XXX (ZZ Top album)
| XXX | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album with live elements by ZZ Top | ||||
| Released | September 28, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 - 1999 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 49:31 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Billy Gibbons | |||
| ZZ Top chronology | ||||
| ||||
XXX is the thirteenth studio album by the American blues rock band ZZ Top, released in 1999 (see 1999 in music). The album's title is a reference to it being thirty years since the band was formed. The live track, "Sinpusher", is an altered version of their 1994 song "Pincushion" with different lyrics and a slightly heavier guitar riff. The album peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200. It was their first album without Bill Ham at the helm as producer.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
Allmusic only gave the album one and a half stars, and in its review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, he states: "After all, countless blues-based musicians, from Lightnin' Hopkins and Muddy Waters to B.B. King and The Rolling Stones, have aged gracefully, albeit in varying degrees. So why does ZZ Top sound so stiff and useless on XXX, a record celebrating their 30th anniversary? Part of that could be that the songwriting is decidedly weak, but a band as seasoned as ZZ Top should be able to make third-rate material at least listenable."[1]
Track listing
All tracks written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Poke Chop Sandwich" | 4:50 |
| 2. | "Crucifixx-A-Flatt" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Fearless Boogie" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "36-22-36" | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Made into a Movie" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Beatbox" | 2:48 |
| 7. | "Trippin'" | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Dreadmonboogaloo" | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Live Intro by Ross Mitchell" | 0:35 |
| 10. | "Sinpusher [Live]" | 5:18 |
| 11. | "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear [Live]" (Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann) | 5:21 |
| 12. | "Hey Mr. Millionare [Live]" | 4:14 |
| 13. | "Belt Buckle [Live]" | 4:05 |
| Total length: | 49:31 | |
Japan track listing
All tracks written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Poke Chop Sandwich" | 4:50 |
| 2. | "Crucifixx-A-Flatt" | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Fearless Boogie" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "36-22-36" | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Made into a Movie" | 5:13 |
| 6. | "Beatbox" | 2:48 |
| 7. | "Trippin'" | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Dreadmonboogaloo" | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Ninja Shack" | 5:00 |
| 10. | "Live Intro by Ross Mitchell" | 0:35 |
| 11. | "Sinpusher [live]" | 5:18 |
| 12. | "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" (Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann) | 5:21 |
| 13. | "Hey Mr. Millionare [live]" | 4:14 |
| 14. | "Belt Buckle [live]" | 4:05 |
| Total length: | 54:31 | |
Personnel
ZZ Top
- Billy Gibbons – guitar, vocals
- Dusty Hill – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Frank Beard – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Jeff Beck – guitar on "Hey Mr. Millionaire"
Production
- Producer: Billy Gibbons
- Engineer: Joe Hardy
- Assistant engineer: Gary Moon
- Mixing: Joe Hardy
- Mastering: Bob Ludwig
- Digital editing: Brad Blackwood
- Recording: Joe Hardy
- Art direction: Bill Narum
Charts
Album – Billboard
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| The Billboard 200 | 100 |
Singles – Billboard
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Fearless Boogie" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| 2000 | "36-22-36" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 31 |
References
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. ZZ Top – XXX: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ↑ Archived October 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
Xxx