Post Description

ZZ TOP
Where's Frank?
Live at Le Zenith,
Paris, France
October 14, 2002

Very good soundboard.
Including art work.

ZZ Top's 1973 album, Tres Hombres, might have gotten them known throughout the United States (it went No. 8 on Billboard) and singles such as Tush, I Thank You and Cheap Sunglasses continued to keep their name in circulation, but it is Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985) that really made the bearded rockers superstars. Like many acts who made it big in the '80s, ZZ Top also had MTV to thank - it's hard to imagine the MTV generation forgetting the clips for Legs and Sharp Dressed Men. By then, guitar fans had also realised that Billy Gibbons is an extraordinary guitarist and the group's crunching boogie rock is as distinctive as Mark Knopfler's licks.

But for this show, John Douglas (who is better known as a drum tech and artist) sat in for Frank Beard (hence the title of the disc) who had to have emergency appendix surgery. This is how Douglas explains the gig:

I was playing with X O X, a fairly popular band here in Houston when Frank Beard of ZZ Top came to see the band. He liked my drums and asked if I could paint a kit for him. That chance meeting has turned into a 17+ year friendship over which I have created 13 custom drumkits and traveled the world with ZZ Top as Frank's drum tech.

In October of 2002, while on tour in Europe, Frank had an emergency appendectomy and I was asked to fill the drum spot. So with very little sleep and no rehearsal I played three sold out shows starting in Paris. In a career spanning 30+ years, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees ZZ Top have never performed without those three original guys, until then. Mucho thanks to Billy, Dusty and Frank for trusting me up there behind the kit. It was an honor and I had a blast!

A reviewer at zzlive.com commented: "This drummer did a super fine job, just perfect in fact. In an odd way, the drums almost seem to be too perfect. Without knowing it, I think most fans, even diehards would not know that this was not Frank Beard playing."

This disc has just surfaced and thanks to Joe Blotz Records & Lawn Care for sharing the tracks.


Disc 1
Track 101. Introduction 
Track 102. Tube Snake Boogie 
Track 103. I Thank You 
Track 104. Pincushion 
Track 105. Got Me Under Pressure 
Track 106. Waitin' For The Bus
Track 107. Jesus Just Left Chicago 
Track 108. Future Blues 
Track 109. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide 
Track 110. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers 
Track 111. Rough Boy 
Track 112. Mexican Blackbird 
Track 113. Cheap Sunglasses 

Disc 2
Track 201. Just Got Paid
Track 202. I Love The Woman
Track 203. Bang Bang
Track 204. Gimme All Your Lovin'
Track 205. Sharp Dressed Man
Track 206. Legs
Track 207. La Grange
Track 208. Tush
Track 209. Exercise Is Good For You**

** Umm.that last track AIN'T ZZ Top