Happy release day to ZZ Top
ZZ Top releases new album RAW from Shelter Records, through BMG today. RAW is an homage to the band’s early days and was recorded and filmed for the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary, "That Little Ol’ Band From Texas", in the intimate setting of the famed Texas honky-tonk, Gruene Hall between Austin and San Antonio. The historic venue dates to 1878 and has been in continuous use as the oldest, continually operating joint in the state. Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and the late Dusty Hill gathered there to record in a spare, bare bones way and the result of those efforts is twelve tracks that comprise the RAW tune stack.
When the three members of ZZ Top gathered at Gruene Hall, they were in each other’s line-of-sight, making for a very organic recording session, part of which is seen in the film. The RAW tracks were recorded over the course of one day with an eye to keeping the whole process as simple and straightforward as possible, a nod to the band’s early days. RAW, the totality of their efforts there, is available on 180-gram vinyl, CD and through digital platforms. The album was produced by Billy F Gibbons, engineered by Jake Mann and G.L. G-Mane Moon and mixed by Ryan Hewitt. The album is issued “in righteous memory” of Dusty Hill who passed away last year.
The release of the RAW album will be supported by ZZ Top’s forthcoming RAW WHISKY TOUR. The tour, which started on May 27 in San Diego, CA, will see the band on stage in 100 dates across North America. The tour’s title is a hat tip to both the forthcoming album as well as the recent release of ZZ Top Tres Hombres whisky from Balcones Distilling of Waco, TX, a flavorful 100 proof mash bill of roasted blue corn, malted barley and rye.
RAW Tracklisting
- Brown Sugar
- Just Got Paid
- Heard It On The X
- La Grange
- Tush
- Thunderbird
- I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
- Legs
- Gimme All Your Lovin’
- Blue Jean Blues
- Certified Blues
- Tube Snake Boogie
Listen HERE
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