Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It's tough being an aging rock band in the pop world. At a certain point both fans and record company turn away from your music and focus on what's hot now. ZZ Top, I think, has suffered this fate. While they still continue to make good music, no one seems to be listening anymore. Fine. I still like them. I still buy their cds. This compilation is the only best of ZZ Top that's worth buying for now. They really should have two disc or three disc retrospective like The Cars have and ELO has. However, this one disc compiles some of their greatest 70's and 80's hits in one place with a couple of new songs for 1992, "Viva Las Vegas" and "Gun Love." At 18 tracks this is a nice buy. No extensive liner notes though. After 1992, ZZ Top released Antenna in 1994, which dropped the synthesizers and went back to hard rocking blues. Then they released 1996's Rhythmeen, which seemed like they were going for a more mud-swamp, mid-tempo hard rock blues. In 1999 they released XXX which finds them still rocking the blues but with a bit more fun like they had before 1990's Recycler. This Greatest Hits, however, is perfect for those wanting a sample. This is a must have for any rock collector.

I understand that a lot of the long time ZZ Top fans feel that this collection missed a lot of the classic, older tracks. I feel the same way when I listen to something like Def Leppard's best of collection, as I feel that there is not enough focus on the early, hardest rocking stuff. But from my perspective (i.e. growing up listening to '80s music), this ZZ Top collection is just about right, as it has just about all of the songs by this band that I grew up listening to.

My one real complaint about this collection is the remastering/remixing of such classics as "La Grange" and "Legs". Why do the artists and/or record companies believe that we would want anything different from the original versions on a greatest hits collection? I also would like to see the song "Stages" from the "Afterburner" album--as it was a mid-'80s radio favorite of mine. Overall, though, this collection rocks. From the crunching riffs of "Give Me All Your Lovin'" and "Got Me Under Pressure" to the classic '70s rock of "Tush" and "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" to the more recent but still enjoyable "Doubleback" (from "Back To The Future II" sound track originally), this album gives a great taste of this classic blues-based rock band. Also enjoyable is the raunch of "Pearl Necklace" and "Tube Snake Boogie" as well as the rare slow ZZ Top track "Rough Boy"--also a mid-'80s favorite.

In summary, this is a fine collection to get an overall taste of what this band was about in their prime. Definitely a recommended purchase for any '80s fans of the band and '70s fans of the band who still enjoyed them when they became popular later on.

This Texas trio, comprised of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard KNOW HOW TO ROCK! This is an absolutely fabulous hits collection. It really should've been a 2 disc set, because these guys have had so many great songs that it is impossible to cram them all into one disc. The 80's rolled around, and ZZ experimented with the new technology, fusing keyboards and synthesizers with their legendary blues rock, and it was a formula that absolutely worked. If you liked the 80's version of ZZ, then you'll love this CD! I love all of their music, 70's, 80's, 90's and beyond. My fav's are the cuts from the Eliminator and Afterburner albums. Absolute fav tracks are 'Sharp Dressed Man', 'Gimme All Your Lovin', 'My Heads In Mississippi, 'Rough Boy' and the 70's hit 'La Grange'. Some of my other favs are missing, songs like 'Velcro Fly', 'TV Dinners', 'Stages' and the original version of 'Legs'. The version of 'Legs' in this collection is the re-mixed version(but is still a great song). This is still a 5-star collection that is worthy to be at the top of your music collection. Another great CD to get is their greatest hits package from the 70's "The Best Of ZZ Top". These guys are just plain cool, and they know how to rock! If you don't have it, my advice to you is get it ASAP! ROCK ON!!

ZZ TOP-GREATEST HITS: Originally "That Li'l Ol Band From Texas" was a greasy power trio steeped in gutbucket southern bloozer rock which served their legions of fans admirably. Starting with the mega-selling ELIMINATOR, those infernal curses of rock and roll, the dreaded synthesizer and the sequencer, began to dominate their sound. A red hotrod, dark shades, gyrating "Top-ettes", and Rip Van Winkle beards completed their schtick in trade. If any or all elements of this MTV makeover appalls the RNB purist in you, then pick up a copy of THE BEST OF ZZ TOP, crank up JESUS JUST LEFT CHICAGO or BEER DRINKERS AND HELL RAISERS, and pretend these cats called it quits in 1982. Otherwise, read on...GREATEST HITS offers the interchangable SHARP DRESSED MAN and GIMME ALL YOUR LOVIN' as the best of their musical metamorphesis, while the nadir is represented by new wavey duds SLEEPING BAG and VELCRO FLY (the latter thankfully missing here). The classic booty ode TUSH, JOHN LEE HOOKER chug-fest LA GRANGE, and funky fashion statement CHEAP SUNGLASSES are welcome "oldies", but where's their soul-searin' cover of SAM AND DAVE's STAX chestnut I THANK YOU? A new version of VIVA LAS VEGAS, complete with Elvis soundbites, is either good or awful, depending on your tolerance for such stuff. In short, if you like your ZZ over the Top, GREATEST HITS is a no-brainer.

RATING: THREE RAZORS

Well, the music is better than "pretty good". ZZ Top's tough blues n' boogie is here a-plenty, but there are a few minor songs here, too many MTV-era pop-rock numbers and not enough of their gritty 70s material for my taste.

I know, it's called "Greatest Hits", so if you only want the hits, I suppose it's all fine and good. But I'd go for the new double-disc anthology "Rancho Texicano" instead if I was looking for my first ZZ Top purchase...that one paints a much more complete picture of the little ol' band from Texas.

I have always felt ZZ Top was the most original thing in music. This "Greatest Hits" CD proves it! This collection mostly covers their late 70s, 80s and early 90s songs. If you want to hear some of their powerful early 70s stuff pick up the "Best Of.." They do sprinkle in a few early classics on this "greatest Hits" CD. Songs like "Tush" and "La Grange." Like always when your a true fan of a band you can think of some songs you would have left off and replaced with others. Over all this will give you the hits like "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man", "Sleeping Bag", "Cheap Sunglasses" and so many more. Could have done without the cover of Elvis's "Viva Las Vega:("

When ZZ Top's music was first put onto cd all of their material from 1970 to 1981 (except Deguello) was 'figurized' with reverb added and drums remixed. The thought was that they would need to tweak them slightly to get people to buy them who had already bought their albums on vinyl.

So, pretty much everything here is not what ZZ Top actually put on record. After listening to it for years and years many people might think so. The only albums that have been remastered and sound like their original selves is Tres Hombres and Fandango. Also, there is Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top (2 disc) and Chrome, Smoke & BBQ [Box Set]. Every track found on Rancho Texicano is also on the box set.

And that's it. Greatest Hits, One Foot In The Blues, ZZ Top Six Pack and all the main albums from 1970 to 1981 (minus the 2 remasters + 1 Deguello (unremastered still but un-futurized too) are not worth buying at all. You get 75 - 80% of all those albums on the box set anyway. Eventually, these albums will be re-released and they will lose their futurized imperfections. That will be a great day!

This is an excellent collection of ZZ Top hits. Some of the classics, particularly "La Grange", have been re-mixed with WAY too much reverb. In my opinion, this ruins a classic sound, which was very tight and done right the first time around.

For the real mix, buy "The Best of ZZ Top". This older hits collection has many other ZZ Top hits that are missing from "Greatest Hits", including "Waitin' for the Bus", "Jesus just left Chicago", "Just got Paid", "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", and "Heard it on the X".

ZZ Top- Greatest Hits(1992).

Right around the beginning of MTV, one band in particular, ZZ Top, took advantage of Music Videos, blending humor with a catchy mix of Southern, Blues, and Arena Rock, instantly propelled them into superstardom. The infectious trio was comprised of Billy Gibbon(Vocals and Guitar), Frank Beard(Drums), and Dusty Hill(Bass)who came together bymixeing addictive riffs and gravelly vocals courtesty of Gibbons, Top-Notch drumming from Beard, and catchy basslines from Hill. From the Early 70's to the Early 90's, ZZ Top was a hit machine, so it's understandable that many compilations have been made. So how does ZZ Top- Greatest Hits measure up? Read on to find out...

PROS-
-CONTAINS ALL OF ZZ TOP'S BIGGEST HITS!-When you get ZZ Top-Greatest Hits, you can be expecting such huge hits as "Sharp Dressed Man", "Tush", "Got Me Under Pressure", "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide", "Cheap Sunglasses", and many more! The sheer amount of hits is unbelieveable!
-HAS MANY UNDERRATED MASTERPIECES INCLUDED!-Non-Hits(Or Minor-Hits) such as "Rough Boy", "Pearl Necklace", "Doubleback", "Give It Up", and many more fit in right along with the huge hits!
-CHEAP!-Unlike Amazon's price, most stores carry this compilation for about 11.99$, and for this amount of songs it's a steal!
-18 SONGS, 73 MINUTES!- ZZ Top-Greatest Hits contains a HUGE amount of material, and even the most ardent of fans won't be complaining!
-2 NEW EXTRA TRACKS!- This compilation contains two new tracks "Viva Las Vegas" and "Gun Love", and unlike most Unreleased Tracks these are actually good! Bravo!
-GREAT LINER NOTES!- The CD Booklet contains an overview of ZZ Top's career plus an overview of every song on the compilation! Very Interesting!

CONS-
-REMIXES OF "LEGS" AND "LA GRANGE"!-Unfortuneatly, like so many other artists, ZZ Top decided to remix two of their biggest hits, "Legs" and "La Grange", and as usual, they're nowhere near as good as the originals! DON'T REMIX MATERIAL!
-NO MATERIAL FROM MANY OF ZZ TOP'S ALBUMS!- There's nothing here from the ZZ Top albums Rio Grande Mud, Tejas, Antenna, and ZZ Top's First Album, and that's a shame!

Overall, ZZ Top-Greatest Hits is very good, and would have been great if not for the remixes of "Legs" and "La Grange", and the fact that it doesn't cover many of ZZ Top's albums. I will say that the remix of "La Grange" sound very similar, yet "Legs" is different.You shouldn't change the originals! This set easily contains all of ZZ Top's hits, and this is exactly what casual fans are looking for if the want a taste of the Top!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ZZ TOP-GREATEST HITS ADEQUATELY COVERS ALL OF ZZ TOP'S HITS WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT, AND IS THE MOST ACCESSIBLE TO CASUAL FANS!

Also Recommended-

Eliminator- ZZ Top
Pronounced Leh-Nerd Ski-Nerd- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Greatest Hits- .38 Special

Thanks For Reading!

I've liked ZZ Top for a while, and don't get me wrong this a good album, but it doesn't have half the songs it could. It's still worth the money, so if your a new ZZ Top fan, pick this one up