R.I.P. Dusty Hill

[Trane]

Gegüello, Tejas and Tres Ombres in that order for me.

Stopped following them after Eliminator

What's the story with a life-threatening gun incident??

[Steve F.]

very sorry to hear; ZZ Top were staples at my first record store job, where we sold a lot of 'hard rock' type things, and they were always a very solid band with a sly bit of humor and a twinkle behind those shades.

[Wah3]

Anyone know how he got the nicknam Dusty? Gotta be a story behind that

[ronmac]

RIP, indeed. I always liked his voice.

A friend of mine is their official photographer.

[TheH]

^^

RIP Joe Michael Hill

The nickname seems to be a family thing as his brother is known as Rocky Hill.

The famous life-threatening gun incident was a gun dropping from his boot to the floor while his girl friend helped him to get them off.
While dropping on the floor the gun fired a bullet and hit Dusty in the abdomen.

[GuitarGeek]

^^

RIP Joe Michael Hill

The nickname seems to be a family thing as his brother is known as Rocky Hill.

The famous life-threatening gun incident was a gun dropping from his boot to the floor while his girl friend helped him to get them off.
While dropping on the floor the gun fired a bullet and hit Dusty in the abdomen.

I forgot about that, but now that you mention it, I remember hearing about it at the time. Wasn't that in like 84 or 85?

I like this line from his Wiki page: "Like his future bandmates, Hill grew up listening to blues music, which was uncommon in white families; he recalled shocking the parents of his childhood friends when he brought records by Muddy Waters or Son House to their houses."

There's something I dig about that, these whiter than white folks out in the suburbs being shocked to find out that their kids' friend likes "that kind of music". You can just imagine the "Don't you know that stuff leads to delinquency, drinking, and carousing?!" conversations!

I know a lot of people couldn't deal with where the band went on Eliminator and beyond, but that's the stuff that hooked me in. I think I had heard the name ZZ Top in the early 80's (almost certainly from one of the Columbia House Record Club ads in TV Guide or wherever) but I really didn't get to hear their music until I saw the Gimme Some Lovin' video on MTV. I think Afterburner was the first album I owned by them (my mom got it from her record club, on cassette, for me), and yeah, the production is...well, it was 1985, I believe. But I think the songs, the vocals and guitar work are still pretty solid.

Unfortunately, thaniks to the whole misguided Sixpack debacle, I never really checked into their earlier music until 2014, when I got the boxset of all their first 10 albums, with the original mixes finally restored. Yeah, I guess I could have tracked down the LP editions, I don't imagine they were that uncommon, but I just never had the energy to go hunting for stuff, and I dunno, maybe by the time I got to the "Z" section of the record store, I'd already run out of cash. (shrug)

Anyway, the early albums are fantastic. Frank and Dusty were an awesome rhythm section. Dusty made a comment once that it sometimes bugged him you don't always notice the bass, but he felt it was a compliment, because it meant he was doing his job right.

I sometimes wish one could do a reverse Sixpack deal on Afterburner, i.e. replace the digital drums and synths with acoustic drums and some better keyboard sounds. Rough Boy is an awesome song, but other than the vocal and guitar work, the whole track sounds like 1985 threw up all over it.

[Steve F.]

Rough Boy is an awesome song, but other than the vocal and guitar work, the whole track sounds like 1985 threw up all over it.

made me laugh out loud.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

There was a recent Facebook post from the band where they said Dusty had to drop out of touring due to a hip issue and the need for treatment. They had a replacement bassist do the shows Dusty couldn't make and said that Dusty approved his replacement and that "the show must go on". Now this.

[Jerjo]

RIP to a blues rock legend. That lil' band from Texas could sure cook. Listen to the bass and guitar tones on this:

[chalkpie]

RIP Dusty. Big ZZ fan here. Tres Hombres is simply a legendary album. Perfection. Rest easy friend.

[dropforge]

RIP to a blues rock legend. That lil' band from Texas could sure cook. Listen to the bass and guitar tones on this:

A HUGE foundation to their sound, courtesy of Dusty. Monstrous.

[moecurlythanu]

But am I wrong? Really, both Eliminator and Afterburner, despite fine songwriting and great guitar work, sound like the 80's threw up all over them. And from what I gather from some of the stuff I read, Dusty and Frank don't play much on those albums.

Chris, he was laughing at the phrase/wording. I was laughing too. No disparagement to what you said, just enjoying how you said it.

[Trane]

The famous life-threatening gun incident was a gun dropping from his boot to the floor while his girl friend helped him to get them off.
While dropping on the floor the gun fired a bullet and hit Dusty in the abdomen.

thx... guns don't kill people

But am I wrong? Really, both Eliminator and Afterburner, despite fine songwriting and great guitar work, sound like the 80's threw up all over them. And from what I gather from some of the stuff I read, Dusty and Frank don't play much on those albums.

Chris, he was laughing at the phrase/wording. I was laughing too. No disparagement to what you said, just enjoying how you said it.

yup , I all smiled & smirked at that idea ofthe dreadful 80's vomitting over everything

[progholio]

I've always appreciated their early work, pretty much ignored the 80's MTV era dreck and thought their later stuff was pretty solid. A very unmistakable sound for sure.

Here's a very interesting bit of history of Dusty's pre-ZZ Top days -

RIP

https://www.buzzfeed.com/danielralst...st-con-in-rock

[Steve F.]

Chris, he was laughing at the phrase/wording. I was laughing too. No disparagement to what you said, just enjoying how you said it.

I was enjoying how you said it, indeed. No argument about what was being said.
Respect!

[pb2015]

Unfortunately, thaniks to the whole misguided Sixpack debacle, I never really checked into their earlier music until 2014, when I got the boxset of all their first 10 albums, with the original mixes finally restored. Yeah, I guess I could have tracked down the LP editions, I don't imagine they were that uncommon, but I just never had the energy to go hunting for stuff, and I dunno, maybe by the time I got to the "Z" section of the record store, I'd already run out of cash. (shrug)

I have Tres Hombres, which is a good album and also has one of the best inner gatefolds ever.

[GuitarGeek]

I have Tres Hombres, which is a good album and also has one of the best inner gatefolds ever.

It is beautiful, to be sure. All those first six albums are fantastic. Tres Hombres and Fandango seem to get most of the love in most quarters, but I think I actually kinda prefer the first two albums and Tejas. And El Loco is pretty cool too (c'mon! How can you not love Heaven Hell Or Houston and Pearl Necklace?).

Speaking of Pearl Necklace, ya know, I only figured out yesterday what I Got The Six is about. Of course that's what it's about.

[TCC]

Descanse en Paz !

[Scott Bails]

The show must go on.

[Jerjo]

The show must go on.

Wow, that's a short set. Back in the day they used to play a LOT longer. But I guess Billy and Frank aren't exactly spring chickens anymore.

[Dana5140]

I think the guys on that crazy-ass TV program Monster Hunters took their look from Billy and Dusty.

1553800462013.jpg

[moecurlythanu]

I think the guys on that crazy-ass TV program Monster Hunters took their look from Billy and Dusty.

1553800462013.jpg

I don't know, man. The 1800s hillbilly look seems to be "in" these days. And the myriad young men who look like Civil War reenactors.

[3LockBox]

Speaking of Pearl Necklace, ya know, I only figured out yesterday what I Got The Six is about. Of course that's what it's about.

its probably safe to assume sexual double entendre in most ZZ-Top songs.

I agree with you that Rough Boy is a great song, as well as 2000 Blues off of Recycler a few years later. Too bad both songs are inexorably linked to that MTV era sound.

[GuitarGeek]

its probably safe to assume sexual double entendre in most ZZ-Top songs.
.

Well, yeah, very true. But I had Eliminator playing the other day, and for the first time, I realized the refrain of I Got The Six is "I Got The 6/Gimme the 9". And I thought, "Well of course that's what that song is about". I mean, did they ever sing about anything else.

BTW, did you know La Grange is about the same brothel that inspired The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas?

[Dave (in MA)]

Yeah, if you only go by the title and ignore the words, "I Got The Six" could be thought to be a reference to the phrase in military jargon where one guy is keeping an eye on what's going on behind them so the others can focus on the front.

Now tell us about your take on the song where Gibbons is singing about getting his gal a piece of jewelry.