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who digs Dusty Hill?

That must have been so sweet. Fandango! was one of my 1st hand me down records around the age of 6. Right off the bat w/Thunderbird, he drives that Tele like an Olds 442. One of my favorite tones ever. I remember also as a kid listening to a '73 show on the King Biscuit Flour Hour radio show & there was that tone again. Wish I caught them live in the 70's, but I was a 'lil pup at the time. Dusty's killed it on every album until El Loco. After that the synths & videos took over and I just lost interest. Much respect due, for sure though.
 
It's really too bad they went 80's. It worked for a little while and it was pretty innovative for its time but I think they should have gone back to 3-pc on Afterburner instead of making it so over the top with machines. And then those horrid remasters with the triggered drum sounds...that is what killed their career. They need to reissue the original masters of those albums pronto.

I saw them in 1980 and it was just them and no special effects or anything, and it was one of the 5 greatest shows I've ever seen. They just came on and played, and the only showbizzy thing was they showed a movie of them playing saxes to a couple songs. Dusty sang about half the songs, and he was amazing. he played this bright red custom '51 P copy with body binding, and he was right there with everything. ZZ Top would have been nothing without Dusty. Or for that matter, Frank Beard, another underappreciated guy.
 
+1 I'd add Deguello and Fandango to the list but El Loco was the begining of the slide down to Legs etc... Some of the early stuff is amazing. And the live stuff is soo ballsy! I have a live tape from the Deguello tour that kills! Funky, groovin and rocking hard, sometimes all 3 at the same time!
The last 10-15 years of ZZ top has not really been good at all.Their first 3 albums ( first album,rio grande mud,and tres hombres ) was ZZ at their best IMO. Great bass lines and Dusty sang most of the tunes.The times I saw them they were even better live than on the record.
 
Looks like everyone agrees that the early ZZ TOP is the best and I agree. Started listening to them in 1972 and still do. Their support of the Delta Blues Museum is what got me starting to listen to Blues music and has pretty much took over my musical interests.

Dusty lays some good bass on the early tracks and some of Billy's best is there also. The beardless Beard was one of the bussiest drummers around on the early tracks.

It is amazing that they have lasted this long with zero changes to the band. Not many gimmicks, just good ole' Texas Rockin' Bluesy music at its finest. I can't tell you how many miles I have logged with ZZ music on the 4 track, 8 track, cassette, CD, iPod.

Heaven is coming down Independence Pass with LaGrange thumping in your earplugs, scrapin' pegs on a nice handling motorbike on a clear day. Or blasting across West Texas headed for Big Bend and hearing Mexican Blackbird on repeat.

Live long and prosper!