This is a good over view of the first half of their career. It covers most of the bases from the 70s. You have greats like "Tush", "Just Got Paid", "Heard It On The X", "Francine" and the great "La Grange." The sound quality is not as good as the second "Best Of" package ZZ Top's "Greatest Hits" put out in 1992. Problem is that you won't find all these early classics on that CD either!

What can you say about a band that hit the big time rhyming "much" with "tush"? This is ZZ Top before Billy Gibbons discovered synthesizers, before MTV was invented, before the long beards and fur-encrusted drum sets. This is Nudie-suit wearing, stages shaped like Texas accompanied by buffalo and vulture, era Top. The national hit "LaGrange," mumbled vocals about a house of ill-repute over that John Lee Hooker riff and scalding guitar, the regional hit "Francine," which caused the Stones to reconsider the advisability of booking Top as their opening act, and eight more cuts off their first four records. A lot more fun than a boxed set. Almost as fun on CD as eight-track. Give it to someone you love.

This is one of the best discs I own. This is solely due to the fact that this is pre-MTV ZZ Top WITHOUT the horrible synth drum overdubbing that has marred the reissues of every one of the albums represented on this compilation. One major flaw in this recording: its length (only a half-hour). You hardly mind that, though, when you've got "La Grange" or "Just Got Paid" roaring out of your speakers. A-haw-haw-haw-haw.

I bought this CD because I wanted to hear ZZ Top's 70's pre-MTV music, which is a lot more raw and blues-based than what they did in the 80's. Of the songs on this CD, I was really only familiar with Tush, but I was really pleased to see that the rest of the songs are just as good! The Best of ZZ Top features 10 [great] blues rockers, bound to get your foot tapping and your body moving. Every song is a gem. Not only is there the short but sweet Tush, there's the pure blues Jesus Just Left Chicago, the riff-o-rama boogie La Grange, and the rowdy party rocker Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers. It's amazing what a thick rich sound Billy, Dusty and Frank managed with just guitar, bass and drums (and absolutely NO synthesizers). Each musician stands out. Billy Gibbons' guitar stands out from the first track to the last. Just check out that killer tone on La Grange!

If you like your rock with a heavy dose of blues, and your blues with a heavy dose of rock, then ZZ Top is the band for you. Until the record label rereleases ZZ's 70's albums with the original sound mixes, this CD is the only place you can get the original LP sounds without the added drum tracks. This CD will stay in your car player permanently. It's great for cruising with the windows down, grooving. It's pretty cheap too.

Though a 'best of' album, this is my favorite ZZ Top album, and the only one I still own on cd. I sold the two re-mixed albums I bought ("Tres Hombres" and "ZZ Top's First Album") without knowing they were the re-mixed versions of the original albums. This cd, however, conains the original classics taken from their first four albums ("ZZ Top's First Album", "Rio Grande Mud", "Tres Hombres", "Fandango") when the band was at it's best....

1.) Tush from the album "Fandango" (1975) 2:14
2.) Waitin' For The Bus from the album "Tres Hombres" (1973) 2:59
3.) Jesus Just Left Chicago from the album "Tres Hombres" (1973) 3:29
4.) Francine from the album "Rio Grande Mud" (1972) 3:33
5.) Just Got Paid from the album "Rio Grande Mud" (1972) 4:27
6.) La Grange from the album "Tres Hombres" (1973) 3:51
7.) Blue Jean Blues from the album "Fandango" (1975) 4:42
8.) Backdoor Love Affair from the album "ZZ Top's First Album" (1970) 3:20
9.) Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers from the album "Tres Hombres" (1973) 3:23
10.) Heard It On The X from the album "Fandango" (1975) 2:23

My favorite track is #2 "Waitin' For The Bus" - Have mercy!

If you want later ZZ Top ("Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", "Legs", "Pearl Necklace", "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide", "Doubleback", "Viva Las Vegas") then I recommend going for "Rancho Texicano: The Very Best Of ZZ Top" - a two-disc / 37 track collection, which does contain the original album versions of the early hits plus tracks from the albums following the first four represented here ("Tejas", "Deguello", "El Loco", "Eliminator", "Afterburner", "Recycler"). However, I do not recommend "ZZ Top's Greatest Hits" unless you prefer the re-mixed versions. But if you want a very compact, low-priced collection of early ZZ Top's best tracks, this is definitely the one to get!