Musicians :
Billy Gibbons - guitar & vocals
Dusty Hill - bass & vocals
Frank Beard - drums & percussion

Titles :
01 - I Gotsta Get Paid
02 – Chartreuse
03 – Consumption
04 - Over You
05 - Heartache In Blue
06 - I Don't Wanna Lose, Lose You
07 - Flyin' High
08 - It's Too Easy Mañana
09 - Big Shiny Nine
10 - Have A Little Mercy

I have to admit that the creations of the Texan trio during those last years didn't let me imperashible memories. Admittedly the quality of the musicians wasn't to blame, but the musical direction always searching for new sounds, for particular mélodic lines, aso... left me a little weary and the pleasure tot listen to this fabulous "little band of Texas" had faded. So as I had the offer to discover Billy, Dusty and Frank's new achievement, I lost time because the rumours forecasted a come back to the band's musical roots !
Well indeed, from the first chords of ‘’I Gotsta Get Paid’’, we find again some clichés that made the ZZ Top fame, so even if on this title the sound seems to be yet a bit dirty (if I can say it !), my eardrums wake up with a real pleasure as "Chartreuse", the following tune, starts ... Ho la la … This is Top! Of course, some people will say that it looks like a lot of stuff they already made... But I don't care… This is the ZZ Top I love and that the main part of the fans love ! Anyway the rascals don't rask too much their brains because the following tune "Consumption" drives the same tones and nearly the same phrasings. Anyway, we find again the typical guitar ways of playing that made Billy Gibbons' fame... And honestly, it makes me feel good ! The magnificent ballad ‘’Over You’’ ehence yet a little more the beginning of the album, jeepers 35 years later I still have thrills listening to ZZ Top… Terrific ! Whether it's with "I Don’t Wanna Lose, Lose You", "It's Too Easy Manana", "Big Shiny Nine" or the more surprising ‘’Flyin’ High’’, I really feel like being shunted off again to the beginning of the 80's !...
(Ha could it be true !)
I don't know if Billy, Dusty and Frank had a great pleasure to make this album (I hope so !) because of course there are a lot of typical ways that deliberately reoccur, but in any case I'm sure that they gave a great pleasure to a lot of fans. As for me, I didn't keep a ZZ Top album in my car for quiet a long time, but it's done with La Futura !
Good job Messieurs !
John Molet
Trad. : Y. Philippot-Degand