10608 - BILLY GIBBONS AND THE BFG'S - PERFECTAMUNDO (2015)
BILLY GIBBONS & THE BFG'S
''PERFECTAMUNDO''
NOVEMBER 6 2015
38:57
**********
1 Got Love If You Want It 04:15
2 Treat Her Right 02:22
3 Youre Whats Happenin, Baby 06:05
4 Sal Y Pimiento 03:11
5 Pickin Up Chicks On Dowling Street 04:09
6 Hombre Sin Nombre 03:48
7 Quiero Mas Dinero 03:24
8 Baby Please Dont Go 02:29
9 Piedras Negras 03:06
10 Perfectamundo 02:41
11 Q-Vo 03:23
**********
Mike Flanigin/Hammond B3
Alx "Guitarzza" Garza/Bass Guitar, Vocals
Billy Gibbons/Guitar, Bass Guitar, Hammond B3, Piano, Vocals
Martine "G. G." Guigui/Hammond B3, Piano
Joe Hardy/Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
G.L. Moon/Guitar
Greg Morrow/Drums
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
ZZ Top's 2012 album La Futura -- their first in nearly a decade -- was widely acclaimed for bringing back the group's grimy '70s boogie, so what did Billy Gibbons choose to do for a follow-up? Naturally, he decided to leave his little old band behind so he could record Perfectamundo with a new group called the BFG's. Perfectamundo allows Gibbons to not only indulge a newfound love of Cuban rhythms -- an infatuation assisted by pianist Martin Guigui, who provides an anchor in the BFG's -- but also all the studio trickery he left behind as he worked with Rick Rubin on La Futura. Certainly, percolating Cuban rhythms lie at the foundation of Perfectamundo, but Gibbons can't resist setting everything to tightly controlled drum machines, then hauling out a bunch of studio effects, including a vocoder that pushes his gravelly croak into something slippery and sly. All this flair is a welcome reminder that, for all his vaunted blues purism, Gibbons remains something of a futurist, happily blurring the lines between the present and past along with obliterating the lines between cultures. True, some of this playfulness can result in moments that are decidedly dorky, like the opening gambit of oldies covers ("Got Love if You Want It," "Treat Her Right"), which feel stiff. "Hombre Sin Nombre" seems constructed to house every synthesized sound Gibbons ever imagined, "Quiero Mas Dinero" boasts a rap that would've seemed old-fashioned in 1989, and the chants of "baby shake that ass" on the title track are the furthest thing from sexy -- but this isn’t a bug, it's a feature.
As good as it was, La Futura felt somewhat constrained by the concept of ZZ Top's classicism, whereas this record thrives on freedom, including the freedom to be ridiculous. The very fact that Perfectamundo gets silly makes it appealing: Gibbons enjoys playing with this Cuban-blues hybrid so much, he lets down his guard, allowing himself to spin out some slick, greasy solos, ride out some infectious vamps, and act like the cheerful dirty old man he is.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Greg Prato
Along with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is unquestionably one of the finest blues-rock guitarists to ever emerge from Texas. Born on either March 4 or December 16, 1950 (both dates have been given in the past), and raised in Houston, TX, Gibbons grew up in a home that favored both classical and country sounds, but upon discovering Elvis Presley via an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gibbons became transfixed by rock & roll. It wasn't long before he discovered other early rock & rollers (Little Richard) as well as bluesmen (Jimmy Reed) via a local radio station. Soon after receiving a Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar and a Fender Champ amp for Christmas in 1963, Gibbons began emulating his heroes -- forming his first band when he was 14 (the Saints). The guitarist later joined a group around the mid-'60s called the Coachmen, who specialized in more psychedelic-based sounds, inspired by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the local Texas outfit 13th Floor Elevators (led by a young Roky Erickson). Gibbons' band eventually changed their name to the Moving Sidewalks, issuing a lone album in 1968, Flash, although an early single, "99th Floor," would later receive attention when included years later on the Pebbles: Vol. 2 compilation. While the Moving Sidewalks never made a splash outside of Texas, Gibbons must have been pleased when Jimi Hendrix (with whom the Sidewalks toured with around this time) began endorsing the guitarist as one of his favorite new players to the media.
When the Moving Sidewalks folded in 1969, Gibbons sought to form a more straight-ahead, boogie/blues rock-based band, and after hooking up with a pair of other fellow Texans, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, ZZ Top was born. The power trio slowly but steadily built up a solid following, largely due to Gibbons' tasty guitar playing and muscular riffs (especially evidenced on such renowned tracks as "La Grange" and "Tush"). Over the course of five classic albums over a six year's span (1970's self-titled debut, 1972's Rio Grande Mud, 1973's Tres Hombres, 1975's Fandango, and 1976's Tejas), ZZ Top became one of the country's top rock bands before taking a three-year break. When they returned, the musical climate had changed considerably, and ZZ Top opted to change with the times -- as a more modern, electronic sound was merged with their blues rock roots on such albums as 1979's Deguello and 1981's El Loco. But with the release of 1983's Eliminator, the new approach came together for the group, while both Gibbons and Hill happened to come across a gimmick that will be forever associated with the group -- long and stringy beards that grew down to their chests. It didn't hurt that the group was responsible for some of MTV's most popular video clips of all time (which always seemed to primarily focus on good looking girls and a snazzy 1933 Ford three door coupe, rather than the bandmembers) - "Give Me All Your Loving," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs." Gibbons and Hill also became known for their assortment of matching and outlandish guitars, which were also always on display in their videos.
But the trio's newly acquired commercial direction caused some consternation amongst longtime fans, and by the mid-'90s, new ZZ Top's albums failed to sell as well as their earlier titles had, although a large and loyal following still flocked to their shows. A long-time vintage guitar collector, Gibbons owns some of the world's most cherished and rare guitars, including a particular instrument that he's become synonymous with, a 1959 Sunburst Les Paul Standard (which he dubbed "Pearly Gates"). In addition to music, Gibbons supposedly owns several automotive-related patents in his name, is an avid painter, and collects rare African art and artifacts, amassing so many that he was forced to store them in a warehouse in Houston. Besides recording with ZZ Top, Gibbons has been known to go by the alias Justis Walkert -- appearing on recordings by Jeff Healey (Feel This) and the Rainer & Das Combo (The Texas Tapes). But it's obviously Gibbons' exceptional playing with ZZ Top that he's best-known for, as the guitarist has influenced a wide variety of players over the years, including the Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, to name but a few.
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
''PERFECTAMUNDO''
NOVEMBER 6 2015
38:57
**********
1 Got Love If You Want It 04:15
2 Treat Her Right 02:22
3 Youre Whats Happenin, Baby 06:05
4 Sal Y Pimiento 03:11
5 Pickin Up Chicks On Dowling Street 04:09
6 Hombre Sin Nombre 03:48
7 Quiero Mas Dinero 03:24
8 Baby Please Dont Go 02:29
9 Piedras Negras 03:06
10 Perfectamundo 02:41
11 Q-Vo 03:23
**********
Mike Flanigin/Hammond B3
Alx "Guitarzza" Garza/Bass Guitar, Vocals
Billy Gibbons/Guitar, Bass Guitar, Hammond B3, Piano, Vocals
Martine "G. G." Guigui/Hammond B3, Piano
Joe Hardy/Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
G.L. Moon/Guitar
Greg Morrow/Drums
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
ZZ Top's 2012 album La Futura -- their first in nearly a decade -- was widely acclaimed for bringing back the group's grimy '70s boogie, so what did Billy Gibbons choose to do for a follow-up? Naturally, he decided to leave his little old band behind so he could record Perfectamundo with a new group called the BFG's. Perfectamundo allows Gibbons to not only indulge a newfound love of Cuban rhythms -- an infatuation assisted by pianist Martin Guigui, who provides an anchor in the BFG's -- but also all the studio trickery he left behind as he worked with Rick Rubin on La Futura. Certainly, percolating Cuban rhythms lie at the foundation of Perfectamundo, but Gibbons can't resist setting everything to tightly controlled drum machines, then hauling out a bunch of studio effects, including a vocoder that pushes his gravelly croak into something slippery and sly. All this flair is a welcome reminder that, for all his vaunted blues purism, Gibbons remains something of a futurist, happily blurring the lines between the present and past along with obliterating the lines between cultures. True, some of this playfulness can result in moments that are decidedly dorky, like the opening gambit of oldies covers ("Got Love if You Want It," "Treat Her Right"), which feel stiff. "Hombre Sin Nombre" seems constructed to house every synthesized sound Gibbons ever imagined, "Quiero Mas Dinero" boasts a rap that would've seemed old-fashioned in 1989, and the chants of "baby shake that ass" on the title track are the furthest thing from sexy -- but this isn’t a bug, it's a feature.
As good as it was, La Futura felt somewhat constrained by the concept of ZZ Top's classicism, whereas this record thrives on freedom, including the freedom to be ridiculous. The very fact that Perfectamundo gets silly makes it appealing: Gibbons enjoys playing with this Cuban-blues hybrid so much, he lets down his guard, allowing himself to spin out some slick, greasy solos, ride out some infectious vamps, and act like the cheerful dirty old man he is.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Greg Prato
Along with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons is unquestionably one of the finest blues-rock guitarists to ever emerge from Texas. Born on either March 4 or December 16, 1950 (both dates have been given in the past), and raised in Houston, TX, Gibbons grew up in a home that favored both classical and country sounds, but upon discovering Elvis Presley via an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gibbons became transfixed by rock & roll. It wasn't long before he discovered other early rock & rollers (Little Richard) as well as bluesmen (Jimmy Reed) via a local radio station. Soon after receiving a Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar and a Fender Champ amp for Christmas in 1963, Gibbons began emulating his heroes -- forming his first band when he was 14 (the Saints). The guitarist later joined a group around the mid-'60s called the Coachmen, who specialized in more psychedelic-based sounds, inspired by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and the local Texas outfit 13th Floor Elevators (led by a young Roky Erickson). Gibbons' band eventually changed their name to the Moving Sidewalks, issuing a lone album in 1968, Flash, although an early single, "99th Floor," would later receive attention when included years later on the Pebbles: Vol. 2 compilation. While the Moving Sidewalks never made a splash outside of Texas, Gibbons must have been pleased when Jimi Hendrix (with whom the Sidewalks toured with around this time) began endorsing the guitarist as one of his favorite new players to the media.
When the Moving Sidewalks folded in 1969, Gibbons sought to form a more straight-ahead, boogie/blues rock-based band, and after hooking up with a pair of other fellow Texans, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, ZZ Top was born. The power trio slowly but steadily built up a solid following, largely due to Gibbons' tasty guitar playing and muscular riffs (especially evidenced on such renowned tracks as "La Grange" and "Tush"). Over the course of five classic albums over a six year's span (1970's self-titled debut, 1972's Rio Grande Mud, 1973's Tres Hombres, 1975's Fandango, and 1976's Tejas), ZZ Top became one of the country's top rock bands before taking a three-year break. When they returned, the musical climate had changed considerably, and ZZ Top opted to change with the times -- as a more modern, electronic sound was merged with their blues rock roots on such albums as 1979's Deguello and 1981's El Loco. But with the release of 1983's Eliminator, the new approach came together for the group, while both Gibbons and Hill happened to come across a gimmick that will be forever associated with the group -- long and stringy beards that grew down to their chests. It didn't hurt that the group was responsible for some of MTV's most popular video clips of all time (which always seemed to primarily focus on good looking girls and a snazzy 1933 Ford three door coupe, rather than the bandmembers) - "Give Me All Your Loving," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs." Gibbons and Hill also became known for their assortment of matching and outlandish guitars, which were also always on display in their videos.
But the trio's newly acquired commercial direction caused some consternation amongst longtime fans, and by the mid-'90s, new ZZ Top's albums failed to sell as well as their earlier titles had, although a large and loyal following still flocked to their shows. A long-time vintage guitar collector, Gibbons owns some of the world's most cherished and rare guitars, including a particular instrument that he's become synonymous with, a 1959 Sunburst Les Paul Standard (which he dubbed "Pearly Gates"). In addition to music, Gibbons supposedly owns several automotive-related patents in his name, is an avid painter, and collects rare African art and artifacts, amassing so many that he was forced to store them in a warehouse in Houston. Besides recording with ZZ Top, Gibbons has been known to go by the alias Justis Walkert -- appearing on recordings by Jeff Healey (Feel This) and the Rainer & Das Combo (The Texas Tapes). But it's obviously Gibbons' exceptional playing with ZZ Top that he's best-known for, as the guitarist has influenced a wide variety of players over the years, including the Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, to name but a few.
**********
TO THE TOP
**********