Customer Reviews

Deguello

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For reasons unknown, after completely butchering the CD releases of their previous 6 albums by remixing and re-recording, ZZ Top saw fit to leave this one lone album and an early Greatest Hits collection alone in it's original form. It's not remastered but at least you can hear the album as it sounded when it was first released on vinyl. So it's a safe buy, but since Tres Hombres and Fandango are now finally available in original mix, remastered form, I would wait for this one to be re-released.

"Deguello" doubtless is ZZ Top's masterpiece; a definitive record that perfectly wedded their blues aesthetic to their hillbilly-rock roots. Long before the band became an MTV favorite with a brand, spankin' new, watered down, processed guitar sound that became synonymous with the early '80s (just like "Miami Vice" and blow), Billy Gibbons and the boys turned in this "freak power" collection that kicked off with Soul classic "I Thank You," rolled effortlessly to white trash anthem "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," and completed with the trippy, disturbing blues lament, "Esther Be The One." Around the middle of the journey through this fine album, the band even walks a psychedelic line for the sadly forgotten "Manic Mechanic," which one will likely never hear during any classic rock dinosaur's "rock block weekend." Not even during two-fer Tuesday. And it's a god damned shame. If you own no other ZZ Top record, buy this one and let it make a man of you. Ya big sissy.

Deguello is a modern blues classic and ranks with Tres Hombres and Eliminator among their best albums. ZZ Top are clearly at their best as a raw blues band and on Deguello they are at their best. Billy Gibbons's vocals and guitar playing sound inspired throughout and the rhythm section of Dusty Hill and Frank Beard are so tight, you can set your watch to them.

Every track here is great with a few ranking among their best. "Cheap Sunglasses" and "I Thank You" are the most popular tracks and are absolutely stunning. The former contains a killer riff and contains some excellent playing by Gibbons during the song's outro. The latter is a cover of the old Sam & Dave song which the band do extremely well. Other excellent tracks include "A Fool For Your Stockings", "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide", "Esther Be The One", "Hi-Fi Mama", and "Manic Mechanic." There's also an outstanding cover of Elmore James' "Dust My Broom." ZZ Top would never be as raw as this again as they would add synthesizers to their sound starting with the Eliminator album. While albums after this one would sell millions more copies, none of them have aged as well as Deguello. Highly recommended to all fans of the blues.

I canft argue with ZZ Top's decision to go slightly techno in Eliminator. Similar to Aerosmith's resurgence, it introduced them to a whole new, "younger" audience and propelled them to mass acceptance. They deserved all the kudos. While Eliminator is a good enough to stand on its own two feet, Deguello is more the heart and soul of ZZ Top.

One thing I've always admired about Billy Gibbons is his penchant for timely yet tasty riffs. He is a master of guitar phrasing and those who rely upon hitting a hundred notes as fast as they can, would do better taking Billy's example of restraint. They are a guitar band, no doubt, but the guitar is part of the overall song in terms of rhythm not full of long, redundant solos to highlight one's skills.

I love every track on Deguello but I'm Bad I'm Nationwide, Lowdown in the Streets, and Fool for Your Stockings really do it for me. Not just a blues band, they always seem to have this "Boogie" groove to their music and results in a Southern-fried kind of sound. The lyrics and feel of I'm Nationwide, really sum up what ZZ Top is all about. Deguello is also an excellent driving selection. Who canft see themselves in a convertible with the top down on a hot summer evening listening to I Love My Automobile?

If you like unpretentious, straight ahead, Southern blues rock, Deguello will fit the bill very nicely indeed. For aspiring guitarists, make note of Billy's unique sense of timing.

This album may not be remastered yet on this edition but it's the only 70's record that wasn't 'futurized' when they made the transfer to CD for the first time.

Soon there will be remasters of this disc and every other one from the 70's and most likely the 80's too up through 1990. But this disc is the original mix. It's the real thing! You'll notice it never was included on the ZZ Top Six Pack. They skipped this album but included 1981's El Loco instead. Don't ask me why. Or else it would have reverb added and had the drums redone and mixed differently to sound more like their 80's output. (Eliminator, etc.)

So everyone out there listening to non-remastered versions of ZZ Top's First Album, Rio Grand Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango, Tejas and El Loco OR The ZZ Top Six Pack, OR Greatest Hits or One Foot In The Blues are hearing futurized versions of the original vinyl. Sad but true. But this album has been pure all along on cd and will only get better on the remaster. It'll be nice if we see it soon. :)
Long live The Top!

I think that on DEGUELLO, ZZ TOP was really firing on all cylinders. I just love this album. It is a slab of now frills blues based rock music that keeps the listener hooked in to the songs. All the songs here rock, I cant find any filler material here. On this album, we have the classic tracks I'M BAD, I'M NATIONWIDE, CHEAP SUNGLASSES, and I THANK YOU. Those 3 songs are reason enough to buy this album. The good songs dont stop there however, if you want more good music, I suggest that you listen to DUST MY BROOM, A FOOL FOR YOUR STOCKINGS, MANIC MECAHNIC. Like I said earlier, there isnt a single song on this album that doesnt rock, and I like listening to the whole album. If you are a fan of real music, than ZZ TOP is a band whose music you should have.

Bizzarely, "Deguello" is the one pre-"Eliminator" album the band left off their "Six Pack" remastered anthology album. That is hard to fathom, because it happens to be one of their strongest releases. "I Thank You" is the best cover song the band ever performed while "She Loves My Automobile," "I'm Bad, "I'm Nationwide" and "Cheap Sunglasses" are among the best original songs they ever produced. The rest of the record is standard Top filler material, which isn't bad in and of itself. Overall, an excellent effort that should not be overlooked by fans.

ZZ Top be cool, man! And sho nuff BAD! They also know how to play the blues, and boogie with the best! They do it all right here on Deguello (1979). The album has one foot in the blues and boogie of their 1970s sound, and the other foot in the cool, bluesy working class chic of their 1980s sound.

It opens with a funky, slide guitar laden cover of Sam And Dave's I Thank You. Like just about everything else Billy Gibbons does, this is a little bit toungue-in-cheek, but it's a cool sound and great start to the album. The swaggering strut of I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide connected with ZZ fans in a big way, and Low Rider ain't got nuthin' on this baby!

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac
I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back
They sportin' short dresses, wearing spike-heel shoes
Smokin' Lucky Strikes and wearing nylons, too
Cause we bad, we nationwide
Yeah, we bad
...We Nationwide

Fool For Your Stockings is ZZ Top's best slow blues, and the smokin' guitar licks make the song a classic. The wry and sexy lyrics are great, too. Their cover of Robert Johnson's Dust My Broom works just fine, and the twisted Manic Mechanic and She Loves My Automobile are a lot of fun, too. The bluesy and sly Cheap Sunglasses is deservedly one of ZZ Top's most famous and popular songs. It's in the same low-rent neighborhood as I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide, only this time it's the morning after with hangover-induced paranoia.

Now go out and get yourself some big black frames
With the glass so dark they won't even know your name

Deguello is one of ZZ Top's very best albums, and it's definitely their coolest and baddest one. It's essential for any ZZ Top collection, so go out and get this one, and don't forget those cheap sunglasses!

The general concensus among critics seems to be that "Tres Hombres" is ZZ Top's finest album.

Well, I disagree. "Tres Hombres" is a fine album, but "Deg?ello" is better. Not by much, sure, but it has a stronger selection of songs with more truly memorable ones, such as the delightful blues-n'-boogie of "Cheap Sunglasses", "Fool For Your Stockings" and "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide".

It's not perfect, sure, not everything is great, but nothing is less than good, and "Degüello" is one of the few truly essential purchases for any ZZ Top fan.

I am a Native Houstonian so I have a certain bias for ZZ TOP. I am 30 and have listened to them for over 20 years now, and without a doubt they are one of the best American rock bands ever. Deguello is their best and most complete album, not to mention it is a great party album. With ZZ Top it is simple, they sing about women, sex, cars and Drugs/alcohol, most times all in the same song. The opening track is a very blunt sexual cover of "Thank You" followed by the rockabilly sounding "She Loves My Automobile" and the classic " I'm Bad I'm Nationwide". Every song on the album seems to have the blussiness of their first albums and the pollish of their later radio friendly sound. The diamond out of all the gems on the album is "Cheap Sunglasses". It captures what ZZ Top is all about, the mood and feeling of a rocking blues guitar, bass and drums. ZZ Top is all about mood and Deguello puts you there. So go ahaed and get Lowdown in the Streets and party!...