The reason younger guys dont get ZZ top...

[The Golden Boy]

Originally Posted by SUBmariner

Synths and drum machines sold 'em a lot of records, but I think the point the OP was trying to make is that the vinyl version of their earlier stuff - pre-synths and drum machines - isn't overcompressed and has dynamics, and the CD version was "bump everything up" and sounds like crap by comparison. Haven't compared them myself but I'd guess that's sad but true.

Originally Posted by soulohio

say what you will about the Top's 80 period... but I cannot think of a band that merged blues rock and dance music as seamlessly or as sublimely. And it is a genuine outgrowth of Billy's love of all music including dance music. I love the early stuff and don't really gravitate towards the 80's stuff... but man what a big record Afterburner was.

The ZZ Top catalog was redone for the CDs- not just compressed to make it "louder." But the guitars were all put through processors to make them sound "current" with the 80s ZZ Top output.

It's not comparing Fandango with Eliminator- it was an attempt to make Fandango SOUND LIKE Eliminator.

[MisterTV]

I think what happened to the back catalog of ZZ Top albums is one of the great tragedies of rock...

As the OP mentioned, ZZ Top's early records were remastered when they came out on CD in the late 80s.

For those of us old enough to remember the time, it was a BIG, BIG deal when major labels finally got around to putting classic albums out on CD. Convincing millions of music fans to replace their old, analog LPs with shiny new digital discs was a MAJOR money-maker. And yeah, a lot of us fell for it.

And as a way to showcase the supposed superior audio quality of CDs, many 60s and 70s records were remastered and modernized with all kinds of gated, reverby dreck. The raw flatness that made the first six ZZ Top records great was gone forever... at least on CD.

So when the OP is saying ZZ Top has sucked for all of his 23 years, he's not talking about their output of the 90's and 00's (which is pretty dreadful). He's talking about how the 70's records were re-engineered to sound like the 80's.

[SUBmariner]

Originally Posted by The Golden Boy

The ZZ Top catalog was redone for the CDs- not just compressed to make it "louder." But the guitars were all put through processors to make them sound "current" with the 80s ZZ Top output.

It's not comparing Fandango with Eliminator- it was an attempt to make Fandango SOUND LIKE Eliminator.

How brilliant is that? About as brilliant as "New Coke" I guess.

[Tom Gross]

Yes. If they re-issued the first two albums on CD with the proper mix (and the fade-in to Bar-B-Q), it would be a real treat. And with all of the love for Texas Blues out there, it could be a big seller.

[MisterMitch]

I almost cried when I heard for the first time the drums intro of It's Only Love on cd...
Total bullshit !!!

[huutevar]

Originally Posted by daddyo

They've reissued Fandango and Tres Hombres on CD with the original mix.

What he said.

[Amp360]

I have Eliminator on LP. I liked the videos when I was in elementary school.

Always thought they had some catchy tunes (Legs, etc...) and the videos were cool.

Never heard anything else by them, but I always know it's them when they come on the radio.

[Dubious]

you can find some lovingly ripped from vinyl flac / mp3 versions online if you dig hard enuff.

but droppin the needle / cranking up ZZtop's "first album" on wax... uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh

sooooooo good

[B Money]

Originally Posted by monty

Agreed. The younguns here need to remember that the 80's were very dark times for guitar in popular music. ZZTop needed to sound "modern" to have a chance and they did. Wasnt much blues rock to be found on MTV in those days.

what?? I couldn't disagree more, 80's music had TONS of great guitar in it. The bar was raised to unprecedented highs during the 80s, almost every song had a guitar solo; the guitarist was as recognizable as the lead singer, guitar instrumental music could be heard on the radio and seen on MTV.

Even the early 80s synth-pop stuff had a significant amount of guitar in it.

The 80s were a great decade for the electric guitar....and I'm not just saying that 'cause i grew up then...

[scottlr]

Originally Posted by Tom Gross

Yes. If they re-issued the first two albums on CD with the proper mix (and the fade-in to Bar-B-Q), it would be a real treat. And with all of the love for Texas Blues out there, it could be a big seller.

Yes, and it sounds so much better than the reverb laden bad mixes they had out before. Still not quite as cool as the original vinyl LPs, though.

I can remember in the early 70s listening to Brown Sugar under headphones, and you could almost smell the tubes burning. It was like sitting right there in between Billy and the amp. That first LP was THE tone to my ears, and pretty much still is.

[MisterMitch]

Originally Posted by scottlr

Yes, and it sounds so much better than the reverb laden bad mixes they had out before. Still not quite as cool as the original vinyl LPs, though.

I can remember in the early 70s listening to Brown Sugar under headphones, and you could almost smell the tubes burning. It was like sitting right there in between Billy and the amp. That first LP was THE tone to my ears, and pretty much still is.

Agree !

[huutevar]

I just listened to the 2006 re-remaster of Tres Hombres and you're right, there is a big difference. That album is bone dry, not an ounce of reverb or delay anywhere.

[Tone_Terrific]

Originally Posted by Robertito

Oh, I don't know - I think Rhythmeen is a great recording.

I have or had that cd.
Found it almost unlistenable due to the ultra-prominent honkin' mids.
I'll have to dig it up for another go.

[ArcNSpark]

Wait a minute I thought They had only done the remixing on a box set? Are you
telling me that all cd's of their early stuff got this treament?

[Structo]

All first generation CD's sounded and sound like crap to me.
They didn't understand that digital was too sterile sounding because there was no distortion in it.
Later they started using dithering and other techniques to warm up the sound and make it closer to sounding like an LP.

But lately I noticed that they are recording a very loud mix with minimum dynamics, over compressed crap again.

I do miss those old scratchy LP's sometime.
You would buy a new "album" and put the record on the platter, lay back on your bed and thoroughly look over the record jacket and art work.
It was a bonus when they printed the lyrics on the jacket.

I wish I still had my old tube amp and turntable.