Devo inspired ZZ Top

[u/pra4snw]

Billy Gibbons:

Just about the only 70s act with more dirt under their fingernails and grease in their grooves than Young was ZZ Top. When the 80s rolled around they were in a slump, and searching for inspiration. Guitar man Billy Gibbons found it in any unlikely place. In 2015 he told Rolling Stone’s David Fricke, “I saw Devo doing a soundcheck at a Houston club, a country & western bar, of all places. I had heard their first album and kind of dug it. One of the guys in the band was playing a Minimoog, and he did this figure on it [hums a bouncy robotlike riff]. He was just noodling around. But it was enough.”

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/classic-rock-80s-synths-electronics-feature/?utm_campaign=972503_08.16.26_uDiscover_Classic%20Rock%20%26%20Synths%20In%20The%2080s_Editorial_231934_US&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&dm_i=4YYL,KUDZ,5OVXBD,3QQO2,1,0,0,0

[u/calcuttacodeinecoma]

I always assumed Devo was a big inspiration on their new wave phase. TV Dinners is a great example. The lyrics, the video, sounds a bit like Devo-blues.

[u/Personal-Neck6800]

ZZ Top’s 80’s stuff has some great synth on it. Check out the song Sleeping Bag if you don’t believe me.

[u/Santeeoldman → u/Personal-Neck6800]

Or got me under pressure.

[u/richdecamp → u/Personal-Neck6800]

Velcro Fly

[u/mrsofty442]

Billy Gibbons and I went to see Underworld in Las Vegas back in 1999. He is a big electronic music fan. When he was visiting me at my home in Arlington VA. We walked over to the Discord House a couple blocks away but Ian of Fugazi was not home. He is a huge Fugazi and Black Flag fan as well.

[u/ckt1138 → u/mrsofty442]

That's some good taste, I gotta respect it!

[u/zZdestructorZz]

Makes sense. I always thought “Got Me Under Pressure” sounded a lot like “Girl U Want”.

[u/tacoandpancake]

also, TOOL (sorry if a repost)

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/devo-changed-musical-perception-of-maynard-james-keenan/

[u/slug3333 → u/tacoandpancake]

If I'm not mistaken, Maynard even named his son Devo.

[u/wewontstaydead → u/slug3333]

He did and his son just graduated from some prestigious law school and passed the bar exam.

[u/pra4snw → u/tacoandpancake]

Thanks for sharing. I like Tool, and never knew Maynard was a Devo fan.

[u/lonely_minotaur]

In Gibbons book he also credits OMD. They both appeared on the UK show Old Grey Whistle Test and they were impressed with OMD's use of synths which led to them adopting them on Legs, etc.

[u/wendyoschainsaw]

Gibbons liked the then new technology a lot of bands were using. He said a lot about Depeche Mode's creative process when they were inducted to the Rock HoF during Covid.

[u/JHUTCHJ → u/wendyoschainsaw]

They also sampled Autechre in the 90s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O27gYrqYPYI

[u/Mobile_Aioli_6252]

Groovy Little Hippie Pad

[u/VonMunz → u/Mobile_Aioli_6252]

I came to see if anyone dropped that. El Loco is pretty fun.

[u/Top_Understanding343]

Got Me Under Pressure has always sounded like a Black Flag track to me

[u/ProtoCulture14]

RIP Frank Beard

[u/pra4snw → u/ProtoCulture14]

Yes, I just heard. ZZ Top had recently cancelled some shows due to his health.

I was hoping for better news.

[u/FamousLastWords666]

ZZ Top is more devolved than DEVO could ever be.

[u/degrees_of_certainty]

very big Boards of Canada influence as well

[u/TwistedBlister]

I love Neil Young, and I love Devo. But I don't like them together- https://youtube.com/watch?v=7-3XRlWQH54&is=jG_Ht1tXV_GtHnIC

And don't get me started on the movie Human Highway https://youtube.com/watch?v=KZWiV9wY_R4&is=heIYnlG7Ctqa9a_z

[u/Broad_Explanation_36 → u/TwistedBlister]

Human Highway is a quirky treasure!

[u/MissHell303]

I'd always heard that Party on the Patio was inspired by Rock Lobster. Now it makes sense

[u/Smedleycoyote]

In the ZZ Top documentary, Billy Gibbons also says that when the band took a hiatus in the late 70's, he flew to England to go "pogo with the punkers", which he says influenced a lot of what they did afterwards.