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Copyright © 2002-2004
by James P. Hauser except where otherwise noted.  All rights reserved.

The Blues Connections of

ZZ Top

Among blues rockers, ZZ Top is one of the strongest supporters of the blues. Not only have they dedicated themselves to bringing soulful blues to the world, but they interrupted their careers while at the peak of their commericial success to spend time raising money for and bring attention to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Their fund-raising efforts were sparked when they received a gift of a piece of wood from the Mississippi shack that Muddy Waters lived in. The group had a guitar made out of it and then used it to raise money for the museum.

ZZ Top has not recorded many blues covers, but their love for the blues shines through in all their music. Deguello is probably their purest and most brilliant blues album . One Foot In the Blues is a nice compilation of the band's strongest blues from their early albums. The titles of the songs on this longplayer--"Hot, Blue and Righteous", "My Head's In Mississippi", "Hi-Fi Mama", etc.--are clues to the rootsy blues-grooves it contains. Unfortunately, it doesn't have their hit "La Grange" which contains a killer guitar riff that was borrowed from John Lee Hooker's classic "Boogie Chillun". The band became early MTV stars during the 1980s by adding synthesizers and drum machines to their sound, long beards to their look, and leggy models to their videos. After their popularity cooled off, they returned to a purer blues sound with the release of Rhythmeen in 1996.

More of ZZ Top's Blues Connections:

A list of blues tunes covered by ZZ Top is below. The songs are arranged alphabetically by the names of the blues artists who originally recorded, popularized, and/or composed them.

Elmore James: Dust My Broom

Willie Dixon (composer) Little Walter (performer): Mellow Down Easy (done by ZZ Top in a medley titled as "Back Door Medley")

Sam and Dave: I Thank You

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