Billy F Gibbons – The Big Bad Blues
Concord Records
https://www.billygibbons.com/

Rating: B (for Blues) +

Billy F. Gibbons is one of the most instantly recognizable rock stars to ever walk the face of the earth. One can’t think of ZZ Top without thinking of The Bearded One. It is not just his physical appearance that makes him so recognizable either. Billy has an attitude, a coolness, a cleverness and a sly way of just being who is he.  He is just downright KEWL….and we love him for his coolness. 

Hot off the presses The Reverend Billy G has released an wonderful new solo album (only his second solo effort in something like 50 years) that features his love of The Blues.  He admits his perchance for the genre right in the title, The Big Bad Blues. This sucker drips of it with a mixture or original tunes and classic remakes.

The remakes and the originals are all actually original in interpretation as Billy slathers on his greasy, uber coolness on every note. You know who is playing from the first pluck and the opening syllable.

“The shift back to the blues is a natural. It’s something which our followers can enjoy with the satisfaction of experiencing the roots tradition and, at the same time, feeling the richness of stretching the art form,” says Gibbons.

For 11 tracks he shifts back in a big way.  It really could be an early era ZZ Top album…with a little twisting and turning. But that is not what the man wanted and…this man always finds his own way on his own terms.

Instead of me telling you who is playing with Billy on the album…I will let him tell you:

“From deep in the heart of Texas, our Hammond organ specialist, Mr. Mike Flanigin, stepped forward and accepted the invitation to step from the B3 bench to take on the task of pounding the ivory 88’s,” says Gibbons, adding, “Great piano stuff from Mike ‘The Drifter’ Flanigin. Master of the Fender Bass-guitar, Joe Hardy lent his low-down sound with his fearless funkiness, SO fine! Also, in the mash-up mix, the man-with-the-backbeat-plan, Greg Morrow. G keeps the skins alive and kickin’. And while we’re on that backbeat thang…Matt Sorum steps forward with his super-syncopation, thrashing the skins like no buddies business. Alabama–come-California soulster Austin Hanks, roughs up the riffs with his left-handed six-string electric.  Have mercy!”

Billy even plays harmonica on the album, joined by James Harman. Gibbons says this about his partner in harmonica, ““James is the fastidiously fierce follower of the real deal when it comes to blowing’ the harp.”

Look…do I really need to even tell you more?  This is the real deal, the Billy F. Gibbons-fied blues album his fans have drooled over for ages. There are tons of infectious riffs and lots of smiles. There are softer moments and harder moments but most off there are tons of great musical moments.

This is a fine album, worthy of all of the praise being heaped on it.

Go…get this sucker.  Come on….go.  Get it now!

Track list (all songs by Billy F Gibbons except where noted):
1) Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’ (Gilly Stillwater)
2) My Baby She Rocks
3) Second Line
4) Standing Around Crying (Muddy Waters)
5) Let The Left Hand Know…
6) Bring It To Jerome (Jerome Green)
7) That’s What She Said
8) Mo’ Slower Blues
9) Hollywood 151
10) Rollin’ and Tumblin’ (Muddy Waters)
11) Crackin’ Up (Bo Diddley)

By Jeb “A haw, haw, haw” Wright