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Исколесив пыльные дороги Техаса, ещё мало кому известная тройка музыкантов записывает в конце 1970 года в техасском городишке Тайлер свою первую пластинку. Над названием альбома, видимо, долго голову не ломали, решили объявить просто и понятно “Первый альбом ZZ Top”.
Итак, название “ZZ Top's First Album” и простая песочная обложка уже обещают нам тёплый приём музыкантов, открытость, некую спонтанность и честную музыку.
Открывающей альбом стала двусмысленная песенка “(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree” про человека, которому надоело дурачиться, желающего побыть в одиночестве и подумать о поисках своего собственного «древа» с заключительной фразой “Меня не волнует, кто трясёт твоё дерево”. Дасти Хилл в этой песне красиво подпевает Гиббонсу.
“(Somebody Else Been) Shakin' Your Tree” вышла отдельным синглом и таки попала в Billboard Hot 100, заняв ровно 50-ю строчку чартов.
Далее Билли Гиббонс в одиночку начинает блюзовой гитарой “Brown Sugar”:
“Мои друзья, они все сказали мне,
Приятель, есть нечто, что изменит твою жизнь.”
И потом про поиски некоего коричневого сахара. Здесь легко можно усмотреть намеки на наркотики. Учитывая то время, когда записывалась эта песня, это вполне вероятно: антивоенные протесты, всевозможные акции за мир, движения хиппи, цветы, марихуана, ЛСД… C музыкальной точки зрения, эту песню можно назвать лучшей на диске, ибо она самая драйвовая, способна удержать внимание слушателя.
Песня “Squank” является весёлым блюзовым триллером, в котором женщина с детьми спасается от маньяка.
Интересно, что в сочинении половины песен альбома принял участие и продюсер группы, что является не таким уж и частым явлением в рок-музыке. Билл Хэм сумел помочь коллективу в написании вышеупомянутой “Squank", а также “Goin' Down To Mexico”, “Certified Blues”, “Just Got Back From Baby's” и заключительной “Backdoor Love Affair”. Все они излучают душевную блюзовую энергетику.
Балладой на пластинке выступает “Old Man”, которая повествует о бездомном старике, и которую украшают чувственные соло-партии Гиббонса. Эта песня является самой мелодичной на диске.
По поводу альбома, можно сказать следующее. Дебютник не принёс ZZ Top сногсшибательного успеха по той простой причине, что группа ещё не была достаточно раскручена. На этом, так называемом, первоначальном этапе, ZZ Top только начала набирать обороты. Однако, слушая этот альбом, понимаешь, что группа в тот момент пошла в верном направлении, а присвоенный альбому стиль “абстрактный блюз” полностью соответствует содержанию. Уже в первой работе нам виден знаменитый почерк великих в будущем музыкантов. Здесь вам и энергетика, и простота, и непринуждённость. Добавлю ещё тот факт, что “ZZ Top's First Album” обладает неким магнетизмом. При открытии дискографии группы, меня частенько тянет послушать именно этот альбом, нежели какой-либо другой. Убеждён, что данная пластинка недооценена. Будь “ZZ Top's First Album” выпущен, к примеру, в 80-х или в 90-х, тогда поклонники и критики взглянули на него по-другому.
Сыграть в бильярд под песни первого альбома ZZ Top настоятельно рекомендуется. |
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Sneakin' 'round.
Me and you ain't workin' out just like we oughta be.
You've got me down.
Somebody else been shaking your tree.
Supposed to be saving all that stuff for me.
I'm tired of foolin' around with you, and sittin' here alone.
It's on my mind.
I think it's time for me to find a new tree of my own.
It's plantin' time.
Anything you wanna do is cool with me.
I don't care who shakes your tree.
Brown Sugar
My friends, they all told me,
Man, there's something gonna change your life.
My friends, they all told me,
Man, there's something gonna change your life.
Gotta have that brown sugar.
Man it's just gonna change my life.
Man, I gotta have that brown sugar.
Man, it's just gonna make me feel so right.
There's something make me feel good,
and it's gonna change my life.
There's something make me feel good,
and it's gonna change my life.
I gotta have some of that Brown Sugar,
Gotta try it before I die.
Man it sure do save me
when there's no place left for me.
Man it sure do save me
when there's no place left for me.
Gotta have some of that Brown Sugar
as long as that's gonna set me free.
Man, there's somethin' make me feel good
and it's gonna change my life.
Man, there's somethin' make me feel good
and it's gonna change my life.
I gotta have some of that Brown Sugar,
Gotta try it before I die.
SQUANK
Woman, grab your children, run and hide.
Don't let it catch up with you.
You gotta fight it to stay alive,
and if it gets you, man, you're through.
It smells so rotten and rank.
Well, everybody calls it the squank.
It's sick, depressin, gettin' bigger all the time.
Don't help it any way you can.
It's grey and brown and sometimes lime
and it's spreadin' all over the land.
And soon we'll be all breathin' out of tanks
if somethin' ain't done about the squank.
The meanest thing the world's ever bred
by me and you and my kinfold too.
A monster can't live unless it's fed,
and it's being fed by me and you.
And soon it's gonna leave the world blank,
and we'll all be erased by the squank.
GOIN' DOWN TO MEXICO
I was on my way down to Mexico,
there was trouble on the rise.
It was nothing more than I'd left behind,
which was much to my surprise.
I turned around and lit a cigarette
wiped the dust off of my boots.
When up ahead I saw the crowd,
I knew it was no use.
I'ts been the same way for Oh so long,
it looks like I'm singing the same old song.
A fine and fancy man was he,
doing good things for the poor.
Givin' rides in his rockin' Eighty-eight for free.
They could not hope for more.
When it came my turn he said to me,
"Have I seen your face before?"
I said, "Oh no, you must be wrong,
I'm from a distant shore.
So if you don't mind, I'll just move along
but it looks like I'm singin' the same old song."
A Nineteen Forty movie star
with a long forgotten name.
She was a sexy mess in her pleated dress,
still hangin' on to fame.
With forgotten lines she missed her cue
and left a glass of wine at home.
She was singin' the same song that I was.
Could we both be wrong?
So hand in hand we walked along,
each of us singin' the same old song.
Old Man
Old man sleepin' the hot day away,
while he dreams a thousand yesterdays.
'Cause he's had so many come his way.
All he cares about is somewhere to lay his head tomorrow.
Old man sits and thinks about his home.
Doesn't matter 'cause he's all alone.
What he'd give to get back on his own.
Curses his body 'cause it's old and it gives no transportation.
He sits in his one room shack alone but it provides no consolation.
What a shame,
his time is nearin'.
His eyes won't let him see
the skies are clearin'.
Someone tells him
without his hearin'.
It's no news to those who've been around
while things are changin'.
NEIGHBOR, NEIGHBOR
Neighbor, neighbor, why you messin' in my life?
Neighbor, neighbor, you've been talkin' to my wife,
tellin' her you seen me
runnin' wild the other night,
runnin' wild the other night.
A neighbor, neighbor, theres's always one in every crowd.
A neighbor, neighbor, tellin' lies and talkin' loud.
You better watch your step now.
You might fall off your cloud.
you might fall off your cloud.
Now I was walking down a dusty road
when along came a neighbor of mine.
He saw me walkin' with my head hung down,
he just had to stop and pass the time.
Neighbor, neighbor, floatin' in the salty brine.
floatin' in the salty brine.
Certified Blues
I woke up this mornin' with these certified blues,
they sure been stalkin' me 'round.
So down tonight I couldn't tie my shoes.
They about to drop me in the ground.
If I could shake loose I would feel so fine.
There's one thing for sure and it's on my mind.
These certified blues are gonna take their time.
I've been livin' here, way down South,
a place that I wanna stay.
Been workin' hard just to feed my mouth.
Just can keep them blues away.
There's one thing for sure and it's on my mind.
These certified blues are gonna take their time.
If I could shake loose I would feel so fine.
You say you're feelin' bad and you don't know why.
You're broke and your woman been ly'n'.
And just one thing before I'm fired,
the blues have just been certified.
If I could shake loose I would feel so fine.
There's one thing for sure and it's on my mind.
These certified blues are gonna take their time.
BEDROOM THANG
I know you wanna be my bedroom thang,
but you're much too young.
You're the finest thing I've ever seen.
You just wanna have fun.
I need someone who can scratch my back.
I need someone who can carry my pack.
I need someone to be with me at night.
You're gonna make me feel alright.
Don't you bother me with petty lines,
I know you ran away from home.
This might come to you as some surprise,
I wish you'd leave me alone.
I need someone to scratch my back.
I need someone to carry my pack.
I need someone to be with me at night.
You're gonna make me feel alright.
Just Got Back From Baby's
Now I just got back from baby's,
we been rollin' all night long.
I said I just got back from baby's,
we been rollin' all night long.
She comeon likes and loves me,
but I feel like somethin' wrong.
Now, sometimes I go see baby,
and sometimes she come see me.
I said, sometimes I go see baby,
and sometimes baby come see me.
I got a funny, funny feelin'
I'm not the only man she sees.
Now, I just got back from baby's,
big white house on the hill.
I said, I just got back from baby's,
big white house on the hill.
If her lovin' don't get me,
I know her husband will.
Backdoor Love Affair
Got to have you, baby, even
though you say that you don't care.
Got to have you, baby, even
though you say that you don't care.
Any way you want it,
settle for a backdoor love affair.