To start off the testing of the new Music category here at Timelapsed, our first random album relisten pick is Eliminator, by ZZ Top.

This smash album was released March 23, 1983 by Warner Bros. right during the height of MTV! And we all remember those videos, but the music on this album is some of the best.

I absolutely love this album, but I also confess that Eliminator is really the only ZZ Top that I like. Nothing before this or after does it for me. It’s that bluesy twang. Just… no.

However, this album does mark a turning point for me. This was in fact the first ever CD that I bought. Everything before this was vinyl, 8 track or cassette. 

Eliminator is far and away a complete change for ZZ. They dove hard into pop/hard rock. The sound of this album was considered new wave at the time of its release, But I don’t think anyone would really group this album or this band as new wave today.  But then again, you can’t deny those stand out synth drums and keyboards.

“Gimmie all your Lovin” was all over the charts with its now signature fast pounding opening beat and heavy guitar riffs. This opening track really set the tone as to what the bands new feel was gonna be. 

Adding the modern keyboards and crazy drum machine beats may have shocked the existing ZZ fans, but it definitely pulled in a new audience,,, like me. 

Eliminator still had some of their original blues groove with songs like “I need Your Love Tonight” and “If I Could Flag Her Down” but for the most part this was a major move into the harder rock. “Got me under Pressure” “Sharp Dressed Man” “legs” “I Got the Six” and even the final track “Bad Girl” leave no doubt about this being a rock album.

ZZ’s change in sound and style for Eliminator really brought them onto the radar for a lot of people thats for sure, but it didn’t really carry over to their follow up “AfterBurner” which to me sounded like a Temu knock off of the Eliminator sound. 

Would this album have made it without the MTV playing something from it nearly constantly? I think yes, easily. It just has that twinge rolled into every track. Even when switching tempos and swings, Frank Beard’s beat, Dusty’s basslines, and Billy Gibbons vocals and driving guitar grab you and pull you around. 

This entire album is a fantastic listen, and really should be in everyone’s library. Even the non radio/MTV tracks could be stand alone releases today. So if you can, grab this one.