Eliminator
Artist ZZ Top
Genre Rock
Genre Blues
Style Blues Rock
Style Arena Rock
Style Hard Rock

Eliminator is the eighth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. It was released on March 23, 1983, by Warner Bros. Records, and rose high on the charts in many countries. Four hit singles were released—“Gimme All Your Lovin’” which reached the American Top 40, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “TV Dinners” and their most successful single, “Legs”. Eliminator is ZZ Top’s most commercially successful release, with sales of 11 million and diamond certification in the US. Since El Loco in 1981, the bandleader, Billy Gibbons, had been moving ZZ Top’s boogie and blues rock style towards the popular new wave style. For Eliminator, he increased the tempo and used more synthesizers and drum machines, producing a “tighter” album with a steady, driving beat. The pre-production engineer Linden Hudson collaborated with Gibbons in Texas on the tempo and songs. The producer Bill Ham and the engineer Terry Manning joined Gibbons in Memphis, Tennessee, to edit the songs, replacing much of the contributions of bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard. Ham claimed the album was solely the work of ZZ Top, but in 1986 Hudson won a lawsuit establishing himself as composer of the song “Thug”. Music videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” received regular rotation on MTV and helped ZZ Top gain popularity with a younger base. A customized 1933 Ford coupe, depicted on the album cover, appeared in the videos. Following Eliminator’s release, ZZ Top embarked on a worldwide concert tour. The video for “Legs” earned the band the MTV Video Music Award for Best Group. Rolling Stone named Eliminator number 398 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was listed at number 39 in The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s, and it was also included in Robert Dimery’s book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. A remastered version was released in 2008.

Tracklisting

  1. X1
  2. Gimme All Your Lovin (3:59)
  3. Got Me Under Pressure (3:59)
  4. Sharp Dressed Man (4:13)
  5. I Need You Tonight (6:14)
  6. I Got The Six (2:52)
  7. X2
  8. Legs (4:35)
  9. Thug (4:17)
  10. TV Dinners (3:50)
  11. Dirty Dog (4:05)
  12. If I Could Only Flag Her Down (3:40)
  13. Bad Girl (3:16)

Apple Music


Videos

ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin’ (Official Music Video)


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Release Images

Release Information

Key Value
Wikipedia URL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliminator_(album)
Format Vinyl LP Album Stereo
Label Warner Bros. Records
Catalog Number 92-3774-1
Notes Comes with the printed inner sleeve. Similar releases with GEMA and Biem right societies on label/s: [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4901281]Release 4901281[/url]: GEMA/BIEM on both labels. [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5968143]Release 5968143[/url]: GEMA/BIEM on label A, GEMA on label B. [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6088729]Release 6088729[/url]: GEMA/Biem on labels, but with the additional ID number printed underneath the bold printed ID number: (92-3774-1)/(92-3774-2). [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/31328548]Release 31328548[/url]: GEMA/Biem on labels, but without “A Lone Wolf Production” printed on labels. Sides are designated “X 1”/ “X 2” on labels, and “X1” / “X2” on back cover. [On side X1 label:] [Lone Wolf Productions logo] A Lone Wolf Production ® All tracks published by Hamstein Music Co. ℗ + © 1983 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S. Made in Germany by WEA Musik GmbH [Warner’s “Big W” logo] A Warner Communications Company [On side X2 label:] [Lone Wolf Productions logo] A Lone Wolf Production ® All tracks written by Hamstein Music Co. ℗ 1983 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S. Made in Germany by WEA Musik GmbH [Warner’s “Big W” logo] a Warner Communications Company [On back cover:] All selections © 1983 Hamstein Music Co.-BMI [Lone Wolf Productions logo] A Lone Wolf Production ® Warner Bros. Records Inc. [Warner’s “Big W” logo] a Warner Communications Company © 1983 Warner Bros. Records Inc. ℗ 1983 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S. Belgique/België: Distributed by WEA Records S.A./N.V. • Deutschland: Vertrieb durch WEA Musik GmbH • England: Distributed by WEA Records Ltd. • España: Edita WEA Records S.A. • France: Distribué par WEA/Filipacchi Music, Paris Ireland: Distributed by WEA Records Ltd. • Italia: Distributed by WEA Italiana S.P.A. • Nederland: Distributed by WEA Records B.V. • Österreich: Vertrieb durch WEA Music Ges.m.b.H. • Sverige: Distributed by WEA Metronome Records AB Manufactured in Germany by Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf • Pressé en Allemagne par Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf [Warner’s “Big W” logo] a Warner Communications Company
Discogs URL ZZ Top - Eliminator