The band is in the midst of a tour, plans to continue, but will do so with only one original member, vocalist and axeman Billy Gibbons, following the 2021 death of bassist Dusty Hill.I was admittedly late to the ZZ Top part in my music listening journey, but over the last few years they’ve become one of my go-to bands.ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard died this week at the age of 77.((Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images))Just good old-fashioned blues-rock tunes about cheap sunglasses, women with legs who know how to use them, and men who are sharply dressed.So, let’s pay homage to Mr.
Beard and run through a few songs we should all be blasting this weekend in his honor.It’s kind of wild that a song about waiting for a bus has one of the most infectious grooves in the band’s body of work, but it does."Waitin’ for the Bus" kicks off ZZ Top’s 1973 album "Tres Hombres," and it lets you know that you’re in for some serious, down-and-dirty blues rock.The main riff is one of my favorites and is just one of those that makes you involuntarily nod your head with a "stinkface."You know the look.Beard’s playing is stellar, especially during the harmonica and guitar solos, and then they segue seamlessly into a straight-ahead blues tune in "Jesus Just Left Chicago."Now that’s how you start a record.FOUR CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED GUITARISTS FROM THE 1980S THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO MELT YOUR FACE OFFDusty Hill, Frank Beard, and Billy Gibbons did the unthinkable and managed to keep a foot in the old-school blues rock while also becoming bona fide MTV superstars.((Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns))One of the last things you’d think you’d ever hear out of a blues band from Texas is them throwing some synthesizers into the mix, but ZZ Top did it, and it’s brilliant."Eliminator" is an all-time album from top to bottom, and is really the sound I think of when I think of ZZ Top."Gimme All Your Lovin’" is a classic in its own right, and I love the opening drum part from Beard tha...