CoronaVinyl Day 69 (Texas): Eliminator by ZZ Top

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I took yesterday off to pretend that I was watching the Indy 500 -- and drinking the equivalent number of beers -- so I have some catching up to do.  Yesterday's CoronaVinyl category was Texas, and I don't know about you, but when I think about Texas and rock and roll, I think of ZZ Top.  Personally, I think ZZ Top is one of the most underrated rock bands ever.  Formed in Houston in 1969 -- which is perfect, since it's Day 69 of CoronaVinyl, and also, ha, 69! -- ZZ Top rose to fame in the '70s with their down home blues-based rock, before kind of reinventing themselves in the early '80s by updating their sound for the new decade.  Of course, they are instantly recognizable by the long beards of guitarist/lead singer Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill.  And then there's drummer Frank Beard -- who doesn't have a beard, just to mess with your mind.

1983's Eliminator is arguably the band's signature album, and certainly their best selling, having been certified diamond in the U.S.  It's another one of those that's hanging on my office wall.  Yes, the very same office wall that I might not see until 2021.  What's even cooler (in my mind, anyway) is that I got this album in a Secret Santa gift exchange at work 15 or 16 years ago.  And it was in mint condition!  But anyway, the iconic album cover, staring into the headlights of a 1933 Ford coupe, features a car the band had built for them and that was used in several of their videos.

With songs like "Legs" (the band's first Top 10 hit in the U.S.), "Gimme All Your Lovin'," and "Sharp Dressed Man," the band not only had radio-friendly hits, but also became MTV darlings, which was equally (if not more) important back in the early '80s.  The band rode the success of this album well into the '90s and then into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Got Me Under Pressure"
I won't say "Got Me Under Pressure" is necessarily overlooked, but perhaps it gets lost among the other big songs on this album, but I've always thought it was a great song.  It's got a great driving beat, and it's just a great rock and roll song.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "If I Could Only Flag Her Down"
This song is the one on the album that most reminds me of the band's music in the '70s, which itself was great.  And the lyrics tell of man's ultimate struggle:  I'm sure she would like me if I could only get her attention.