Blugubrious - TV Dinners (ZZ Top Cover)
Full disclosure: Like the Sabbath covers on my channel, I am not a hardcore ZZ Top fan or anything. Want proof? This is my favorite ZZ Top song. Really. I never really got into Billy Gibbons like blues guitar folks think I should have. Saying all this because I do not want to... as the kids say... front. Just love this song. I did have a time when my brother and I were regularly working out lifting weights with our dad and the length of our workout every session was ZZ Top’s greatest hits. So, fond memories there for sure. Live we did this one and Blue Jean Blues, I Thank You (which was a Sam and Dave cover), but that was it. Like I said... not all in.
It was a weird project. I wanted a single guitar all the way through (that is how we used to do it back in the day). Used pretty modern type sound on guitar. Did try to channel a little BG. I found the drums from someone who essentially duplicated the original track. I pieced together that organ part from half a backing track. The bass is pretty much from the original (Dusty, that is - RIP). I was reminded how fun this crazy thing is to sing once I started recording.
Hot take: I think the world needs less reverb. I love reverb sounds, I just think a lot of stuff is too drenched (says the guy with a handful of wannabe ambient stuff on my channel!). So, very much on purpose, other than a slap back stereo echo on the vocal, this is almost dry as a bone.
I am virtually sure the original (and my cover here) are in Drop D. For fun, play along... it is a great exercise in time and playing a tad behind the beat. Harder than it might sound to do it well... not that I did that.
Hope you dig it. It was fun to do.
#metalheadhippie