The German music show, Rockpalast, has been cleaning out their archives over the past several years allowing American fans the opportunity to hear concerts from their favorite bands that they have never heard before. Such is the case with Live in Germany 1980 from ZZ Top. This is a great snapshot of the band on their Deguello world tour. This is before the band became Top 40 darlings with “Tube Snake Boogie” and MTV favorites with the release of Eliminator. ZZ were truly that little ol’ band from Texas, slogging it out around the world with their unique blend of Texas-fied barbecued rock n’ roll.

The album contains many songs of off Deguello that have long been abandoned by the band including “Manic Mechanic,” “Fool For Your Stockings” and “Dust My Broom.” Elsewhere there are classic Top tunes including the Sam & Dave remake “I Thank You” and the ZZ penned “Waitin’ for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago,” “Heard It on the X,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Arrested For Driving While Blind,” “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” and “Tush.” Throw in a little Elvis done Texas style in “Jailhouse Rock” and you’ve got a winner.

This is a great album from an era of ZZ Top often overlooked by rock n’ roll historians. Sure, true beer drinking and hell raising rockers from that time period know about all of this music, it’s just time the rest of world caught up with us and realized what a great band this was, even before they were sharp dressed men.

Pick this one up a-now-now-now-now!