_ Che Charlotte Observer section F Are they blues? Are they rock? g One sure thing: Theyre here tonight‘At THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER They’re rock, they’re blues . . . they’re here ZZ Top Continued from page 1F the Delta Blues Museum housed in fn annex of the Clarksdale, Miss. public bray. ‘And, they were taken to the deteriorating shack where Muddy Waters once lived, » Gibbons removed 3 plank from the shack and had a Memphis. guitar ‘com. pany ‘cansimet the Moddywood Blullar. Proceeds trom & nation Wide Muddywood ‘tour of Hard Rock Cafes and benefit concerts for the, museum have helped to boost ZZ Top's recognition as 2 repository of blues, and ultimately, rock hestage, "I's, 1 guess, an honorable association,” Gibbons says, rellecting on the hand's cot trbutions to the museum, "You get to wear a guitar on your boot,” Hill says onva lighter ‘note, liting his pants leg to reveal a black lathes boat embossed with White guitars. "It's neat. We meant to really just try and help the thing ‘out and let people know about it Serendipity in. their Memphis, recording studio, as opposed to ‘any deep meaning attached to their discovery "At the blues museum, is mostly responsible for the turn ofthe band’s hives sound, Gibbons: “We've laughed about how we could come up with 8 ine how we geniused this new direc ‘on back to the roots, Really ws, the equipment track was late. so Wwe scrounged a bunch of equip. ‘ment together and just started.” Hill, faking the lead: "We had some ‘stuff already writen, and then we started writing other stuf and resting the stuff that we had already writen, (all) on the lese technical equipment, $0 it started getting real funky, and us being @ Band thar goes with tne flow, we went with it. That's pretty much What started the theme. That's What Billy told me!” After a moment he adds with a chuckle, “No, no, Ewas there, I swear” Alo! 22 Top's music is aulobio- graphical. “Most of our stult is ‘composed in a room with Frank in & far corner and we go ahead and play the frst draft ant then let him recite the lyrics, what he thought We said, then we white those down and thal’s the song,” says Gibbons ‘with a sly smile, "My Head's in Mississippi.” the John Lee Hookeresque song on Recycler," is lange 22 Top. Gibbons describes the tune's "Sa vador Dal. kind of the surealist approach” to music Fill chimes in, as fon cue: "And 8y DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN aoa me Sco ‘Mer the second show in a three nigh stan in thelr home town ‘oF Atlanta the Black Gromes wre asked eae te fp Recycler World Tour by 22.Teb's produc company. tone. Volt Proguctons Sourees ‘sowe to" the Black Crowes seid continued onstage omnments by lend singer Chis Robinson” against corporate sperworship ed to the deck “The Recycler Tour i spon sored by tile Brewing Co. "The Crowes were open for 22 Top ‘today in Chariot Replacing. them is. anamner ‘lama "ae Mehelle "Malone Splitsville: Black Crowes, ZZ Top and Drag the River. ‘According. 10. &_ prepare statement om the Black Crowes: publics, the band was Informed “rinaes" alter fn ishing. their set Monday at Atlanta's Omni Arena Robinson, in_a_ prepared statement: said “They (22 Top) ‘weren't allowing Us to be the Black Crowes. They were tying to censor what Iwas tying sy Problems developed a few weeks ago when 22 Top's man agement told Robinson to inp moking nage relerences Corporate sponsorship. One 0 Robinsons nes was "This lve rock tol being brought to you commercial tre." sitting in Memphis, you know, thinking about “home” and ther Your head's in Mississippi And it's Just a cute litle tune. ‘Ten years ago, Gibbons charac: terized the band as interpreters of the blues. “Well, in that context it was intended to not attempt to lay claim to being anything but inter preters of the form because, let's face it there's sill some origin {ors amongsi us and as long as the inventors are around, you've got to be interpreters of what they set forth,” he maintains ZZ Top always has been a road band; their tours are almost leg fendary in. comparison to. thet recording career. The “group's From the Top Who:22 Top, wth opening act ‘Whale Katone and rag he Fiver (replacing hack Crowes) When: 8 tenight Where: Chartte Colseum, 4100" Paut Buck’ Sive (ot Tyvola Road West) Ticket Toctnlealy a soot, Tickets, $20, may bo aval abior Felinds being’ made because of change in opening act. Details: 357-4738 or 387-4788, 10 a.m. unl show. time, Where: Carona Coliseum, 600° Assembly St, University f South Carglina, Columbia When:8p.m. Saturday Tekete: Technically @setiout, Relund peltey the same ag in Charlotte. Details: (203) 777-7228, 9 am:8 ‘pm today, nogn-4 pm: Saturday, 1976 Worldwide Texas tour fea tired Iivestock, buzzards. and snakes gia mania sae “the Recycler tour doesht have any lve animals, ots, a8 Gibbons Says, a surealisi vision, The pro Avalon is staged ina 2istcentiry famasy junkyard Beards drum platform rests on the aed of a tractor tale and iS surrounded ny the. des of Crushed automobiles 9nd video Screens Phroughout the two-hour 2 song set Insera flash thrngh diene while ng egy a My Head's in Misisppa laser gemersted naked cowsiti dances Site celing ‘On several numbers, Hil efor tessly moonvalks across the stage lly. Gibbons begins Hi completes: "We just came up With that’ We were sting around {atking shoot pattng'a production together atthe same time we were talking about this old place” we Used fo play thal used! to hea Htocery store. "And the dresing foom was ack where they had the “conveyor belts in the mest depart ment and it ot rung, rom that Beard, 22 Top’s drummer, spoke’ Tite during the evening Rather, he chose to st ina far comer —ala Gibbons songutt. ing scenario ~ sucking on honey. covered limes. ‘Why are you so quiet? Tate mos of the time. Looked like they (Gibbons and Fill) were doing @ go0d job. and needed to do this” he says. He pops note fine.