"That little ol’ band from Texas" with the big sound, ZZ-Top shifted
gears in 1983 with the trio's eighth studio album, Eliminator. Creating
a new sound, the band subversively co-opted the humming synthesizers of
new wave and fused them to its trademark hot-rodded blues boogie. The
album roared into the MTV age powered by a trio of smash radio singles
and iconic videos that helped make Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and
Frank Beard international superstars. Eliminator also holds the rare
distinction of being among the first group of albums to be awarded
diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies.
ZZ Top’s signature cherry-red 1933 Ford coupe returns to take a victory
lap with a special CD/DVD set to celebrate the album’s 25th
anniversary. The set includes bonus tracks and previously unreleased
live tracks, as well as videos featuring the album’s singles and rare
live performances. Eliminator (Collector’s Edition) will be available
August 26th at all physical retail outlets and for a suggested list
price of $24.98. A digital version that includes all the CD content
will also be available the same day for $11.99 from all digital
retailers.
The CD contains a remastered version of the album’s first pressing,
including the rare original album version of the Top 10 smash 'Legs',
which was replaced on subsequent pressings with a single version that
had been edited for radio. Along with the hit singles 'Gimme All Your
Lovin’' and 'Sharp Dressed Man', the disc also features seven bonus
tracks. Five are previously unreleased live performances of songs from
Eliminator. The live tracks include 'Gimme All Your Lovin’', 'Sharp
Dressed Man', 'TV Dinners', and 'Got Me Under Pressure', all recorded
at Castle Donington in England as well as 'I Got The Six', recorded at
The Marquee Club in London. The bonus tracks feature both the single
and 12” dance remix versions of 'Legs'. The deluxe packaging also
features rare photos and extensive liner notes from longtime band
publicist and confidant Bob Merlis.
One of the biggest albums of the ’80s, Eliminator was also
responsible for creating some of the decade’s most memorable videos by
mixing hot rods and hot bods. The DVD includes iconic videos for
'Legs', 'Gimme All Your Lovin’' and 'Sharp Dressed Man'. Known
collectively as The Eliminator Trilogy, all three videos were directed
by Tim Newman and all starred the ’33 Ford three window coupe, with the
ZZ pinstriping down the side, and a trio of leggy beauties. Also
included is the rarely seen video for 'TV Dinners', which starred a ZZ
Top-loving claymation alien named Zelt.
In addition to the videos, the DVD portion of Eliminator
(Collector’s Edition) includes five performances originally broadcast
in England on the popular music television program The Tube. The songs
includes 'Got Me Under Pressure', 'Gimme All Your Lovin’', 'Sharp
Dressed Man' and 'Tube Snake Boogie', a song that originally appeared
on the band’s 1981 album, El Loco.
Eliminator (Collector’s Edition) tracklisting:
'Gimme All Your Lovin’'
'Got Me Under Pressure'
'Sharp Dressed Man'
'I Need You Tonight'
'I Got The Six'
'Legs' – Original Album Version
'Thug'
'TV Dinners'
'Dirty Dog'
'If I Could Only Flag Her Down'
'Bad Girl'
Bonus Tracks:
'Legs” – Single Version
'Gimme All Your Lovin'' – Live*
'Got Me Under Pressure' – Live*
'Sharp Dressed Man' – Live*
'I Got The Six' – Live*
'TV Dinners' – Live*
'Legs' – Dance Mix
DVD:
The Videos
'Gimme All Your Lovin’'
'Sharp Dressed Man'
'Legs'
'TV Dinners'
Live On The Tube – 11/17/83:
'Got Me Under Pressure'
'Gimme All Your Lovin’'
'Sharp Dressed Man'
'Tube Snake Boogie'
"That little ol’ band from Texas" with the big sound, ZZ-Top shifted
gears in 1983 with the trio's eighth studio album, Eliminator. Creating
a new sound, the band subversively co-opted the humming synthesizers of
new wave and fused them to its trademark hot-rodded blues boogie. The
album roared into the MTV age powered by a trio of smash radio singles
and iconic videos that helped make Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and
Frank Beard international superstars. Eliminator also holds the rare
distinction of being among the first group of albums to be awarded
diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies.
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