Album of the Day

With ever-reliable producer Bill Ham at the helm, ZZ Top's fourth album, FANDANGO!, builds on the success of TRES HOMBRES with a powerful pairing of live and studio material. Side One was recorded at New Orleans venue The Warehouse, and from the breakneck boogie of “Thunderbird” onward, the Texas trio's manic energy is, per the LP notes, “captured as it came down - hot, spontaneous and presented to you honestly, without the assistance of studio gimmicks.” The flip side delivers half a dozen killer originals, including two tracks that helped make ZZ Top a stadium draw: “Heard It on the X” and the immortal “Tush.” Drummer Frank Beard was born on this day in 1949 and we'll wish him a happy birthday with another spin of FANDANGO!