ZZ TOP

(UNITED STATES)

ANTENNA

(1994)
LABEL:

RCA

GENRE:

HARD ROCK

TAGS:
Bluesy, Groovy, Guitar-Hero, Rasping vocals, Southern
""Antenna" allows ZZ Top to move away from his cyber-boogie triplet and return to his roots by striking a nice balance between these two periods."
LOLOCELTIC (15.03.2021)  
4/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s) (1) Biography + (1)
With the well-named "Recycler" (1990), ZZ Top seemed to have done the trick of their adventures in cyber-boogie lands. If these last ones had allowed him to obtain a planetary success, they started to lock the three bearded men in a recipe of which they had clearly used all the strings. So here are our favorite Texans back with a new opus whose particularly purified cover seems to announce the color. Although still produced by Bill Ham, the booklet shows the absence of keyboards when reading the instruments used by the trio, which is a good sign for all those who had reached saturation about electro arrangements of all kinds.

Without totally denying its recent period of international recognition, ZZ Top is indeed embarking on a controlled return to its original values. The approach is commercially risky but it deserves at least the respect, especially as it turns out to be rather successful. Some tracks such as 'World Of Swirl' and 'Antenna Head', both sung by Dusty Hill, as well as 'Cherry Red' or 'Lizard Life', remain in the line of what Gibbons, Hill and Beard offered these last years, but without the electronic packaging. The effectiveness is not altered in any way and the solos remain as euphoric as ever. On its side, the bluesy ballad 'Cover Your Rig' is not without reminding 'I Need You Tonight' ("Eliminator" - 1983) with double meaning lyrics all in delicacy (sic!) and a bewitching feeling appearing through heat mists.

Validating the return to the roots, we have the singles 'Pincushion' and 'Breakaway'. The first one is dirty and catchy with its unstoppable riffs and soli, while the second one sees Franck Beard privileging light percussions to his drums for a purified and haunting result of the best effect. The swaying groove of a reptilian 'Fuzzbox Voodoo', the bass number launching the catchy 'Girl In A T-Shirt', and the solo guitar intro of a 'PCH' with a very great riff and an unstoppable chorus are as many surprises that allow "Antenna" to remain captivating, the whole being obviously illuminated by blinding solos of a Billy Gibbons in great shape. Only the end of this opus loses a little in intensity, the fault of some less obvious hooks which do not call into question the quality of 'Deal Goin' Down' and 'Everything'.

If it had difficulty to find its public and was considered by some as the beginning of the desert crossing for the Texan trio, "Antenna" is nevertheless an excellent vintage. ZZ Top takes the risk to leave the comfort zone in which he had settled for three opuses and he does it by finding a nice balance between a return to his roots and the assumed pride of the three previous opuses which allowed him to reach the heights of fame. 
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Pincushion - 4:33
02. Breakaway - 4:57
03. World Of Swirl - 4:08
04. Fuzzbox Voodoo - 4:42
05. Girl In A T-shirt - 4:10
06. Antenna Head - 4:42
07. Pch - 3:57
08. Cherry Red - 4:38
09. Cover Your Rig - 5:48
10. Lizard Life - 5:09
11. Deal Goin' Down - 4:06
12. Everything - 3:54

LINEUP:
Billy Gibbons: Chant / Guitares / Harmonica
Dusty Hill: Chant / Basse
Franck Beard: Batterie
   
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