Rhythmeen
Rhythmeen is the twelfth studio album by the American blues rock band ZZ Top, released in 1996. It is their last album with longtime producer Bill Ham.
| Rhythmeen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 17, 1996 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 53:55 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Billy Gibbons, Bill Ham | |||
| ZZ Top chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Allmusic gave it a mixed review, stating: "ZZ Top's long-awaited return to blues finally arrived in 1996, well over a decade after they abandoned their simple three-chord boogie for a synth and drum machine-driven three-chord boogie."
The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rhythmeen" | Billy Gibbons | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Bang Bang" | Gibbons | 4:28 |
| 3. | "Black Fly" | Gibbons | 3:31 |
| 4. | "What's Up with That" | Gibbons, Joe Hardy, Luther Ingram, Mack Rice[4] | 5:19 |
| 5. | "Vincent Price Blues" | Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard | 6:04 |
| 6. | "Zipper Job" | Gibbons, Hill, Beard | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Hairdresser" | Gibbons, Hardy | 3:48 |
| 8. | "She's Just Killing Me" | Gibbons, Hill, Beard | 4:55 |
| 9. | "My Mind Is Gone" | Gibbons, Hardy, Gary Moon, Stevie Wonder | 4:06 |
| 10. | "Loaded" | Gibbons, Hardy | 3:47 |
| 11. | "Prettyhead" | Gibbons, Hill, Beard | 4:37 |
| 12. | "Hummbucking, Pt. 2" | Gibbons, Hill, Beard | 5:13 |
| Total length: | 53:55 | ||
- Bonus track [Japan]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Isn't Love Amazing" | Gibbons | 5:15 |
| Total length: | 59:10 | ||
Personnel
- Billy Gibbons – guitar, vocals
- Dusty Hill – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocal on "Loaded"
- Frank Beard – drums, percussion
- James Harman - harmonica on "What's Up With That"
Production
- Producers – Billy Gibbons, Bill Ham
- Engineer – Joe Hardy
- Assistant engineers – Lizzie Harrah, Gary Moon
- Mixing – Joe Hardy
- Mastering – Bob Ludwig
- Director – Douglas Biro
- Art direction – Sean Mosher-Smith
- Design – Billy Gibbons, Sean Mosher-Smith
- Photography – James Bland
- Studio - John Moran's House of Funk aka Digital Services Recording
Recording
“We originally had a working title of ‘Nearing The Completion Stage'. But, it was the backbeat, that mean groove, which hit us as a strong recurring element of the album. So, we did our customary play on words, shuffling words about until we came up with our own invention – a feel-good elixir named Rhythmeen.”[5]
Gibbons uses an early 1950s Les Paul Goldtop guitar and is featured prominently throughout the album.[6]
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Billboard 200 | 29 |
Singles – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Bang Bang" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22 |
| 1996 | "She's Just Killing Me" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 12 |
| 1996 | "What's Up with That" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| 1997 | "Rhythmeen" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 35 |
References
- Thomas, Stephen (September 17, 1996). "Rhythmeen - ZZ Top : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- "ZZ Top: Rhythmeen". RollingStone.com. February 2, 1996. Archived from the original on 2009-05-25. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- 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.
- "ZZ Top - Rhythmeen (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- Vogel, Michael (27 September 1996) "ZZ Top - Rhythmeen". The Album Network
- Billy Gibbons Rock&Roll Gearhead book
