ZZ Top

It's hard to believe that heavily bearded blues-rock trio ZZ Top were an MTV staple two decades ago with riff-driven hits like "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs." But then again, that was back in the days when MTV actually played videos and the band was enjoying a considerable amount of radio airplay and attracting stares, thanks to their signature, bushy beards. However, despite the fact that ZZ Top has settled into "career band" status, mostly catering to those who already subscribe to the band's Bible, they maintain unique visuals on their first-ever DVD, Live in Texas. The beards still rule in ZZ Top's universe and as they get older, they still play like their beards are on fire.

The majority of the DVD is a live concert document, capturing the band in its most natural state: on stage. The trio cranks through the hits to thousands of adoring fans, saving its most well known hits for the end. If you are a diehard Topper, then you'll indulge in every second of the show, complete with the synchronized playing of Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. There's nothing that most standard live DVDs don't already offer and the concert portion is reserved for those who claim ZZ Top as their fave band—those who shell out coin to see the band every time they hit town, those who buy the tour t-shirt (and then wear it to the next summer's tour), those who flash their boobs in the crowd, and those who've never had a chance to catch one of the band's gigs.

The backstage stuff is the most fun. The soft-spoken threesome chats about the band's humble Lone Star state beginnings over a smoky game of poker. This roundtable setting is way more unconventional than the typical on-camera rambling that most on-camera interviews devolve into it. It's a good twist of angles and aligns the band with their fans, who more than likely enjoy a good game of cards as much as the band itself. While there's no beard expose, which could and would have made for a hootin' and hollerin' good time, the footage does portray the band as the good ol' boys that they inevitably are. Most average Joe fans don't get this intimate of access to the band, so it's an eye opener, as the band navigates a photo shoot and preps for show days. The DVD cuts from the band backstage to the fans in the parking lot, juxtaposing people in very different positions but with the very same interests. The most compelling interview is with a guitar stringer who explains how Gibbons' guitars are hollowed out and strung differently for weight and comfort. It's a bird's-eye-view and almost educational in its explanation of something that even rock critics may not have known.

While this DVD may not generate a ton of new fans for ZZ Top, it certainly satiates the appetites of those who live for and die with the band.

— Amy Sciarretto
06.25.08

Given the importance of music videos in ZZ Top's career, it's surprising that the band took nearly 30 years to get around to making a full-length concert video. But here it is, taped in Dallas, TX, in 2007. The 85-minute performance is what fans would expect, with faithfully performed hits like "Gimme All Your Lovin," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs" (complete with fur-lined guitars) from the music video era mixed with non-hit favorites like "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," "Got Me Under Pressure," and "Pincushion," all ending up, inevitably, in the encore with the early classics "La Grange" and "Tush." Bassist/singer Dusty Hill and guitarist/singer Billy Gibbons, sporting their trademark long beards, sunglasses, and hats, do some simple choreography that serves to send up themselves and the trappings of show business. Gibbons, the frontman, makes occasional remarks to the crowd on the order of "Are we having a good time now?" But for the most part the band sticks to business, laying out one heavy blues-rock riff after another for an audience that couldn't be happier to hear them. A few hits are missing (notably "Sleeping Bag"), but the show provides a good sense of ZZ Top's music. Thirty-four minutes of extras include an 18-minute group interview with some amusing recollections of the Rolling Stones and Roky Erickson, as well a bonus cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide