Album of the Day

“Degüello” was the name of a bugle call the Mexican Army played when they laid siege to the Alamo; Texas trio ZZ Top adopted the battle cry as the title of their sixth studio album. The 1979 collection, helmed by longtime producer Bill Ham, offers an insistent blues-rock attack that takes no prisoners on 10 groove-laden tracks. Though covers of “Dust My Broom” and “I Thank You” (the latter a Top 40 hit) help set the mood, originals like “Cheap Sunglasses” and “I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide” were even stronger showcases for the band's low-rent, surreal humor and instrumental prowess. The platinum-selling DEGUELLO was an unqualified victory for ZZ Top, and we'll give it another spin in honor of bassist Dusty Hill's birthday.