Afterburner (album)
| Afterburner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by ZZ Top | ||||
| Released | October 28, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Rock, electronic rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 37:31 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Bill Ham | |||
| ZZ Top chronology | ||||
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Afterburner is the ninth studio album by American blues rock band ZZ Top, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music). Afterburner was a financial success, going several times platinum and launching several hit singles. The most successful single released from this album was "Sleeping Bag", which peaked at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the UK, it was the band's second album to be certified by the British Phonographic Industry, attaining Gold (100,000 units) in 1985. In 1990, it was certified Platinum (300,000 units), to date their final Platinum certification in the UK.
The song "Can't Stop Rockin'" was featured in the 1993 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. The song "Velcro Fly" was an element in Stephen King's The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands; Eddie keeps hearing drums playing off in the distance and thinks it sounds like, then later realizes it is, the drum track for "Velcro Fly".
Contents |
[edit] Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B[2] |
| Rolling Stone | unfavorable [3] |
| Q Magazine | [4] |
| Kerrang! | [5] |
Allmusic gave it 3 stars, stating: "Well, if you just had your biggest hit ever, you'd probably try to replicate it, too. And if you were praised for being visionary because you played all your blues grooves to a slightly sequenced beat, you'd probably be tempted to not just continue in that direction, but to tighten the sequencer and graft on synthesizers, since it'll all signal how futuristic you are."
The album peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200, number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and number 16 on the Australian albums chart.
[edit] Track listing
All songs by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard.
- "Sleeping Bag" – 4:03
- "Stages" – 3:32
- "Woke Up with Wood" – 3:45
- "Rough Boy" – 4:50
- "Can't Stop Rockin'" – 3:02
- "Planet of Women" – 4:04
- "I Got the Message" – 3:27
- "Velcro Fly" – 3:29
- "Dipping Low (In the Lap of Luxury)" – 3:11
- "Delirious" – 3:41
[edit] Personnel
- Billy Gibbons – guitar, vocals
- Dusty Hill – bass, keyboards, vocals
- Frank Beard – drums
[edit] Production
- Producer – Bill Ham
- Engineers – Joe Hardy, Bob Ludwig
- Art Director – Jeri McManus
- Design – Jeri McManus
- Artwork – Barry E. Jackson
[edit] Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Billboard 200 | 4 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Can't Stop Rockin'" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1985 | "Sleeping Bag" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1985 | "Sleeping Bag" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| 1985 | "Stages" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1986 | "Delirious" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 16 |
| 1986 | "Rough Boy" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 5 |
| 1986 | "Rough Boy" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 22 |
| 1986 | "Sleeping Bag" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 41 |
| 1986 | "Stages" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| 1986 | "Velcro Fly" | Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 43 |
| 1986 | "Velcro Fly" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 15 |
| 1986 | "Velcro Fly" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| 1986 | "Woke up With Wood" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
[edit] References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "ZZ Top Afterburner review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/afterburner-r22737/review. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Afterburner". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=zz+top. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ "ZZ Top Afterburner review". Rolling Stone[dead link]. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/zztop/albums/album/207576/review/5942219/afterburner. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ "ZZ Top Afterburner review". Q. Bauer Media Group[dead link]. http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.artist.review&fixture_review=123895&fixture_artist=145896. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ Wall, Mick (14 November 1985). "ZZ Top 'Afterburner'". Kerrang!. 107. London, UK: Morgan Grampian. pp. 23–24.
