Billy Gibbons
By Mike O’Cull
Guitar master, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and patron saint of Texas rock Billy Gibbons puts the rubber to the road on his new and third solo album Hardware. Set to bust out June 4th on Concord Records, the album is the ZZ Top frontman’s third solo effort and his first to be slanted almost entirely towards original rock songs. Gibbons tracked everything at Escape Studio in California’s high desert, near Palm Springs, and the set was produced by Gibbons-Soum-Fiorentino, Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, The Cult) and Mike Fiorentino, with engineer Chad Shlosser contributing some additional production. Sorum also played drums on all the cuts and was joined by guitarist Austin Hanks as part of the project’s core band. The same Gibbons-Sorum-Hanks aggregation recorded Gibbons’ previous album, The Big Bad Blues, winner of the Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Award.
In many ways, the feel of the album was influenced by the high desert circumstances of its recording. Says Gibbons, “The desert settings, replete with shifting sands, cacti, and rattlesnakes makes for the kind of backdrop that lends an element of intrigue reflected in the sounds created out there.”
Billy Gibbons is no stranger to intrigue, deserts, or making rock music at the highest levels. His career stretches back to the 60s when his band at the time, The Moving Sidewalks, opened for Jimi Hendrix. He formed ZZ Top, the group that would introduce him to the world, in 1969 with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard. The first five Top albums (1970’s self-titled debut, 1972’s Rio Grande Mud, 1973’s Tres Hombres, 1975’s Fandango, and 1976’s Tejas) built a legend that few others have equaled and cemented Gibbons’ place as one of the best blues/rock guitarists in the game. Soon, a new and modern electronic vibe would merge with the band’s straightforward rock approach on 1979’s Deguello and 1981’s El Loco, a vibe that would explode with Eliminator in 1983. The group embraced technology and the then-emerging idea of music videos and became one of the most popular acts of all time on video network MTV.
As expected, Gibbons absolutely slays from one end of Hardware to the other. “My Lucky Card” immediately digs into the kind of big-groove blues/rock that made ZZ Top a household name, including his trademark gritty vocals. Gibbons has lost nothing in the tone or groove departments and puts the tune down with as much sand as he’s ever had. “She’s On Fire” shifts into some driving, uptempo rock powered by Matt Sorum’s mighty drumming. No matter what kind of groove he’s given, few guitar players can solo in the pocket like Gibbons can. He never resorts to chops-heavy flailing for attention, preferring to perch atop the rhythm section and spit unforgettable ideas. That ability is his true genius.
“West Coast Junkie” is Hardware’s first single and its heavy Texas-meets-California neo-surf music riff rock sound is a knockout punch. Gibbons is at his fanatical best on this one, using his natural sense of dramatic presentation to hook you in at once and get you in line to hear the rest of the album. His guitar tone is dirty and physical, practically daring you not to respond to it. This is the Billy Gibbons we all love and he works it like the head man in charge.
The lone cover song on Hardware is an inspired, hard and slow take on The Texas Tornadoes’ “Hey Baby, Que Paso” that turns the dancefloor-packing original into fist-pumping Lone Star State rock with a Southwestern twist. It’s wildly entertaining and not to be missed. “Stackin’ Bones” is another fierce rocker that features a superb guest appearance by the Lovell sisters of Larkin Poe. Rebecca and Meghan fit seamlessly in the Gibbons universe and an album project amongst the three of them is certainly worth thinking about. Gibbons fans are going to love every moment of Hardware and who isn’t a Gibbons fan? Get it, play it loud, and enjoy your summer.
Watch “My Lucky Card”
Pre-order link for Hardware by Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons Online
I can’t wait for Billy Gibbons Hardware album to come out! ZZ Top is such an AWESOME group, Billy Gibbons Hardware album is going to be Sweet to list to when it comes out this June 4th. I’m a HUGE fan of ZZ Top.
Yeah, it’s 2021 but BFG rocks the blues like it’s 1973… and that’s just fine with me. This is basic stuff but he always throws in nice, interesting chord progressions that elevate the material. I love slow blues and Vagabond Man is just that: slow, tired (in a good way), some nostalgia and you can almost smell the sand and whiskey. Beautiful solo in this one. As always, BFG’s solos are magnificent. Another favourite is West Coast Junkie… kind of like John Lee Hooker meets The Ventures! I could go on forever… check it out if you’re a blues rock fan.
ZZ was formed in 1969 with Gibbons, Hill and Dan Mitchell on drums.They released their debut recording, a 45, with “Millers Farm” on the A side and “Salt Lick” on the B side. Frank Beard replaced Mitchell in 1970 which is something that Gibbons does not like to admitt to. The info. in the above article is wrong.