ZZ Top - Francine (Original 1972 version)

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[DemforBush]

Great little tune off of ZZ Top's second album (Rio Grande Mud). Original 1972 version.

[Zeneta]

La Grange is still my favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vppbdf-qtGU

[moehoward]

Saw ZZ Top Texas Tour. Blue Oyster Cult, and Johnny and Edger Winter opening at the bit A in Anahiem.

It was a great time despite their cheesy western set complete with buzzards and long horn cattle that were raised on scissor lifts.

[Zeneta]

Also, if you are a cover band, have you ever done “Smoke on the Water” with the opening riff that DP did on their Made in Japan album?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtkq_vTsXGM

[A Navy Vet]

".’Fool for your stockings’ is one of the best blues/rock tunes ever,..."

Yup, Gibbons is a great blues player. Think, "Jesus Just Left Chicago". I missed the first 2 albums and became aware of them with Tres Hombres.

Pop quiz: What was the double-wide photo of on Tres Hombres inside the double sided album? No Googling.

[A Navy Vet]

"I copy signature riffs but improvise extensively which is what the artists themselves do when they play live."

Yes, after playing a song a thousand times they DO improvise or change the arrangement, as do cover bands. You heard them when Hendrix was still alive? Wow. Didn't even know he was of age at that time.

I'll ask you also: What was on the inside of the double album of Tres Hombres? It always cracked me up. BTW, I've seen and enjoyed their straight up blues/rock many times. Still listen to them. Just simple rock n roll and blues. I started with the Allman Brothers Band.

Another fun fact: I took my wife to see them here in OC back in the early 2000's. Skynard openrd for Top and blew them away. The wife (and I) were disappointed with TOP at that concert, but she has since become a life long fan of Skynard.

[plain talk]

You got me on inside of Tres Hombres. Can’t remember. I didn’t have a lot of money back then. I would borrow records and record them on my reel-to-reel.

Allmans played the Warehouse in New Orleans all the time. I remember them playing New Years Eve and they would be jamming and it would hit midnite and they would morph into harmony guitar version of Auld Ang Syne and then morph back into something else. After Dwayne died they had his amp up there on standby. They opened for Pink Floyd in 1970. Those were good days to see concerts where the artists would take risks and surprise you.

[A Navy Vet]

"La Grange is still my favorite."

As it is for most people - never one of my favorites. However, on the same album were some of my favorites like, "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" and "Hot Blue and Righteous".

My favorite 3 man bands are: Cream, James Gang, and ZZ. All have been copied time and again. Someone once told me that Bonham of Zepplin used some of Cream's drums in their early stuff. Still, Bonham was arguably the best rock drummer of all time. Who would have thought to do a simple moderate tempo roll/fill on the snare in "Whole Lot O' Love"? Of course he did much more, but that was pure genius.

Sometimes, less is more. Probably why Charlie Watts of the Stones works so well on the early hits. Watts didn't even bother with a roll on "Gimme Shelter". He just hit his snare and toms and the same time and then one cymbal crash.

Of course the virtuoso the above 3 is Eric Clapton, although Ginger Baker created some original fills on the drums and Bruce was no slouch on the bass. James Gang created Joe Walsh, another exceptional guitar player as goofy as he used to be - now with the Eagles. I don't think Billy Gibbons of ZZ ever did anything on his own, but his playing on certain Top songs speaks for itself.

[A Navy Vet]

"You got me on inside of Tres Hombres. Can’t remember. I didn’t have a lot of money back then. I would borrow records and record them on my reel-to-reel."

I might have mislead you when I said "double album". It was only one LP with 2 sleeves that opened. Inside was an end-to-end layout of a massive mess of mexican food. That was it. Nothing of the band, just a conglomerate of beans, rice, tortillas, some kind of meat, peppers, sauce, et al over flowing the serving plate and table. It thought it was funny. My first wife thought it was disgusting - but then she had no taste...ha!

[A Navy Vet]

"Allmans played the Warehouse in New Orleans all the time. I remember them playing New Years Eve and they would be jamming and it would hit midnite and they would morph into harmony guitar version of Auld Ang Syne and then morph back into something else."

Too cool, in Nawlins yet. One of the best early live recordings was Live At The Fillmore East. I still occasionally listen to "Whipping Post" on that CD. It just pulls you into another world.