Billy F Gibbons

The Big Bad Blues
Concord Records

Billy F Gibbons returns with his sophomore solo project aside from ZZ Top. After exploring the sounds of Cuban music with his first release, Perfectamundo, he has made a return to his roots in the blues. Though ZZ Top has always been founded in the blues, Gibbons takes a step back to the loose carefree days of the band’s earlier material from discs like Fandango or Tres Hombres. Beefy guitar licks and even a handful of righteous covers from the songbooks of Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters. “Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’” even sounds like a throwback extension of “La Grange” with its instrumental licks opening the album. A nice John Lee Hooker-styled trance guitar roll with a head boppin’ groove. It’s loose and full of savvy done the Texas way.

The music throughout kicks some serious bluesified butt. The band is electrifying and filled with talent. It features harmonica ace James Harman, Matt Sorum on drums, Joe Hardy on bass, with Austin Hanks working as a matching foil on guitar alongside Gibbons. Each presses the sound to full capacity and the solos of everybody involved give life to it all.

The music on The Big Bad Blues is nothing but fun. This is Gibbons doing what he loves, and it comes across as true to the music on his covers of Muddy’s “Standing Around Crying” and Bo’s “Bring It To Jerome.” But as always, he throws in some naughtiness on his original cuts and blistering guitar work. For a good time pick up a copy of The Big Bad Blues.

Total Time: 40:14

Missin’ Yo’ Kissin’ / My Baby She Rocks / Second Line / Standing Around Crying / Let The Left Hand Know / Bring It To Jerome / That’s What She Said / Mo’ Slower Blues / Hollywood 151 / Rollin’ And Tumblin’ / Crackin’ Up