Blu-ray/DVD Review: ZZ Top-That Little Ol’ Band From Texas

Release Date: February 28, 2020

Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Website

That Little Ol’ Band From Texas is a documentary of three men from Texas that grew up listening to the same radio stations. Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals), Dusty Hill (bass, vocals) and Fran Beard (drums) eventually became the international superstars ZZ Top. This is their story from the beginning.

This Blu-ray/DVD set is a no-fluff story that gives you all the important facts that made ZZ Top who they are. And 50 years later the same three men are together as the longest-standing rock band in history. They never had any new members join or leave. I would have to say that they rate right up there with some of the best rock trios like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream.

They took chances, experimented with their music and partnered with all the right people, and everything just fell together. Not to mention, of course, being around when MTV became a phenomenon and they released Eliminator with some very eye-catching colorful videos.

I learned so much watching this film, things I never knew before. It made me realize the long history and beginnings I never realized. I have always been a fan of the band, not a huge fan mind you, but enough to be curious enough to want to know more. My introduction to them was in the 70s when I heard Fandango for the first time then Tres Hombres. I was sold and those two releases remain my favorites to this day. It was in that period I should have caught them live but never did. Fortunately, they are still touring so maybe I can catch them live before they hang up their boots once and for all.

I enjoyed the up-close jam sessions presented in Gruene Hall with just them and the people shooing the videos. I also enjoyed the footage of the early years and the concert clips. Once I got to the bonus section the clips became the full performances.

50 years is a long time to do anything or be so close to anyone, regardless of what your profession is. Even though they are legends they still consider themselves blues interpreters and it looks as though any of their success has changed them much. They come across as down to earth men from Texas that have had a very successful career that genuinely appreciate everything they have gained over the years.

That Little Ol’ Band From Texas gave blues a bigger name and more respect than it ever had. It was a joy to watch the film and it held my interest from beginning to end. That is a win any day of the week and if you appreciate the music of ZZ Top you’re going to love this Blu-ray/DVD set.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 22, 2020

Founder Of:

The Final on Vinyl

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

Write A Music Review

Prog Rock Music Talk

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By MuzikMan.net

Tracks:
Gruene Hall Bonus Performances (21 minutes):
Shuffle In C / Fannie Mae
La Grange
Brown Sugar
Blue Jean Blues
Ham Estate Archives Bonus Performances (22 minutes):
Thunderbird
Tush
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
Manic Mechanic

Blu-ray/DVD Review: ZZ Top-That Little Ol’ Band From Texas

Release Date: February 28, 2020

Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Website

That Little Ol’ Band From Texas is a documentary of three men from Texas that grew up listening to the same radio stations. Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals), Dusty Hill (bass, vocals) and Fran Beard (drums) eventually became the international superstars ZZ Top. This is their story from the beginning.

This Blu-ray/DVD set is a no-fluff story that gives you all the important facts that made ZZ Top who they are. And 50 years later the same three men are together as the longest-standing rock band in history. They never had any new members join or leave. I would have to say that they rate right up there with some of the best rock trios like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream.

They took chances, experimented with their music and partnered with all the right people, and everything just fell together. Not to mention, of course, being around when MTV became a phenomenon and they released Eliminator with some very eye-catching colorful videos.

I learned so much watching this film, things I never knew before. It made me realize the long history and beginnings I never realized. I have always been a fan of the band, not a huge fan mind you, but enough to be curious enough to want to know more. My introduction to them was in the 70s when I heard Fandango for the first time then Tres Hombres. I was sold and those two releases remain my favorites to this day. It was in that period I should have caught them live but never did. Fortunately, they are still touring so maybe I can catch them live before they hang up their boots once and for all.

I enjoyed the up-close jam sessions presented in Gruene Hall with just them and the people shooing the videos. I also enjoyed the footage of the early years and the concert clips. Once I got to the bonus section the clips became the full performances.

50 years is a long time to do anything or be so close to anyone, regardless of what your profession is. Even though they are legends they still consider themselves blues interpreters and it looks as though any of their success has changed them much. They come across as down to earth men from Texas that have had a very successful career that genuinely appreciate everything they have gained over the years.

That Little Ol’ Band From Texas gave blues a bigger name and more respect than it ever had. It was a joy to watch the film and it held my interest from beginning to end. That is a win any day of the week and if you appreciate the music of ZZ Top you’re going to love this Blu-ray/DVD set.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
February 22, 2020

Founder Of:

The Final on Vinyl

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

Write A Music Review

Prog Rock Music Talk

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By MuzikMan.net

Tracks:
Gruene Hall Bonus Performances (21 minutes):
Shuffle In C / Fannie Mae
La Grange
Brown Sugar
Blue Jean Blues
Ham Estate Archives Bonus Performances (22 minutes):
Thunderbird
Tush
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
Manic Mechanic

The Full Tilt Boogie Concert At Green Mountain Racetrack

THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED 


 ZZ TOP, GARY CLARK JR.  TO CO-HEADLINE DAYLONG VERMONT

MUSIC FESTIVAL WHERE GUITARS STAND AT THE CROSSROADS

OF ROADHOUSE BOOGIE, SOUTHERN ROCK, BLUE-EYED SOUL

AND THE BLUES – AUG. 22 @ GREEN MOUNTAIN RACETRACK!

                                                                       ZZ TOP                                                                                  

Tickets On Sale NOW!

Readthe back story on The Full Tilt Boogie in the Berkshire Eagle

Gary Clark Jr.

POWNAL, VT (July 14, 2015) — Guitars, guitars, guitars! They’re the engines driving the hip shakin’, butt-quakin’ rock ‘n’ roll that will be reverberating through the green mountains of southern Vermont next month when THE FULL TILT BOOGIE music festival brings ZZ Top, Gary Clark Jr., Buddy Guy, Blackberry Smoke, the Marshall Tucker Band, Trigger Hippy (feat. Joan Osborne & Jackie Greene), the Wood Brothers, Albert Lee featuring Cindy Cashdollar, Girls Guns & Glory and so much more to the alternating main stages of the newly revived scenic festival grounds at Green Mountain Racetrack.

THE FULL TILT BOOGIE, an historic one-day, two-stage guitar extravaganza set for Aug. 22, is by far the biggest music festival to play this picturesque setting since it hosted over 30,000 music lovers for the Lollapalooza Music Festival almost two decades ago.

Tickets for THE FULL TILT BOOGIE are on sale NOW through Ticketmaster at $92.50. Free parking is included. Gates open 10 a.m. Complete information at www.greenmountainlive.com.

“THE FULL TILT BOOGIE features bands whose music meets at ‘the crossroads’ of Roadhouse Boogie, Southern Rock, Blue-eyed soul, Rockabilly and The Blues,” says promoter Tony Pallagrosi of UMT Presents, whose New Jersey concert company is aligning with Green Mountain Live! and TTM to produce the progressive, environment-friendly event. “This year’s inaugural festival features some incredible guitar-fueled artists. It’s gonna be 11 hours of some of the best hip shakIn’ music on the planet!”

Guitar fans won’t be able to resist the incendiary sounds and the serene surroundings that THE FULL TILT BOOGIE will deliver to the Pownal Valley, one of the most beautiful in all of Vermont.

And in another first, THE FULL TILT BOOGIE is using electric power generated by renewable resources. Hence the appropriately named Green Stage, which will be home to revered roots music troubadour Seth Walker; NJ Americana rockers Stolen Rhodes; high energy, “riffy” power trio Wild Adriatic; the Tangier Blues Band, led by world renowned rock photographer and music documentarian Danny Clinch; and local favorites T Bone Daddy.

Nestled between the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Taconic Mountains in New York, it’s home to scenic farms and villages and the perfect destination for weekend getaways. Situated quietly between Bennington, VT and Williamstown, MA, the town of Pownal is known as "The Gateway to Vermont," with a rich history that predates the Revolutionary War.

THE FULL TILT BOOGIE promises its own revolution, musically speaking. It’s sparking a music festival revival at Green Mountain Racetrack, the first of numerous music festivals being planned for the site in the spring, summer, and fall of 2016 and beyond. THE FULL TILT BOOGIE music festival offers convenient and spacious access with outstanding acoustics in a breathtaking setting.

After arriving through secure gates, attendees can spread out with plenty of room to see the stage, hear the music, and enjoy the festival’s wide array of top food truck vendors and beverage distillers from around New England. Green Mountain Racetrack offers easy access from across New England and the tri-state areas with a 45 minute drive from Albany and less than three hours from Boston, New York City, and Hartford. While there is plenty of parking available on site, attendees are encouraged to carpool, access the area via Peter Pan Bus Lines, or use the venue’s free bike storage. The Pownal area has many surrounding activities and is known for weekend getaways.

RYDE, a crowd-sourcing transportation company, has partnered with Green Mountain Live! to provide regional shuttle service to THE FULL TILT BOOGIE, enabling upscale motor coaches to shuttle fans to the festival grounds  from surrounding cities and states, and provide an economical, environmentally-friendly, and highly social alternative to single-car driving.

About Green Mountain Live!

Green Mountain Live! is the home of premier music festivals and special events that will be offered throughout the summer and fall in a bucolic, rural setting in Vermont, conveniently located to major cities in New England and New York. The music venue has a vibrant history as the home of the former Green Mountain Racetrack. Known as “The Feel Good Track,” families from around New England would travel hundreds of miles to enjoy horseracing in the midst of Vermont’s incredible natural beauty. For more information, please visit www.greenmountainlive.com.

ZZ TOP & JEFF BECK TO KICK OFF EXTENSIVE U.S. TOUR THIS WEEK

As final preparations have been completed for this month’s launch of the much-anticipated ZZ Top/Jeff Beck Tour, ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons met with Jeff Beck in Los Angeles for a photo session for the cover of the next issue of Guitar World Magazine. On hand to document the guitar slingers' summit was legendary British photographer Ross Halfin, who is seen here nailing down an intimate shot of the two guitar gods immersed in “fretful” conversation. 

(MFH photo)

 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and mutual admirers ZZ Top and Jeff Beck who have almost a century’s worth of combined touring experience under their collective belts are less than one week away from embarking on their first ever tour together. The tour is formatted to offer a free-standing set from Jeff Beck, a free-standing set from ZZ Top and a joint performance wherein Beck joins ZZ Top for a rocking finale.

 On the heels of releasing Live At Montreux 2013 DVD/Blu-ray through Eagle Rock Entertainment and The Baddest of ZZ Top CD/2CD retrospective from Warner Bros., “that little ol’ band from Texas” will be cranking out classics such as “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Tush.” The lineup of Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard has been holding steady for over 44 years - an unprecedented feat in rock. 

 Jeff Beck’s touring band will consist of Grammy nominee and Flash-era vocalist Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), bassist Rhonda Smith, drummer Jonathan Joseph, and guitarist Nicolas Meier.  

21-year-old Texas guitar prodigy Tyler Bryant has recently been announced as the opening act for the vast majority of the tour dates. Bryant already has experience as an opener for Jeff Beck, and also cut his teeth on bills with Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, BB King, Heart, Vince Gill, and many others.

 While ZZ Top and Jeff Beck have never toured together before, this is not the first live collaboration between the two camps. Billy Gibbons joined Beck and his band on stage at the 25^th anniversary celebration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 at Madison Square Garden, where they performed the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Foxey Lady” and ZZ Top’s hit “Rough Boy” together. The following year Beck joined ZZ Top in Lucca, Italy for an extended rendition of the band’s signature piece “La Grange.”

The excitement is brewing between the musicians. Jeff Beck proclaimed, “Ever since Eliminator I thought it would be great to play with ZZ Top.”

Likewise, Billy Gibbons, who has long viewed the English fret master as a musical role model going back to his days in the Yardbirds, has declared his admiration for the man behind the platinum selling albums Blow By Blow and Wired. “We could never figure out what Beck was doing on his instrument to get those sounds, and it was that mystery that inspired us to push our own sound to the next level.” Gibbons continues, “It is an honor to be sharing the stage with the curator of crunch.”

ZZ Top with Jeff Beck Tour Itinerary: 

August 8-Ogren Park     Missoula, MT

August 9- Chateau Ste. Michelle  Woodinville, WA

August 10-Cuthbert Amphitheatre  Eugene, OR

August 12 -The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA

August 13-Greek Amphitheatre  Los Angeles, CA

August 15-Ironstone Amphitheatre Murphys, CA

August 16-The Joint Las Vegas, NV

August 17-AVA Amphitheatre  Tucson, AZ

August 19 -Sandia Casino Albuquerque, NM

August 20-Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre Englewood, CO

August 22-Zoo Amphitheatre  Oklahoma City, OK

August 23-Starlight Theater  Kansas City, MO

August 24-Verizon Wireless Amphitheater  Maryland Heights, MO

August 27-DTE Energy Music Theatre  Clarkston, MI

August 28-Ravinia Festival  Highland Park, IL

August 29-Seneca Allegany Casino Salamanca, NY

August 30-Concert Venue @Harrah’s  Atlantic City, NJ

August 31-MGM Grand Theater @ Foxwoods  Mashantucket, CT

September 2-Blue Hills Bank Pavilion  Boston, MA

September 3-Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD *

September 4-Nikon @ Jones Beach Theater Wantagh, NY

September 6-Verizon Wireless Amphitheater  Alpharetta, GA

September 7-St. Augustine Amphitheater St. Augustine, FL

September 9-Cruzan Amphitheater West Palm Beach, FL

September 10-Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheater Tampa, FL

September 12-Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Woodlands, TX

September 13-Winstar Casino Thackerville, OK **

*Tyler Bryant and Gary Clark Jr. open

**ZZ Top and Jeff Beck only