ZZ Top: A Tribute From Friends

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Tribute albums tend to go one of two ways. They either stick to a single style and haul in custom-built supergroups, or they use a whole host of different artists in order to try to prove the wide-ranging influence of the subject artist. This tribute to southern rock veterans ZZ Top toes the line between the two. On the one side there are appropriate rock bands playing some of ZZ Top’s most popular songs in their own style while showing flashes of a faithful adherence ot the originals, and on the other are stylistically unconnected artists doing the same thing. On their own almost every one is excellent, but as a coherent listening experience the disc falls falters slightly in places. The fitting tributes come from Canadians Nickelback whose hard, grooving version of Legs is even better than their previously released version with Kid Rock, The M.O.B., who are not the Doug Pinnick fronted outfit but a make-shift supergroup featuring Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler and Fleetwood Mac‘s Mick Fleetwood with a typically rocking version of Sharp Dressed Man replete with over-the-top solos, and Wolfmother, Mastodon, and Daughtry delivering Cheap Sunglasses, Just Go Paid and a medley of Waitin’ For The Bus and Jesus Just Left Chicago respectively in their usual styles. Duff McKagan’s Loaded‘s version of Got Me Under Pressure is particularly noteable for some untypically good vocals from McKagan, and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals covering Tush (despite Grace’s mispronounciation of the title) for the rather heavy, searing guitar work. Then there are the oddballs. Hip-hop superstar Wyclef Jean, a deceptively good singer when he wants to be, tackles Rough Boy, which could work on paper, but re-written lyrics and out-of-place hip-hop backing music spoil it, but country artist Jamey Johnson completely faithful rendition of La Grange is perfect. Although there are mis-steps (Coheed & Cambria really shouldn’t have been let loose on Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers) most ZZ fans should enjoy a good proportion of this, and people who are fans of most of the contributing artists even more so.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Quick.Play Reviews, Rock, Southern, Tribute Albums, Various, ZZ Top