El Loco

El Loco

ZZ Top

Full Moon / Warner Brothers Records, 1981

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/18/2003

The more I listen to ZZ Top over the years, the more I realizethat going through their albums is not unlike riding arollercoaster. Billy Gibbons and crew came off of the low that was Tejas with one of their best albums, Deguello, in 1979. One had to wonder whether their follow-upalbum would continue to see ZZ Top soar, or if they would comebarreling down the hill with another half-hearted effort.

El Loco, ZZ Top's 1981 release (and seventh album overall),regrettably didn't reflect the musical recharging of batteries thatDeguello did, and is a disappointment when compared to theirprevious effort, but this disc isn't totally without merit.

The two songs off of El Loco which get significant airplay on classic rock radio-- "Tube Snake Boogie" and "Pearl Necklace" -- are, unfortunately,the best songs on this disc. Continuing in the blues-boogie veinwhich became their bread and butter, ZZ Top drive these songs homecourtesy of an infectious bass line from Dusty Hill, Gibbons'sfluid guitar work and a solid backbeat from Frank Beard. In asense, one can't be too unhappy with these tracks, since they docarry on the successes that ZZ Top forged on Deguello with songs like "Cheap Sunglasses," and they doprove to be worthy follow-ups.

Possibly the one track which will be overlooked on El Locobecause of its quirkiness is "Heaven, Hell Or Houston" -- featuringa creepy yet funny spoken vocal line delivered in a mock VincentPrice style. Again, one needs only to go back to Deguello and "Manic Mechanic" to see the bloodline of thistrack -- but there's something unique about this particular songwhich makes it one you'll find yourself going back to time and timeagain. Namely, it's fun to listen to, blues purity be damned forjust three minutes.