Customer Reviews

Fandango

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After years of only being able to get the bogus remixed and re-recorded versions of the first 6 ZZ records on CD, Rhino has finally begun issuing the Top back catalog (Tres Hombres and Fandango so far) faithfully restoring the original mixes of these classic records. The fact that these fine records were altered to begin with is a complete travesty. I had to resort to burning the original vinyl as CDs because of the previous butchery and doctoring of these vintage 70's recordings. But now the original mixes are finally available and they sound incredible. I hope Rhino doesn't delay releasing the other 4 albums along with Deguello in original mix, remastered form. I can't wait to hear them. So if you are considering buying any of the first 7 ZZ Top CD's, only buy the 2006 remastered, original mix version of Tres Hombres and Fandango, and wait until the others get released in the same format. You'll be glad you waited and saved your money, I can't emphasize enough how terrible the previous releases of these CD's sounded.

This was a great album and I had to have the cd. Unfortunatly when I recieved the disc and put it in to play, I was dissapointed to hear the studio side had been remixed. A ton of echo had been added. The drums had been remixed and the sound changed. The cymbals were burried in the mix. Small nuances that made the tracks interesting were also lost. The vocals are also covered with reverb. The original tight sound had been replaced with a muddy "hall" type sound. I have returned to listening to my cassette version of this album and feel ripped off by the cd remix. I wish I never bought it.

Finally... this fantastic album gets the treatment it deserves.

The echo is gone. The drums are dry (in a good way) and the vocals are right up in front along side the Reverend's holy guitar tone. To sum it up, this remastered copy of Fandango! sounds brilliant.

The cd artwork is great as well- faithful to the old LP artwork and complete with lengthy and interesting liner notes. The addition of 3 bonus live cuts at the end is excellent. In particular,the live version of Tush is INCREDIBLE. I personally was hoping they would include the entire live recording from which Side A of this album was taken, but I really can't complain with what is here.

The songs are great (Billy's slide playing on Mexican Blackbird is worth the price of the album itself) and the sound quality is perfect. This copy of Fandango is the complete package. Buy it and throw out your old cd copy if you still have it.

Though Fandango isn't ZZ Top's best album, (that honor belongs to Tres Hombres), it does represent the band at the peak of their powers. This is ZZ Top at their raw, bluesy roadhouse boogie best. No synths, no drum machines, just drums, bass, vocals and guitar. Lots and lots of guitar. Billy Gibbons is a guitar god. Every note he plays sounds Divinely inspired.

The first half of Fandango is a superb live set recorded in New Orleans which starts out with the fiery rocker Thunderbird, then on to a groovy cover of Elvis' Jailhouse Rock. Finally a lengthy medley of several tunes including Backdoor Love Affair (from ZZ Top's First Album) and Little Walter's Mellow Down Easy which showcases Gibbons' vocal prowess more than his guitar. The second half consists of studio records beginning with the excellent riff-rocker Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings. Next is one of my favorite ZZ Top tracks and their best slow blues number, Blue Jean Blues, which features some of Gibbons' finest blues guitar playing. The barroom rocker Balinese is an especially tasty album cut, however Mexican Blackbird, though not a bad song, grates my nerves due to Gibbons' singing in an exaggerated twangy southern accent. Great guitar as always, though. Closing the album are two ZZ Top classics, Heard It On The X and Tush. The former being a favorite among fans of the band, and the latter being one of Top's biggest chart hits and a rock radio classic. A great album, overall and an excellent slice of ZZ Top's meaty Texas blues-rock.

The new CD is, of course, noteworthy for restoring the original mix the way the album was intended to be heard. Completely remastered from the original tapes, the album sounds better than ever. The sound quality is excellent and the mix is just the way it was heard in '75. To augment the package, three bonus tracks were included: live versions of Heard It On the X, Jailhouse Rock, and Tush. Heard here, Heard It On the X is very hard-rocking. It almost sounds like a heavy metal song in this version. The live version of Tush is also excellent, and thankfully longer than the way too short album version. The live version of Jailhouse Rock, however, is not much different from the one on the original album. A very cool bonus for fans overall.

These tracks are most certainly welcome, however I'm disappointed that there are only three. There is certainly room for at least a dozen such bonus tracks. I'd like to hope that live tracks are being held back for a future live release. ZZ Top obviously was and is a hot live band. It's a shame that the live cuts on Fandango are the only representation of Gibbons, Hill and Beard in concert.

Still, this remastered Fandango CD is highly recommended to old and new fans alike.

Remasters are great. Much better than the older cd. The live side (the first 3 tracks in this case) is alright. It was recorded down in The Warehouse in New Orleans which closed down awhile ago. The sound quality's real good. The studio side is grade A. Most hard rockin cuts are "Heard it on the X" and "Tush" I'd say.

If your'e a fan of boogie or blues rock this is good stuff.

The bonus tracks are actually kinda disapointing. I was hoping they'd put on some more recordings from the concert on Side A on this but I don't know maybe they were all real bad or they've lost them. That would be a cool idea for another album, to just be that whole concert in New Orleans. Anyway that's beside the point.

The live bonus tracks were taken from around 1979 or 1980 I think according to the new liner notes. They're bootleg quality sound and the crowd noise is pretty loud most of the time. The live version of "Heard it on the X" is really bad compared to the studio version. I don't know really why they included ANOTHER live version of "Jailhouse Rock".

Their are expanded liner notes on this remaster. Much more than what they had in the old cd. Very informative and it has a bunch of photos in it.

A pretty darn good album overall. Get the remastered version of Tres Hombres too. I'd say it's just about as good an album as this one.

This is my fave ZZ Top album, and I have most of them (I'll have them all soon, I'm sure). Whether it's the first-rate studio cuts, or the electrifyingly great live cuts, there's nary a weak track on here. Everybody knows "Tush", "Jailhouse Rock" and "Balinese", and many know "Heard It On The X", but the lesser known tracks truly stand out, especially the killer "Back Door Medley", which, at over 9 minutes, still isn't long enough, and "Mexican Blackbird". The albums "Tres Hombres" and "Deguello" are right up there, but this one is the best one you can get, and it's actually a pretty good intro to the band if you're just starting a collection.

It's great to see FANDANGO! restored to its original mix, which had previously been available only on LP and cassette, on CD. The remastering is warm and thick, and you can actually hear every instrument without all the electronic trickery, which is great. The fact that the band's members advocate sanctions on countries which falsely convict foreign visitors, capital punishment/life without parole for aggravated kidnapping, and increased law-enforcement funding makes me hope that the first two albums and TEJAS will get the same treatment as TRES HOMBRES and this one have received.

OK, maybe "Fandango" only had a profound influence on my taste in music. While I was stationed in Germany in the early 70s, a friend lent me "Fandango" and "Tres Hombres." (When we get together, he asks me when I plan to return them. I tell him there are two chances of that happening: Fat and none.) I've been a fan ever since. There are many purveyors of Texas-style rock, but none of the others make me just wanna to get up and boogie the way Billy Gibbons (& Pearly, mercy me!), Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard do. ZZ Top's pre-MTV stuff is raw, raunchy, straight to the gut, b**s-to-the-wall, kick-a** rock & roll. Unlike some fans, I think their MTV/RWG (Really Weird Guitars) output is great, too, but nothing matches the foundation they laid down on their early vinyl. So grab a Lone Star long-neck, crank it to 11, and boogie!

The CD has excellent Sound qulaity. It has been remastered. Frankly I was l little concerned because I read other reviews that stated they went overboard with the effects. It just sounds clean and balanced to me. Plus you get previousley unreleased versions of Tush and Jailhouse rock.

The sound quality here is excellent. Much truer to the original ZZ Top vibe than the bastardized version presented on "Six Pack". No ZZ Top fan will be disappointed in this purchase. My only beef is the live part of the album. With the expanded cd format, why not give us the rest of the live show (ala The Who "Live At Leeds" or Skynyrd's "One More From The Road")? I own this cd, and if you're a ZZ Top fan you should too. But as a diehard fan, I'm still holding out for the complete concert. BTW, search zShops for the best price.