ZZ Top - El Loco [Rhino High Fidelity, 180g Vinyl]

ZZ Top's seventh studio album El Loco was released in 1981, bridging the gap between the band's classic 1970s blues rock sound and their synth-driven MTV era. The album reached the Top 20 and achieved gold status, featuring quirky classics like "Tube Snake Boogie" and "Pearl Necklace." The album foreshadowed the band's extensive usage of synthesizers on Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler, employing synthesizer on a couple tracks played by an uncredited Linden Hudson. This Rhino High Fidelity pressing releases October 31, 2025, as part of the Rocktober campaign, AAA cut from the original stereo master tapes by mastering engineer Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal.

The 10-track collection showcases the band at their most playful and experimental. Singles "Tube Snake Boogie" and "Pearl Necklace" became rock radio staples, demonstrating ZZ Top's ability to craft songs with cheeky double entendres that still received substantial airplay. "Groovy Little Hippie Pad" features synthesizers while "Party On The Patio" incorporates processed drums, telegraphing the band's next sonic move. Deeper cuts like "Ten Foot Pole," "Leila," and "Heaven, Hell or Houston" reveal the band's willingness to explore quirky arrangements while maintaining their Texas blues rock swagger.

This Rhino High Fidelity edition features heavyweight gatefold packaging and includes an exclusive insert with insights from Billy F Gibbons in a Q&A with James Austin. The 180-gram pressing delivers enhanced clarity and depth, with Kevin Gray's AAA mastering from the original stereo tapes ensuring optimal sound quality. The gatefold presentation includes an obi strip, completing this premium vinyl package that captures ZZ Top's last album before achieving supergroup status with Eliminator.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "Tube Snake Boogie," "Pearl Necklace," "Groovy Little Hippie Pad"
• Pressing details: Rhino High Fidelity Series, Rocktober 2025 exclusive, gatefold jacket with obi strip, includes insert with Billy F Gibbons Q&A, AAA remastered by Kevin Gray, pressed at Optimal
• Genre/style: Blues Rock, Boogie Rock, Hard Rock, Southern Rock
• UPC: 081227810542

This audiophile-grade pressing captures the Texas trio's funkiest and most experimental album with superior fidelity, showcasing their transition from blues rock purists to synth-rock pioneers.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Tube Snake Boogie
2. I Wanna Drive You Home
3. Ten Foot Pole
4. Leila
5. Don't Tease Me

Side B:

1. It's So Hard
2. Pearl Necklace
3. Groovy Little Hippie Pad
4. Heaven, Hell Or Houston
5. Party On The Patio