Customer Reviews

The ZZ Top Six Pack

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I had an opportunity to listen to this "6 pack" not too long ago. I was totally excited to plop the discs into my CD player to enjoy these classic LP's

I give lots of kudos to Warner brothers for putting a spiffy package together and essentually putting out a die-hard fans release.

I put the first CD into the player and immediatly something dreadfully wrong: it sounded ultra tinny and just fake. After reading through the credits it made mention that the discs where remastered and remixed. Its had the effect of making the boys sound like they are playing in a tunnel. Its absolutly dreadful. Anyone who's ever heard that wierd sounding version of "La Grange" on the radio.. thats from this set and the rest of CD's sound like that.

So, for that it gets a 2 star from me. Its sad to see such a shotty remix of such stellar material. If you want these albums, my strong recommendation is to buy them in their original discs separately. The music is brigher, sharper and just plain sounds real and not fake.

I nearly bought this, as it seemed a convenient way to get all six early Top albums on CD. Thank God I listened to it first. I am frankly amazed that this set is still on the catalogue, as the remixing of the rhythm section with the addition of electronic reinforcement to bass and drums completely betrays the sound and feel of the original music. As far as I know, all the individual albums are now available with conventional remastering and far superior sound.

ZZ Top reinvented themselves with "Eliminator"; it's a shame that in the wake of that album's success they attempted to rewrite their own early history in this way, presumably looking for back catalogue sales to the audience which only discovered them with that album. Ironically, they've returned to a rootsier sound in recent years, which leaves this Frankenstein's monster of a compilation sounding even more awkward than it did when it was released. Imagine Led Zep's albums rereleased with electronic drums and synth bass....At least "Eliminator" sounds all of a piece and honestly of its time.

If you want to know whether you'll like pre-"Eliminator" Top, buy "Tres Hombres" or "Deguello": classics both. I don't think you'll regret it.

And by the way - I don't think you have to like early or late Top exclusively. My desert island picks would include "Tres Hombres", "Deguello", "Afterburner", and "Rhythmeen".

If you're a diehard zz top fan, DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. That warm, intimate, tight ambience you remember from your old LPs has been eradicated and replaced by a sterile, cold and gimmicky atmosphere that ruins the listening experience. the mainstream success that top enjoyed in the 80s with "eliminator" and the like must have persuaded them to remix these early classics to sound like they are part of the same family as their synthesizer-phase albums. now, on the six-pack, every instrument sounds like it was recorded in a cavernous, sanitized bomb shelter. they rerecorded some vocals, too, which you'll know immediately if you try to sing along. in short, they "fixed" something that wasn't broken and really messed it up. "fandango" and "tres hombres" have been newly remixed and remastered -- no doubt due to the outcry from fans who know better -- and those are the ones you should purchase. i'm waiting for them to give "tejas" the same treatment. (also, be aware that the six-pack does not include "deguello," even though it came out before "el loco.")

I agree with the previous reviewers who have complained about the awful remixing and the terrible altering of the original drum sound. Since one reviewer suggested that the problem could be avoided by buying the cds individually, I wanted to let people know that the individual cds have the same remixes on them so that is no way to solve the problem. E-mail the band or Warner Brothers (or RCA or whoever has the catalog rights) to let them know how bad these new versions are! If enough people complain, maybe they will put out the originals. Given that everyone and his brother is re-releasing "remastered" versions of classic cds to improve upon the sound of the original cds, these certainly seem like great candidates for that kind of treatment. Until then, it's vinyl or cassettes (which haven't been messed with).

This should have been a great boxed set. The original material, is brilliant, classic American blues-rock. Sadly, the "improvement" of the sound in the remastering process renders the material painful to listen to (if you're famailiar with the originals). Skip this boxed set. The early albums have now been released individually, without this heinous remastering.

I will also say that the remastering of these CD's are bad. I can not give this set more than 2 stars.

They remastered and goofed this really bad. The sound is terrible. It is one of the worst remasterings I've ever heard. Unless you are a collector or really curious...dont touch this one. For new fans, I reccomend the early ZZ, pre - Tejas. Other than Eliminator - 80's and 90's ZZ Top is lousy, aside from their wonderfully tuned guitars and slick production (yawn).

These mp3s are the original recordings. They are not those remastered ones where the drums sound like gunshots. The volume seems to vary on some of the tracks, which is strange. But overall, if you want to hear zz top's early stuff, this is the thing to get. The only question I have is why did they skip Deguello? It sold more than El Loco and is closer in sound to the other five. I bought it separately.

It's a crime. A great collection of songs, remastered by deafs...
The band sounds like playing in the inside of a tunnel.
If you are a ZZ fan from the seventies, please do you a favor, don't buy it.

Like "One Foot In The Blues" this 6 album set is 100% NOT the original sound of these albums. Their drums and bass have been re-recorded to sound more like their big hit Eliminator. The only two albums that are available remastered and in their original sound is Tres Hombres and Fandango. You would also do well with Rancho Texicana: The Very Best of ZZ Top or Chrome, Smoke & BBQ [Box Set]. Every song on Rancho Texicana is also on the box set so no need for both unless you want the smaller set for the car or something.

That being said, every other record except Deguello (1979) was futurized up through El Loco (1981). Only Deguello was spared. Who knows why? Publishing rights?

In short, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ is 75 - 80% of each album represented here but remastered and in the original sound aka just like the vinyl. So, these albums have already been remastered and released in part on C, S & BBQ. And 2 of them have been re-released in their entirety. Don't waste your money on this tripe! And do not buy ZZ Top's Greatest Hits and One Foot In The Blues for the same reason.