ZZ Top

It’s incredible to think that, aside from half of 1975’s Fandango, there’s been no live document of one of America’s most enduring bands. But with ZZ Top’s most recent albums restoring their cred after the cartoon-ish stretch that lasted well into the ’90s, now seems the ideal time to finally capture the simple but powerful stage show that has been the essence of their appeal all along. Live From Texas provides what any fan should want: a tight set in front of a rabid hometown audience, slanted toward pre-Eliminator favourites like "Just Got Paid” and "Heard It On The X.” These tunes balance out the expected run-throughs of "Legs” (yes, played on the fuzzy, spinning guitars), "La Grange” and "Tush,” although it’s entirely more exciting hearing Billy Gibbons tear into them rather than the pick-up band at your local bar on any given Friday night. Even better is the bonus disc that offers off-stage glimpses, including a casual conversation amongst the band members about their history. Among the revelations: Gibbons’s passionate assertion that fellow Texan Roky Erickson gave birth to psychedelic rock and that the Eliminator car took six years to build. Add to this a rare cover of Jimi Hendrix’s "Foxy Lady” and Live From Texas becomes a DVD that every ZZ Top fan should own.