Perfectamundo [LP]

by Billy Gibbons, Billy Gibbons & the BFG's

Overview

ZZ Top's 2012 album La Futura -- their first in nearly a decade -- was widely acclaimed for bringing back the group's grimy '70s boogie, so what did Billy Gibbons choose to do for a follow-up? Naturally, he decided to leave his little old band behind so he could record Perfectamundo with a new group called the BFG's. Perfectamundo allows Gibbons to not only indulge a newfound love of Cuban rhythms -- an infatuation assisted by pianist Martin Guigui, who provides an anchor in the BFG's -- but also all the studio trickery he left behind as he worked with Rick Rubin on La Futura. Certainly, percolating Cuban rhythms lie at the foundation of Perfectamundo, but Gibbons can't resist setting everything to tightly controlled drum machines, then hauling out a bunch of studio effects, including a vocoder that pushes his gravelly croak into something slippery and sly. All this flair is a welcome reminder that, for all his vaunted blues purism, Gibbons remains something of a futurist, happily blurring the lines between the present and past along with obliterating the lines between cultures. True, some of this playfulness can result in moments that are decidedly dorky, like the opening gambit of oldies covers ("Got Love if You Want It," "Treat Her Right"), which feel stiff. "Hombre Sin Nombre" seems constructed to house every synthesized sound Gibbons ever imagined, "Quiero Mas Dinero" boasts a rap that would've seemed old-fashioned in 1989, and the chants of "baby shake that ass" on the title track are the furthest thing from sexy -- but this isn't a bug, it's a feature. As good as it was, La Futura felt somewhat constrained by the concept of ZZ Top's classicism, whereas this record thrives on freedom, including the freedom to be ridiculous. The very fact that Perfectamundo gets silly makes it appealing: Gibbons enjoys playing with this Cuban-blues hybrid so much, he lets down his guard, allowing himself to spin out some slick, greasy solos, ride out some infectious vamps, and act like the cheerful dirty old man he is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2015
Label:	Concord
UPC:	0888072378902
Rank:	6138

Tracks

1. Got Love If You Want It
2. Treat Her Right
3. You¿¿¿re What¿¿¿s Happenin¿¿¿, Baby
4. Sal y Pimiento
5. Pickin¿¿¿ Up Chicks on Dowling Street
6. Hombre Sin Nombre
7. Quiero Mas Dinero
8. Baby Please Don¿¿¿t Go
9. Piedras Negras
10. Perfectamundo
11. Q-Vo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billy Gibbons & the BFG's   Primary Artist
Billy Gibbons   Primary Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Joe Hardy   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Greg Morrow   Drums
Gary L. Moon   Guitar
Alx "Guitarzza" Garza   Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Martine "G. G." Guigui   Piano

Technical Credits

Billy Gibbons   Design,Composer,Producer
Jimmy McGriff   Composer
Jack Nitzsche   Composer
Joe Hardy   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mastering
Jimmy Hole   Package Design
Greg Morrow   Engineer
Gene Kurtz   Composer
Ludovic Navarre   Composer
James Moore   Composer
Roy Head   Composer
Blain Clausen   Production Coordination
Gary L. Moon   Composer,Engineer
Mike Flanigin   Composer
Joseph Lee Williams   Composer
Rene Huemer   Cover Photo
Alx "Guitarzza" Garza   Composer
Michael E. Barfield   Composer
Nicky Jay   Engineer
Alex Garza   Composer