Deg�ello

ZZ Top

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KKK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,329 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Classic Rock > Southern Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
First released in 1979, Deguello was three years in the making. Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard had disappeared into the sagebrush to recharge their batteries following their grueling World Texas Tour. They returned with a new antic sense of themselves that first appeared in songs like "Cheap Sunglasses," "She Loves My Automobile," and "Esther Be the One" and came to fruition almost four years later with Eliminator. Deguello forges the last link to the band's early blues-rock years, before they became the sleeker, less threatening entity that graced MTV during the '80s. Tunes like their rendering of David Porter and Isaac Hayes's steamy "I Thank You," the salacious "Hi Fi Mama," and the boastful "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" careen on the edges of good taste, but these guys didn't give a damn who they offended as long as they entertained. And, of course, they did entertain legions of fans with their ribald lyrics, off-kilter timing, and Gibbons's daredevil guitar wizardry. But ZZ Top isn't all hard edges and pinup fantasies; the heartbreakingly beautiful intro to their eccentric love song, "Fool for Her Stockings" rivals the lyricism of Jimi Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary." --Jaan Uhelszki

Product Description
1979 Classic with 'Cheap Sunglasses' and 'i Thank You'. Currently Out of Print in the USA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original Mix Is Intact Unlike Previous 6 CDS, March 6, 2006

By	razzorjet2 (York, PA) - See all my reviews

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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A blues classic, July 22, 2003

By	John Alapick (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subdued Guitar but Aggressive Final Product, June 2, 2003

By A Customer

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.