Prior to the release of this DVD, ZZ Top had sat atop my "Missing In Action" list of great bands who have yet to release a concert DVD. Hell, the only live album these guys have ever released was the whopping half-album worth on 1975's Fandango! That is a crime for such a great live band.
I finally got to see ZZ Top live for the first time back in 2003, and that concert left me surprisingly underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high after hearing all of my friends describe the mind-blowing ZZ Top concerts they attended back in the 80's. Unfortunately, most of this DVD left me with a similar feeling.
Live From Texas was recorded and filmed at the Nokia Theatre in Dallas, Texas on November 1st, 2007. I was surprised at how lackluster the band's stage show was for this concert. It was like they made a last minute stop at Rent-A-Light-Show and pulled something generic off the rack that could have been used on the last Hanson tour. The lighting and LED screens displayed colors and images that did not really match or accentuate the band's unique style and personality at all. And these guys used to put on one of the most unique and elaborate stage shows in the business.
But who really cares about the stage show as long as the music still kicks ass right? Unfortunately, the little ol' band from Texas appeared to be going through the motions (slow-motion at times) on many of the songs, which made the performance very inconsistent. "Got Me Under Pressure" was not the most exciting choice of songs to open the show with, but they started to pick up a head of steam by the next three songs, "Waitin’ For The Bus," "Jesus Just Left Chicago," and "I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide," which are three of their finest.
The highlight of the show came midway through the set when Gibbons unleashes some heroic guitar riffs and bottle-neck slide on the Rio Grande Mud classic "Just Got Paid." Do yourself a big favor and check out Joe Bonamassa's live version of this number. It has become a staple of his live shows, and he has really made it his own. "Rough Boy" sounded much more satisfying than the overly synthetic sounding Afterburner original, thanks to Gibbons' excellent blues guitar soloing throughout.
Article comments
1 - Arron
Where the hell was velcro fly?