ZZ Top: that Little Ol' Band from Texas

Loved seeing the guys progress from a 60's psychedelic rock band into the early 70's MTV juggernaut that they became. Bummed, however, that they left out the notorious time Tonya Harding skated to 'Sleeping Bag' in a professional competition.

I've been a fan for decades. But in this documentary I learned things I didn't know about ZZ Top. It was outstanding and as compelling as any high action drama. I didn't want it to end.

Sometimes these band documentaries are dry droning factoids - but not this one. This is wall to wall ZZ Top hits - live and background - with big hits and some jams enuf for any true ZZ fan. Also their story is presented just right, with many of the crazy stories from the road ("Keith Richards always wore the same white pants that were totally filthy...") that you'd hope for. The occasional little animated bits fit right in too. To me this was the prefect band history documentary. I got no complaints...

The makers of this documentary have struck a fine balance between their various tools -- fuzzy historic stills and video clips of the band's earlier incarnations (Hill and Beard based in Dallas with Lady Wilde and the Warlocks; Gibbons with The Moving Sidewalks down in Houston), brief animations of key early moments (especially those involving their late manager Bill Ham), very short concert clips in their early prime, and memorable footage from their first music videos directed by Tim Newman for MTV in the early Eighties.

There are also testimonials from fans such as Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Miller, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and others.

But the strongest two elements are the interviews with the individual members throughout -- recalling their origins, early choices, war stories (the best involve opening for Hendrix, the Rolling Stones in Hawaii, an early Memphis Blues Festival, Beard's dissection of his substance abuse problems in the late Seventies) -- and footage of the band "today" (that is, 2018) playing some favorite, signature tunes at historic Gruene Hall expressly for this film as they closed in on an astonishing 50 years as a working unit with no personnel changes.

What comes across clearly -- especially if, like me, you were not a rabid fan and follower of this band's career -- is that there was more to ZZ Top than met the eye. Though they had a distinct and unmistakable sound (a brand, if you will), this band also were both smart and lucky enough to hire very good people to handle their promotion, sound production, video work -- everything that was ancillary to the actual music, but crucial to helping it find the massive audience it eventually did.

That, and the fact that the band managed to absorb interesting currents from the larger music industry as it evolved, such as disco and punk, and were sharp enough to plunge immediately into MTV to promote their work.

The ZZ Top "mystique" was largely cultivated by their manager. They would have liked to appear on Johnny Carson and do interviews, but Ham nixed all of that. Do your music, and make everybody come to you, he said. (Other than Beard's brief mentions of leaving Dallas with a wife and a kid, and destroying a relationship with his substance abuse, there isn't a whiff of a mention of their personal lives otherwise. You get no idea whether Gibbons or Hill ever married or have any children.)

The story pretty much ends with 1983's _Eliminator_ album and the "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" videos. That's all that's essential to tell the story of the band's origins and success; the rest is disposed of in two sentences on a black screen.

But the movie goes on to finish with a live performance of "Blue Jean Blues" (going all the way back to 1975), intercut with each of the band members talking about why they think they stuck together so long. It's nicely done.

Greetings again from the darkness. The opening credits are still rolling when we hear the very familiar chords and vocal growls that kick off ZZ Top's mega-hit "La Grange". Director and music documentarian Sam Dunn delivers quite a celebratory tribute to this 'little ol' band', and it's likely that even their biggest fans will learn something new.

We first see the three band members as they drive a classic convertible right up to the front door of the historic Gruene Hall. Their subsequent jam session inside the rustic dance hall acts as a framing device throughout the film - proving they've still got "it". Director Dunn introduces us to each band member separately in the beginning. Dusty Hill walks us through his man-cave and explains his appreciation of Elvis both today and as a kid growing up in Dallas, and recalls playing with his brother's band The Warlocks. Frank Beard reminisces about playing regular gigs in Ft Worth and meeting up with Dusty first, and later with Billy. Billy Gibbons takes us through his early years in Houston, having some success with his band Moving Sidewalks, and opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

The film moves takes a traditional timeline approach, but there is really nothing conventional about this band. Superfan Billy Bob Thornton describes ZZ Top as "unique and eccentric", and other admiring interviews include Steve Miller and Josh Homme. Discussed throughout is the "mystique" of the band, which apparently stems from their spurning of Los Angeles and New York, while choosing instead to blend Texas with Nashville. In the early days, many critics and music executives tried to label them a blues band, but Mr. Gibbons said it best when he stated they were "interpreters of the blues."

Director Dunn utilizes some animated sequences to fill in bits of the historical timeline, and that technique proves quite fitting when the band's music videos for MTV are described as presenting the band members as 'cartoon' characters surrounded by cool cars and beautiful girls. The influences of their manager Bill Hamm, and video director Tim Newman are noted, which goes to the underlying theme here. These 3 guys, despite incredible career success, remain quite grounded and humble.

It's been more than 40 years since I first saw ZZ Top in concert, yet I learned more about the band and these men during this film than over all these years. The origin of the band name and their commitment to experimenting with music and sound and stage shows are all details that stand out. It's said, "No one else looked like them. No one else sounded like them." The iconic beards were originally grown as disguises, but soon became trademarks ... although, ironically, drummer Frank Beard is the one without a beard! ZZ Top has played halftime of a Super Bowl and been inducted to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, but having these guys tell their own stories confirms they realize how fortunate they are to have played with guys they want to play with for so long (they are the longest surviving rock lineup) ... this little ol' band has "legs".