unique and thoroughly enjoyable style of bluesy rock since 1970. With their 2003 release, Mescalero, the long-lived trio had offered fans a whopping fifteen studio albums!

Although ZZ Top was at their core a blues-rock band during this period in their career, they weren't afraid to take influences from other genres and decades such as country and the 1950's.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Tube Snake Boogie – An extremely catchy rocker that is injected with a light 50's style and rhythm. Perfect party music.
• Leila – ZZ Top are not known for creating ballads, but this rare treat shows the band is quite capable of crafting beautiful works among their normal raucous fun.
• Pearl Necklace – Another party-appropriate track with an infectious rhythm and lyrics chock full of double entendres.

Unfortunately all is not well with El Loco, for there are a few tracks that are definitely lacking the same appeal and/or fun nature of the three highlighted above. That being said, while El Loco is by no means a perfect album, it provides enough satisfaction to make it a worthy addition for a rock collector.

Rating: 6 stars

Track List Tube Snake Boogie I Wanna Drive You Home Ten Foot Pole Leila Don't Tease Me It's So Hard Pearl Necklace Groovy Little Hippie Pad Heaven, Hell or Houston Party on the Patio

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