Afterburner (ZZ Top album) – Wikipedia

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1985 studio album by ZZ Top

Afterburner is the ninth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1985. Although critics’ response to the album was lukewarm, Afterburner was a moderate success, going platinum and launching one hit single: “Sleeping Bag” which peaked at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In the UK, it was the band’s second album to be certified by the British Phonographic Industry, attaining Gold (100,000 units) in 1985. In 1990, it was certified Platinum (300,000 units).

Recording[edit]

The album has songs with sequenced keyboard beds.[2] It was the first ZZ Top record since Rio Grande Mud without involvement from Terry Manning.[3]

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Reception[edit]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic retrospectively gave it 3 stars out of 5, stating: “Well, if you just had your biggest hit ever, you’d probably try to replicate it, too. And if you were praised for being visionary because you played all your blues grooves to a slightly sequenced beat, you’d probably be tempted to not just continue in that direction, but to tighten the sequencer and graft on synthesizers, since it’ll all signal how futuristic you are. […] Problem is, no matter how much you dress ZZ Top up, they’re still ZZ Top. Sometimes they can trick you into thinking they’re a little flashier than usual, but they’re still a lil’ ol’ blues band from Texas, kicking out blues-rockers. And blues-rock just doesn’t kick when it’s synthesized. […] All this means that Afterburner is merely a product of its time — the only record ZZ Top could have made at the time, but it hardly exists out of that time.” Rolling Stone said “Afterburner may simply represent a transitional phase in this gifted eccentric’s development as well as a tricky period in ZZ Top’s continuing evolution from bell-bottom-blues band to sharp-dressed pop machine.”[11]

Robert Christgau gave a B score, stating: “With sales on Eliminator over five mil almost by accident, this hard-boogieing market strategy is defined by conscious commercial ambition–by its all but announced intention of making ZZ the next Bruce/Madonna/Prince/Michael, with two beards and a Beard at every checkout counter.” Christgau cited “Rough Boy” and “Velcro Fly” as the highlights of the album.

The album was the band’s first to hit number 1, topping the charts in New Zealand. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200, at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and at number 6 on the Australian albums chart.[12]

Track listing[edit]

All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard.

Side two
Title
6. “Planet of Women” 4:04
7. “I Got the Message” 3:27
8. “Velcro Fly” 3:29
9. “Dipping Low (In the Lap of Luxury)” 3:11
10. “Delirious” 3:41

Personnel[edit]

  • Billy Gibbons – guitar, lead and backing vocals
  • Dusty Hill – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Can’t Stop Rockin'” and “Delirious”, keyboards
  • Frank Beard – drums

Production[edit]

  • Producer – Bill Ham
  • Engineers – Joe Hardy, Bob Ludwig
  • Art director – Jeri McManus
  • Design – Jeri McManus
  • Art work – Barry E. Jackson

Certifications[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “ZZ Top Afterburner review”. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  2. ^ “The One after the Big One: ZZ Top, AFTERBURNER | Rhino”. www.rhino.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  3. ^ “ZZ Top- Afterburner 35th Anniversary- Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard”. In The Studio with Redbeard. October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. “ZZ Top Afterburner review”. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  5. ^ “ZZ Top Afterburner review”. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  6. ^ Cross, Charles R. (2004). “ZZ Top”. In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 907-8. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. ^ “ZZ Top Afterburner review”. Q. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  8. ^ Wall, Mick (November 14, 1985). “ZZ Top ‘Afterburner’“. Kerrang!. Vol. 107. London, UK: Morgan Grampian. pp. 23–24.
  9. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 3, 1985). “Christgau’s Consumer Guide”. The Village Voice. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  11. ^ “ZZ Top Afterburner review”. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  12. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 348. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. ^ “Austriancharts.at – ZZ Top – Afterburner” (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  15. ^ “Top RPM Albums: Issue 0607”. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  16. ^ “Dutchcharts.nl – ZZ Top – Afterburner” (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  17. ^ “European Top 100 Albums” (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 48. December 2, 1985. p. 15. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via World Radio History.
  18. ^ “Offiziellecharts.de – ZZ Top – Afterburner” (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  19. ^ “Charts.nz – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  20. ^ “Norwegiancharts.com – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  21. ^ “Swedishcharts.com – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  22. ^ “Swisscharts.com – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  23. ^ “Official Albums Chart Top 100”. Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  24. ^ “ZZ Top Chart History (Billboard 200)”. Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  25. ^ “Top Selling Albums of 1985 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart”. Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  26. ^ “Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts” (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  27. ^ “Top Selling Albums of 1986 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart”. Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  28. ^ “ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums” (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  29. ^ a b “ZZ Top” (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  30. ^ “Les Certifications depuis 1973: Albums”. Infodisc.fr. Retrieved December 10, 2012. (select “ZZ Top” from drop-down list)
  31. ^ “Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ZZ Top; ‘Afterburner‘)” (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  32. ^ “New Zealand album certifications – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  33. ^ “Gold & Platinum Awards 1987” (PDF). Music and Media. American Radio History Archive. December 26, 1987. p. 46. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  34. ^ “British album certifications – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  35. ^ “American album certifications – ZZ Top – Afterburner”. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 10, 2019.


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