ZZ Top: Double Down Live (2009)

Double Down Live is a 2 DVD set from ZZ Top combining shows from 1980 and 2008. Disc one was filmed at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany for the Rockpalast TV series. Hot on the heels of their classic "Deguello" album (it features 9 of the 10 songs from it) the show finds ZZ Top before sequencers and synthesizers epitomizing their "lil' ol' blues band from Texas" nickname. Complimented by tracks drawn predominantly from their "Tres Hombres" and "Fandango!" albums this is a true best of ZZ Top in the seventies. Disc Two was shot during their European tour in 2008 and combines great live performances, interview clips and back stage footage to create the ultimate ZZ Top on the road movie. With nearly 30 years between the performances the two disc set gives a fascinating "then and now" insight into what has maintained the ZZ Top live phenomenon.