ZZ Top VH1 Storytellers 2009.mkv

Gibbons of ZZ Top tell their story on VH1.
ZZ Top might seem like something of a challenge for the VH1 "Storytellers" series because while this Texas blues-rock band has a secure spot in music history, its three members don't have a reputation for being all that chatty.

Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill - the two bearded guys out front - are droll and funny. So is drummer Frank Beard, the one without a beard. But they've mostly let their music talk over the 40 years they've been playing together.

So even though they seem comfortable fielding audience questions during this "Storytellers" taping, don't expect one of those Bono or Keith Richards deals where the monologue becomes the entertainment.

This show comes across more as a ZZ Top greatest-hits concert, which certainly won't disappoint ZZ Top fans, than as a look through anyone's back pages.

If you want to hear solid, energetic renditions of "Legs," "Just Got Paid," "Jesus Just Left Chicago" or "La Grange," they're here. Few bands have been as consistent in their sound over the years, and there's no letdown in this performance.

They do serve up a few observations on their musical lives, recalling the inspiration for "Sharp Dressed Man" and several other songs.

When someone asks if the success of any particular song surprised the band, Hill pauses a long time before saying, "All of them."

There's a funny exchange about the Eliminator, the car that appeared in their most famous video. A fan asks if they own the car, and Gibbons replies that it's actually owned by the attractive women who appeared in the video and that the band looks forward to going back to visit them.

They recall playing with Janis Joplin early in their career, and a gig opening for Ike and Tina Turner.

Ike's advice, says Gibbons, was that they needed flashier clothes, something like Ike and his Revue might wear.

The ensemble seems to have involved black velvet and lace-up boots. But, says Gibbons, you don't disregard suggestions from Ike Turner, so they gave it a shot.

There is also a vague suggestion that a picture from that encounter exists, though VH1 doesn't show it.

On a more musical note, Beard talks about how all three of them, independently, grew up listening to the late-night blues that sometimes floated down to Texas from WLS in Chicago. Combine that with local music and New Orleans music, and you get the kind of boogie sound that has kept ZZ Top going for 40 years.

That's really enough of a story in itself.
VH1's 'Storytellers' tells ZZ Top's 40-year story, from A to ZZ



Currently celebrating 40 years together, Texas rock trio Zz Top is the subject of a sparkling new "VH1 Storytellers" episode filmed at Chicago's Congress Theatre. The performance has the rockers with the well-known whiskers delighting audience members with classic tunes, wild stories and even overseeing the renewal of one couple's wedding vows.

In the "Storytellers" episode, lead vocalist and guitarist Gibbons tells tales of the bands early years and their journey on tour with Janis Joplin. Viewers can also hear the background stories behind hit songs "Just Got Paid," "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Tush."

Not failing on their trademark scruffiness and candid lyrics, Zz Top enlightens viewers on the history behind their hit "La Grange." The song title is also the name of an infamous bordello and the inspiration for the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" musical.

A rock music novelty, the bearded trio from Houston, »

ZZ Top Celebrate 40 Years With Appearance On "VH1 Storytellers"