Eliminator (album)
Released March 23, 1983
Recorded 1982
Studio Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre
Hard rock, blues rock, new wave. synthrock
Length 44:28
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Bill Ham
Eliminator is the eighth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released on March 23, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded in Tennessee during 1982, the album was produced by the band’s manager Bill Ham and peaked at the top of the charts in many countries. “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Got Me Under Pressure”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “TV Dinners” and “Legs” were released as singles. A Diamond certified album, Eliminator is ZZ Top’s most commercially successful release, with sales of over 10 million copies in the United States.
The band wanted to expand on the synthesizer sound of their 1981 album El Loco. Influenced by new wave, Eliminator′s tracks were recorded with a combination of the synthesizer, drum machine and sequencer. The album used music videos as successful promotional tools — the videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” all received regular rotation on MTV and helped the band gain popularity with a new younger teenage fan base. A customized 1930s Ford coupe, depicted on the album cover, could be seen in the videos. Following Eliminator′s release, ZZ Top embarked on a worldwide concert tour.
Often considered ZZ Top’s most popular release, the record was ranked at number 398 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and was listed at number 39 in The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s.
After the success of “Legs”, Eliminator was reissued with the song’s edited single remix replacing the original version. The single remix was also used on many CD pressings. CDs manufactured in Germany by Record Service Alsdorf still used the original album mix. In 2008, Eliminator was remastered and reissued, with the addition of bonus tracks and a DVD containing music videos and live performances. The original version of “Legs” was included, while the single mix of the song remained on the album as a bonus track.
In 1976, Billy Gibbons met with Don Thelen of Buffalo Motor Cars in Paramount, California and Ronnie Jones of Hand Crafted Metal with some help from Sid Blackard, to build a customized 1933 Ford coupe. The car was built with a Corvette-style engine fabricated by the Hand Crafted Metal. It was finished in 1983 and called the Eliminator. The car has become recognizable for its red finish and graphics, which can be seen in several of the band’s music videos. The Eliminator has also made worldwide appearances in television, movies, auto shows and charity events.
In 1979, ZZ Top reunited after a two-year break from touring and signed a new recording contract, switching from London Records to Warner Bros. Lead vocalist Gibbons and bass guitarist Dusty Hill grew chest-length beards which, along with black sunglasses, have become distinctive aspects of the band’s image. ZZ Top’s sixth studio album Degüello was released in August 1979. The album went platinum and sold over a million units in the United States. El Loco (1981) experimented with the sounds of synthesizers. It went gold and initially sold over half a million copies. “Tube Snake Boogie” went to number four on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Recording
In 1982, ZZ Top convened at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Ardent had become the group’s main recording studio since 1973. Production was handled by the band’s manager Bill Ham, while Terry Manning was responsible for the engineering. Recording occurred in Studio A and included an “SpectraSonics by Auditronics” mixing console that was a permanent fixture until 1985.[citation needed] Both Gibbons and Manning took charge of the studio sessions to make an album with various electronic instruments. Despite the credits on the album, Hill and Frank Beard did not attend most of the sessions.[citation needed]
Gibbons used a Dean Z electric guitar that had DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckers.[citation needed] Manning recalled that the guitar was “very resonant”, always on the verge of feedback, and difficult to keep in tune. He often edited Gibbons’ guitar parts to eliminate extra noise. Gibbons used a Legend Rock ‘n’ Roll combo amplifier, a 50-watt hybrid amp with a single 12-inch Celestion speaker.[citation needed] According to Manning, an AKG C414 B-ULS condenser microphone captured the amp and was placed about five inches from the speaker cone, slightly off-axis.
Track listing
All songs written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard.
Side one
1. “Gimme All Your Lovin'” 3:59
2. “Got Me Under Pressure” 4:00
3. “Sharp Dressed Man” 4:13
4. “I Need You Tonight” 6:14
5. “I Got the Six” 2:52
Side two
6. “Legs” 4:35
7. “Thug” 4:17
8. “TV Dinners” 3:50
9. “Dirty Dog” 4:05
10. “If I Could Only Flag Her Down” 3:40
11. “Bad Girl” 3:16
Collector’s Edition
12. “Legs” (Single Mix) 3:33
13. “Gimme All Your Lovin” (Live) 4:46
14. “Sharp Dressed Man” (Live) 4:47
15. “I Got the Six” (Live) 3:05
16. “TV Dinners” (Live) 4:11
17. “Got Me Under Pressure” (Live) 4:04
18. “Legs” (Dance Mix) 7:48
Personnel
ZZ Top
Billy Gibbons – guitar, vocals
Dusty Hill – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
Frank Beard – drums, percussion
Production
Bill Ham – producer
Terry Manning – engineer
Linden Hudson – pre-production engineer
Bob Ludwig – mastering
Bob Alford – art director
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