"A lot of producers would have the drummer come in on Monday, then they'd call the bass player in on Tuesday, the guitar player would show up on Wednesday and maybe the singer on Thursday," says ZZ Top guitar king Billy Gibbons. "When we got together with Rick Rubin, he said, 'My idea of ZZ Top is three guys playing together at the same time with the red light turned on.' That sounded just right to us."
And so it was that for their forthcoming album, La Futura, their first full-length since 2003's Mescalero, that the "little ol' band from Texas" hooked up with the maverick producer. Gibbons and Rubin had rubbed shoulders before – their first meeting occurred 25 years ago during a rave at Knott's Berry Farm. Rubin had expressed interest in working with the trio over the years, but what sealed the deal, according to Gibbons, was when the producer said, 'Hey man, I don't have to rewire ZZ Top. My job is to make you guys work, work and work.' And we said, 'Superb.' What Rick didn't know was, that was music to our ears, because that's what we enjoy doing the most."
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ZZ Top's First 10 Albums to Be Released as Box Set in June (5/9/2013) ZZ Top’s first 10 albums will be reissued in a boxed set titled ZZ Top: The Complete Studio Albums (1970-1990) on Warner Bros Records. It will be available starting June 10 for a suggested list price of $59.98. Included are the group's first al... |
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Billy Gibbons talks about the Moving Sidewalks reunion (3/4/2013) Read more about Billy Gibbons talks about the Moving Sidewalks reunion at MusicRadar.com High-profile band reunions are nothing new, but it's safe to say that one of the more unusual reformations of recent years is the Moving Sidewalks. Never he... |
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Paul McCartney, ZZ Top, Wilco and Baroness to Play Bonnaroo Festival (2/20/2013) Paul McCartney, ZZ Top, Mumford & Sons, Wilco, Gov't Mule, Baroness and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are among the acts scheduled to appear at this year's Bonnaroo festival, which will take place June 13 to 16 in Manchester, Tennessee. Th... |
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Interview: ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach (11/13/2012) Mississippi Fred McDowell’s haunted, woody voice sails through the air as the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach nurses a cup of coffee and flips through a vintage lunchbox-sized valise designed for carrying 45 rpm records. “Lord, when you get home baby,”... |
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ZZ Top to receive Living Legend Award at Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2012 (9/25/2012) ZZ Top are to collect the Living Legend award at Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2012. The bearded Texans will pick up the coveted prize at this year's awards ceremony, the eighth annual Orange Amplification Presents The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour... |
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Bull Session: The Cowcaster Guitar Is a Texas-Size Tribute to Billy Gibbons (9/7/2012) The Cowcaster is guaranteed to turn heads. That’s because it is one. The one-of-a-kind guitar, designed and built by artist Brent Gandy of Amarillo, Texas, brims with custom features — from Von Dutch–style pin striping on the back of the neck t... |
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ZZ Top to Release New Album, 'La Futura,' in September (8/21/2012) After a long wait, ZZ Top will release their new album, La Futura, on September 11 on American Recordings. The group's fifteenth studio album was produced by Rick Rubin, who the band found both frustrating and rewarding to work with. Rick wanted... |
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Excerpt: ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach on the Value of Vinyl (8/20/2012) The following in an excerpt taken from the October 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full story, as well as features on Buddy Guy, Pierce the Veil, A Beginner's Guide to Sweep Picking and more, pick up the issue on newsstands now, or in our on... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 3 — Jimi Hendrix Vs. Billy Gibbons (8/10/2012) Welcome to our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll, where 128 guitarists go head to head, round by round, in a bracketed format, all to crown your choice for the Greatest Guitarist of All Time. We filled 124 of 128 slots with the names of a host ... |
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Billy Gibbons hails innovative 'wooden' pickup (8/3/2012) It sounds like an unlikely collision between ZZ Top and the Beatles but a new humbucker-sized pickup, designed by boutique maker Cream T for Billy Gibbons, has Norwegian wood at its core. The GTR-T pickup, designed by Cream T's Thomas Nilson, s... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 2 — Billy Gibbons Vs. Joe Walsh (6/26/2012) Welcome to our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll, where 128 guitarists go head to head, round by round, in a bracketed format, all to crown your choice for the Greatest Guitarist of All Time. We filled 124 of 128 slots with the names of a host ... |
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ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Covers Vintage Fleetwood Mac on New Tribute Album (6/21/2012) Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac will be released August 14 by Hear Music/Concord. The album features new covers of 17 classic Fleetwood Mac songs, some of which even dip back into the Peter Green era, courtesy of Billy ... |
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Billy Gibbons, Brad Paisley Honor Joe Walsh on June 23 Episode of 'CMT Crossroads' (6/19/2012) Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, plus Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney and other country music stars will pay homage to recent Guitar World cover star Joe Walsh on the next episode of CMT Crossroads on CMT. The special, titled CMT Crossroads: Joe Walsh &... |
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RIG TOUR: ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on his guitars, amps and effects (6/6/2012) Whenever Billy Gibbons hits the road with ZZ Top, he brings with him a collection of bespoke, drool-worthy guitar goodies. Such is the case with the band's current run, dubbed the Gang Of Outlaws tour, in which "That Little Ol' Band From Texas" ... |
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Song premiere: ZZ Top return with the blues stunner Consumption (5/31/2012) Next week, ZZ Top – you know, "That Little Ol' Band From Texas" – will release a four-song digital collection called Texicali, but you can hear one of those cuts, a stunning piece of boozy, bluesy greatness called Consumption, right now. As an a... |
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