Does ZZ Top have one more magic track in them? Do they have one more song that can capture the interest of the masses?
BW&BK (Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles-great name) says ZZ Top is bringing in Rick Rubin.
Arguably the world’s greatest living bluesman, Billy Gibbons, spoke to BW&BK recently about ZZ TOP’s upcoming DVD Live In Texas, the reissue of Eliminator, and also work on the band’s first record since the highly entertaining but somewhat ignored Mescalero album from fully five years ago.
“That starts pretty soon,” says Billy. “We just inked a deal with Rick Rubin that will be announced shortly. And I’m sure he’s got plans to make way to drag us off the touring trail back into the studio, which will be a nice excursion.”
Given his reputation for paring things back, would you be moving in the same direction, going for a back to the roots thing?
“Could be. Rick and I have been friends for a couple of decades now. And we both like a lot of the same things. And mostly it is that rootsy kind of sense of realism. That’s his genius.”
Here’s the thing, they don’t need to do this. They aren’t an arena act anymore but, they can go on playing casinos, fairgrounds and big time biker gigs like Sturgis endlessly. They can sell their merch, sell fan club memberships, sell meet and greet packages and the die hard fans are going to participate.
Bringing Rubin in is a sign that they want more. They want to be large again. And, the legend is that Rubin brings his own hype. Probably adds a bit of legitimacy up front too as far as deals go, as far as branding goes. Who knows, maybe some corporate tie-in happens because of a perception that Rubin still knows what is relevant an what is not. And, that he has a reputation for resurrection.
And, Rubin is a song guy. He knows how to eek the best out of a song. If it’s close but, not quite there, he’ll make the guys go back and write another verse or, whatever it lacks. You got to have the song first and then you go get the track.
And, those guys will get a good track. They know how to get guitar sounds and drum sounds. Hell, if their going for “that rootsy kind of sense of realism”, it shouldn’t be rocket science. After all, ZZ Top is a “blues” band, right?
Something about the whole thing just seems kind of whacked up to me. Evidently, ZZ Top wants to make new music and be relevant but, they’re not going to be Coldplay or Radiohead. And, they aren’t Neil Diamond or Johnny Cash, for that matter.
You know, Dee Snider and Twisted Sister have a business model that goes something like this; we’re going to wear the spandex, the wigs and the makeup, doesn’t matter how old or fat we are and we’re going to play that same batch of songs we played in the ’80s the same way we played them then ’cause, that’s what the fans want-that’s what they’re paying for. And, it works for them. They are a nostalgia act.
Now, if Billy Gibbons and Co. don’t want to be a nostalgia act, is going in the studio with Rick Rubin for a few months and recording a full length CD the ticket? That, seems like nostalgic thinking.
I went to Top’s website and looked at their tour schedule. They’re booked up. They’ve got core fans. I don’t, for the life of me, know why a band in this position wouldn’t just keep doing what they’re doing and along with that, record singles. Go in, do one song, release it digitally, get their XM mileage, go play a casino or biker gig and repeat. Hell, they charge $40.00 a year for a fan club membership. Release it to the fans for free and let it get viral. I think you got a better chance of chasing down Radiohead that way than putting the pressure on with a high concept album that could end up being an albatross.
What’s funny is, that’s actually real old time thinking there. That, isn’t all that different than the way Muddy or Wolf went about their business. Release a song, try and cause a stir and do some more gigs.
That’s thinking like a bluesman Billy.
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Tags: Blues, branding, coldplay, Guitar, Music, neil diamond, Radiohead, Rick Rubin, zz top
Jayne d'Arcy wrote,
Not to mention that Billy Gibbons has gotten exposure to a new set of fans by appearing as the famous father of one of the quirky characters on the show BONES.
Link | June 17th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Pribek wrote,
Was not aware of that or the show actually so, I hit the wiki.
This information certainly helps explain some un-bluesman type thinking.
Link | June 17th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
That is true, but I don’t know that anyone has ever said “Hey, Angela’s dad seems pretty cool! I wonder what ZZ Top is about?”
Ever heard of Mike Watt? Bassist for the Minutemen. He has a theory on the music business. There’s gig and theres mersh. The gig is the gig. That’s why you do it. Mersh is the shirts, the CDs, the posters, the fan club, etc. That’s all there to get people to the gig. The gig is everything, the mersh is nothing but a hook to get people to the gig.
I’ve been thinking about that since this morning, trying to make sense of ZZ rubinizing themselves. It still doesn’t work. They were just about the first to rubinize themselves when they made Eliminator in 1983. They seem to have the gigs already. Aren’t they reading the same trades Gene Simmons is?
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Oooh! Shiny!
Link | June 17th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Pribek wrote,
You know, you should always go with your gut. I knew something was screwy when I saw the American Idol thing.
Link | June 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Gary wrote,
“You got to have the song first and then you go get the track”
Damn, you said a lot right there, brother.
(Sorry, for a moment I slipped into another persona that exists in my head - one where I’m knowledgeable, respected, experienced and important in the music industry instead of a fat, 55 year old bloke from North East England mangling guitarin a couple of projects - I won’t let it happen again)
Gary’s last blog post..The Dingulators
Link | June 18th, 2008 at 5:40 am
Pribek wrote,
Sounds like you’re qualified to be a division head at EMI
Link | June 18th, 2008 at 7:50 am