Rhythmeen

Occupation

• Billy Gibbons: Vocals, Guitar
• Dusty Hill: vocals, electric bass
• Frank Beard: Drums

Rhythmeen is the twelfth studio album by American blues-rock band ZZ Top. It was released in September 1996 on RCA Records. With around 310,000 units sold in the U.S. it was the first album of the band 's 1973 Tres Hombres since that is neither gold nor reached platinum status in the U.S..

Formation

During the recordings, the band used no overdubs, but played the title as " genuine Trio" similar to a screen test. The correction was achieved in addition to the desire of the longtime fans of the band, the recording of the song She's Just Killing Me for the soundtrack to the film From Dusk Till Dawn. Under enormous pressure of time the band wrote the song in 30 minutes and took it to within a further 30 minutes. Director Robert Rodriguez liked the rough and raw sound of the piece, so it was not reworked. Later, Rodriguez recorded a music video for the song with the band. For Billy Gibbons recording of this song was a sign that the music of ZZ Top could function without the superimposition of up to eight audio tracks separately rehearsed.

Some tracks on the album, the band had already played during the Continental Safari Summer Tour, which they had led by Europe, Russia and South Africa in the summer of 1996. Both band manager Bill Ham as well as the management of the record company wanted the musical reorientation of the band to the rhythmic, Texas blues of the 1970s can be tested in advance and gave the song What's Up with That of a radio station in Chicago. The reactions of the test listeners were positive, and the single was released in early September in the United States. At the promotional campaign included performances at Letterman Show and at the Billboard Music Awards, as well as the official start of the band's website.

The album title is Rhythmeen for "mean rhythm" ( German: " nasty rhythms " ) are available, which should be the backbone of a true ZZ Top plate, in the opinion of the band.

Title list

Reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic see the band with the album arrived back in blues. The music sounds more Rhythmeen by garage rock and blues than on the previous Antenna, but it was not the band managed to write enough good songs. So it became an album for longtime fans, but others would wonder when listening about where the hooks have remained. Hanno wrote Kress from Rock Hard, the album takes time because initially befände not hit it. The band renounce " simply on too jazzy arrangements and bombastic production," and after repeated listening to discover " a very nice, bluesy - heavy album ." Daniel Böhm from the magazine Rocks Rhythmeen referred to as the " hardest distance album of their history " with ZZ Top find " back to the real blues and cuts all musical band of the eighties ".