Fandango!
Occupation
- Billy Gibbons: Vocals, Guitar
- Dusty Hill: vocals, bass
- Frank Beard: Drums
Fandango! is the fourth album by American blues-rock band ZZ Top. It was published in April 1975 at London Records in North America, the album was released by Warner. The A- side of the album consists of live recordings, while the B - side contains six newly written songs. In the U.S., it received 1975 gold status for selling 500,000 units in June.
Find out more
ZZ Top were with The Allman Brothers Band on a tour through the southern states and should play in the Warehouse Club in New Orleans. Because of a hurricane that had covered the roof of the club, the show took place later than planned. A vehicle with stage equipment had been parked for shelter from the storm in the club, and had done as the technician with the necessary repairs, asked the engineer if they can be run with a band during the performance. For this recording, the pieces were selected for the A-side. In addition to their own songs are a cover of originally sung by Elvis Presley " Jailhouse Rock" and a rendition of " Mellow Down Easy " to hear a blues musician Willie Dixon title.
The song " Heard it on the X " is about Mexican radio stations that were located just across the border and their call name always started with "X". Since these stations were not subject to performance constraints, they had power levels of more than 500,000 watts and could be received in many parts of the United States. Thus, they were an alternative to send weak local stations for American radio listeners. The single, " Tush " designated Gibbons as one of the few exceptions to the rule that the band wanted to write only bluesy pieces. The song was written during the rehearsals for an appearance at a rodeo in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The word tush has two meanings. Literally translated, it means butt, translated figuratively it is used as a synonym for luxury. The meaning is clear, according to Dusty Hill from the context, it 'll go in the song only for someone who wants from New York back to Texas.
The album title refers to the Spanish dance Fandango. 1985 album for the CD version was re-edited, since 2006 but also the original recordings available in a remastered version on CD.
Title list
- Mellow Down Easy ( Willie Dixon ) - 3:39
- Backdoor Love Affair No.. 2 (Gibbons ) - 2:05
- Long Distance Boogie ( Beard, Gibbons, Hill ) - 2:32
Reception
Jim Miller of the music magazine Rolling Stone brought the music of ZZ Top on the following formula: "Take a blues lick on the type of BB King, increase his speed and distorting it, put rough vocals over it and garnish it with a touch maracas, tambourine or handclaps ". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the layout of the album in a live part and a studio as part of sense because ZZ Top are a great live band. On the other hand, he sees the A-side as a missed opportunity, because the studio recordings proved to be a worthy successor to the outstanding predecessor "Tres Hombres ". In his view a full studio album with hits like " Tush " and " Heard it on the X" would probably have become the best album ever recorded the band. Jürgen Bauerochse by the online magazine RockTimes other hand, praises the " brilliant " live recordings. In the studio recordings he also raises particularly the Losgehboogie " Heard it on the X" and the hit " Tush " show, which was part of the following period for constant live repertoire of the band, but mentions as the best song on the album the "Blue Jean Blues" he " in the truest sense of the word Slow Blues" called.