Solid, but not a great compilation
Okay, I confess, I am not much of a fan of the ZZ Top of the '80s-MTV era. They are a great band, no doubt, but since I am not a huge fan of the MTV years of ZZ, I had trouble really getting into 1992's 'Greatest Hits.'
Any fan looking to seek out their '80s MTV classics will be very satisfied with this disc. 'Sharp Dressed Man,' 'Gimme All Your Lovin',' 'Rough Boy,' a remix of 'Legs' and 'Pearl Necklace' are all here.
Fans of the seventies ZZ Top will also discover 'Cheap Sunglasses,' 'La Grange,' 'Tush' and 'I'm Bad I'm Nationwide' are all on here.
But don't fooled! 'La Grange' and 'Tush' are mediocre remixes. The original drum mix is completely destroyed, with Frank Beard reworking and filtering the drum parts to make these '70s ZZ Top classics sound more "modernized." Argh! How annoying!
Also, the new tracks (for a '70s ZZ Top fan, anyway) aren't anything to get really excited about. ZZ Top's take on 'Viva Las Vegas' is not great. 'Gun Love' is better than 'Viva Las Vegas,' but it is still not anything extraordinary.
I am not criticizing the selections on this disc. For fans of the MTV years of ZZ Top, this is a great collection to own and quite possibly all you will need.
But, if you are like me and want a summary of their '70s classics, pick up 'The Best of ZZ Top.' That has 'La Grange' and 'Tush' in their album versions without the reworked/filtered drums.
Overall, I strongly recommend this to any '80s ZZ Top fan. But, I also strongly recommend for the '70s ZZ Top fans to check out 'The Best of ZZ Top.' While this has 18 and that one has 10, that one is full of the "good stuff" for the '70s fans.
Highly recommended for the '80s ZZ Top fans. I did buy this, and I was disappointed. But for the '70s fans, I'm warning you: pick up the studio albums or the 1977 compilation 'The Best of ZZ Top.' That's the best advice I can offer you.
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