All New ZZ Top - Review - Live Greatest Hits from Around the World

ZZ Top Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around the World

Somewhere, sometime, someone came up with the idea of a greatest hits compilation that would feature of course their biggest hits from all of the best venues they've performed in from several of their more recent tours all over the world. Sounds great, right? Sure.

It sounds appealing, and seemed to be a great idea, until you hear the resulting final cuts. What seems like something different of an approach for a live album, ends up being a total mistake. The tracks all sound like they are from different venues, and the difference in the acoustics and the vocal presentation highlights a lack of continuity that listeners will expect. The mixing of the tracks could not help hide this fact and this is what is most noticeable.

What you have here is what seemed like a good idea, turn out to be a bad idea. The performances are all clearly from different places, and it doesn't matter where these tracks were recorded, the simple fact is that there is no continuity and this does not make this easy or enjoyable to listen to.

This is unpolished ZZ Top with no overdubbing studio tricks. The performances of these big hit tracks also lack the fire you'd expect. You would think they had better stuff in the can, and you'd think they would have nixed the project altogether after listening to the final results. The only thing interesting here is the two tracks that have Jeff Beck.

Fans have a right to expect better from ZZ TOP.

This sad effort from a really great band was released on September 9, 2016. It debuted on Billboard's top 200 at 111 a week later and after another week it disappeared.

Rate this 1-Star on the strength of the Jeff Beck tracks included

You can listen to this album here

Tonite at Midnight: Live Greatest Hits from Around the World

1. Got Me Under Pressure – (Live From New York)
2. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers – (Live From Las Vegas)
3. Cheap Sunglasses – (Live From Paris)
4. Waitin’ for the Bus – (Live From Nashville)
5. Jesus Just Left Chicago – (Live From Nashville)
6. Legs – (Live From Sao Paolo)
7. Sharp Dressed Man – (Live From Los Angeles)
8. Rough Boy – featuring Jeff Beck – (Live From London)
9. Pincushion – (Live From Berlin)
10. La Grange – (Live From Dallas)
11. I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide – (Live From Vancouver)
12. Tube Snake Boogie – (Live From Rome)
13. Gimme All Your Lovin’ - (Live From Houston)
14. Tush – (Live From Chicago)
15. Sixteen Tons – featuring Jeff Beck – (Live From London)

Be sure to keep up with the guys by checking out their website from time to time.

http://www.zztop.com/