Customer Reviews

El Loco

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Wondering what they're doing in those greasy overalls shown on the cover? They were working very hard on another sweet album!

ZZ sounds more contemporary on this album than they ever had before, while at the same time throwing down some funky blues (Tube Snake Boogie, Don't Be Cruel), sweet 70's country-flavored ballads (Leila, It's So Hard), and a couple truly bizarre, genius tracks (10 Foot Pole, Heaven Hell or Houston).

As with Tejas, Billy's tones are more frequently in the Strat realm than the fat Les Paul territory he is widely known for. He doesn't hold back on this one, slingling his gun with great zeal. Tube Snake, Don't Be Cruel, and Heaven, Hell or Houston all feature some of his sweetest solo work, in my opinion.

Out of my five star rating I give one star to each of these tracks:

*Tube Snake
*10 Foot Pole
*Leila
*Don't Be Cruel
*It's So Hard
*Heaven, Hell or Houston

Whoops, that's 6 stars. It's just a sweet thing!

This is ZZ TOP at it's best the whole range of ZZ TOP'S music is here in this one album.Starting with the anthem 'TUBE SNAKE BOOGIE' to the rockin 'I WANT TO DRIVE YOU HOME',In which Billy Gibbons guitar licks are just awesome.If you like a good hard rockin album with the best guitar riffs and great lyrics this album from 'THAT LITTLE OL BAND FROM TEXAS'is a must.

Um, I don't know why this album has caught so many bad reviews... I've never heard the original version (though I'd like to) but even so, this just may be my favorite ZZ Top album and I own quite a few. I will admit that at first, I didn't care for it much at all. But the more I listened, the more it grew on me and now I listen to it the most out of my ZZ Top collection. It sounds weak through an iPod, so I prefer to play it in my car, which has a very nice stereo system... it sounds so groovy and laid back, which I really like. Good cruisin' music. This album sounds like blues numbers mixed with a surf edge to them; there isn't much in the way of heaviness and distortion on this album. I guess it's really about personal taste more than anything else; I'm a laid-back guy so I like laid-back music. So yeah this isn't an album for angry people. Actually I take that back, buy it if you're angry cause it'll calm you down. Anyway, I'm done. Long live ZZ Top.

This really is a great album if you're into ZZTop. The old blues influence is still there but there's hints of their later mainstream stuff. I could do without a couple songs, like "Its So Hard" and "Don't Tease Me". But "Ten Foot Pole", "Tube Snake Boogie", "Groovy Little Hippie Pad" and "Heaven, Hell, or Houston" are enough of a reason to have this CD in your collection.

'El Loco' is the Top's last LP before they did before they started overdoing it with the synths.And,it can be argued,this is their last great album.The boogie is there.The humor is their.And,of course,the ever-present sexual euphamisms are there.

Never being a "serious fan" of ZZ TOP, other than seeing their now familiar series of videos on MTV in the mid- Eighties, I never took the plunge and purchased a full length album from these legendary Texas rockers until a few years ago. A friend of mine turned me on to this cassette about ten years ago and I copied it, loving all the songs. Seriously fun, boogie-woogie blues, rockers, a few ballads, even a dance song ( the middle part of "Heaven Hell or Houston" has a great dance beat as well as some incrdeible guitar playing. ) ZZ TOP purists would probably hate me for saying this, but I think it's their best overall album ( I have since purchased quite a few of their discs. ) Oddly enough, my favourite track on this album is the most unconventional, most "this doesn't sound like ZZ TOP" song "Groovie Little Hippie Pad" starts with a few synth squiggles, then blasts off with a herky jerky rhythm and drum machine patterns that quite frankly wouldn't have sounded out of place on the first B-52's album ( and to me, that's not a bad thing.) Finally, a hard rocking album you can dance to. Great at parties, there's something here for literally everyone.

I hate the way in the late 80's everything except Deguello and Best of 77 was remastered with loud drums and all that garbage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When are us fanzz gunna get a complete set of the stuff that was remastered. I LUV TEN FOOT POLE AND THAT ISN'T ON THE STUPID BOX SET!!!! I've gotta put up with this new stupid CD version. When will I get the original?

Whoever said ZZ Top doesn't like to experiment needs to check out this album. First off, there's very little of the distortion and bite of earlier releases. New Wave was prominent at this point, and ZZ Top fully embraced the genre on 1981's El Loco. The Gibson dirt of earlier releases are replaced with a Fender sheen (This also was the first album where they were playing separated from each other in different booths, where as earlier releases had them all in the same room). The band was also experimenting with more robotic drum beats and chorus effects on guitar/vocals. Just listen to something like Tube Snake Boogie or Pearl Necklace and you'll hear the change from the past release.

Other than that, it's the same old ingredients. Texas-fried boogie done in a way that the Top could only cook it. This album contains some of their best work: The slow-burning It's So Hard and I Wanna Drive You Home, the party fun of Groovy Little Hippie Pad & Party On The Patio, and the nastiness of Tube Snake Boogie, Pearl Necklace, and one of my favorites, Ten Foot Pole.

However, not every experiment works. Leila has to be one of the worst songs the band have ever penned, a boring adult contemporary song that sounds like it could've fit on Days Of Our Lives. And that pedal steel is just awful. Also, what the hell were they thinking with Heaven, Hell Or Houston? Disco-sci fi? I dunno about that one. Too many drugs.

This marks the end of total consistency for ZZ Top. It had to happen, 6 great albums in a row isn't too bad though. After this marks the beginning of the "commercial" ZZ Top, which, isn't that bad, but it was never the same.

After reading a fellow reviewer report I have to disagree with him/her.This album was released before Eliminator.This one was released in 81,Eliminator was in 83.This album has a new wave sound like so many albums from this time frame.I admit it was quickly put together due to the record company pushing for a hit.Cheap Sunglasses was huge for them in the 70's.Although its not a commercial succsess like Eliminator[thanks to mtv videos of those girls} their careers took off.El Loco isn't a classic album but its fun for entertainment purpose.

For a ZZ Top album this is quite Mellow and has a lot of variety. There is also a lot of experimentation, especially experimenting with guitar tones.

There are some very strong songs on El Loco, The country-ballad 'Leila' is quite heartfelt and has some beautiful steel-guitar playing, though I'm not sure if it's a real steel guitar. The zany 'Groovy Little Hippie Pad' has a very strong main hook 'groooooovy little hippie paaadd' or so Billy sings it like that, is very memorable and catchy, and really grows on you. The track 'I Wanna Drive You Home' seems like a lyrical continuation of 'She likes my automobile', and it's another winner, with an awesome hook and great guitar grooves.

'Don't Tease Me' and 'It's So Hard' are fifties pop sounding, a bit insincere actually, but enjoyable enough. Then 'Tube Snake Boogie' and 'Party on the Patio' are fifties rock 'n' roll songs. The other songs are more experimental, interesting and with some good guitar.

Mellow and synthetic guitar tones dominate this album, that also tries to look back at more roots music, there are also a few rather bizarre and experimental songs. It's still an enjoyable album, a bit uneven, so about 2.5 to 3.0 stars.