# Brooks/Dunn and ZZ Top?



## GuitarsCanada

Am I the only one failing to see the connection here? I would love to have gone to see ZZ Top but I am not digging the B&D thing.


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## Milkman

GuitarsCanada said:


> Am I the only one failing to see the connection here? I would love to have gone to see ZZ Top but I am not digging the B&D thing.


Well, I do see a connection, but I agree, I would LOVE to see ZZ Top and wouldn't cross the street to see Brooks and Done. I just never caught the New Country bug.

ZZ Top does have a certain "good ole boy" factor but that's where the connection ends IMO.

Brooks and Done are just another bunch of guys who wanted to be rockers but weren't willing to pass on the big money available to country-rawk players.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> Brooks and Done are just another bunch of guys who wanted to be rockers but weren't willing to pass on the big money available to country-rawk players.



Considering music is a personal expression I'd have to say that's a fairly ignorant statement. I do the "country rawk" thing cause I enjoy it. I'm not exactly a huge Brooks and Dunn fan but I do like a few of their songs. To criticize them because they made money at what they do is a little short sighted. Pretty sure ZZ Top did well commercially also.
I would love to see ZZ Top and based on a lot of the crap warm up acts you have to sit through while waiting for the headliner Brooks and Dunn wouldn't be so bad even if you aren't that excited about them.
Now ZZ Top and Brad Paisley and you wouldn't be able to keep me away.


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## Vincent

Not really a brooks and dunn fan either however billy gibbons guitar playing on his studio recorded albums is fantastic however when you see him live hes kind of sloppy and doesnt sound that great these days...maybe its because hes getting older or perhaps that they are not that great live...some of his live guitar work makes me cringe a bit...still sounds pretty good however its a bit sloppy.


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> Considering music is a personal expression I'd have to say that's a fairly ignorant statement. I do the "country rawk" thing cause I enjoy it. I'm not exactly a huge Brooks and Dunn fan but I do like a few of their songs. To criticize them because they made money at what they do is a little short sighted. Pretty sure ZZ Top did well commercially also.
> I would love to see ZZ Top and based on a lot of the crap warm up acts you have to sit through while waiting for the headliner Brooks and Dunn wouldn't be so bad even if you aren't that excited about them.
> Now ZZ Top and Brad Paisley and you wouldn't be able to keep me away.


Now now, no need to use words like ignorant.

I'm not criticizing anyone for making money but I know a heck of a lot of guys who went country because the money is there and NOT because their heart was in it.

It's entirely up to ZZ Top or their management who opens up for them but although Paisley and indeed the guys in B & D are great players, I wouldn't want to sit through their set and it would be a downer for me as a ZZ Top fan.

I personally think country is best when it's country and so is rock. 

My tastes only.


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## Crossroads

the connection may exist due to the Crossroads series presented by CMT a couple of years ago where they took established Country Acts and put them with established acts in other genres of music.

one was..... Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top...

others were Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr.

one may be surprised to open their minds to other genres or music...


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> Now now, no need to use words like ignorant.


I didn't call you ignorant. I called the statement ignorant. Don't take it personally, we've all made ignorant comments at one time or another.



Milkman said:


> I'm not criticizing anyone for making money but I know a heck of a lot of guys who went country because the money is there and NOT because their heart was in it.


I've been country/blues/and a bit of classic rock (60's - 70s) all my life. I've been to the other side playing rock and my heart wasn't in it as eventually I would just sound like a country player playing rock




Milkman said:


> It's entirely up to ZZ Top or their management who opens up for them but although Paisley and indeed the guys in B & D are great players, I wouldn't want to sit through their set and it would be a downer for me as a ZZ Top fan.


There are many players on this earth that, although I don't exactly prefer the genre they may represent I would gladly sit through their performance and appreciate their abilities. Brad Paisley is such an artist. You may hate country but to see this guy whale out on his Paisley crooks guitars through his Vox or Dr Z amps is simply an experience I can't imagine any true musician would pass up if given the chance. 



Milkman said:


> I personally think country is best when it's country and so is rock.
> 
> My tastes only.


So your not an Eagles fan. I am and I love Country Rock. I don't mind the traditional stuff and playing a few tunes of it a night is ok. 
I had a house gig I did for 2 years, about 11 years ago. The guy was a well known country artist that bought his own bar and billed him self as the house band. It was straight (and agonizingly slow) traditional country. He was a great guy and talented. But in those 2 years I literally trained my self to sleep while playing. I need some serious kick in my country.


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## guitarman2

Crossroads said:


> the connection may exist due to the Crossroads series presented by CMT a couple of years ago where they took established Country Acts and put them with established acts in other genres of music.
> 
> one was..... Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top...
> 
> others were Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr.
> 
> one may be surprised to open their minds to other genres or music...


I honestly think that the pairing works. There are many current country artists actually covering ZZ Top. 
Its not like when Vince Gill playing in a bluegrass band was hired to open for Kiss. Now that was a bad pairing.


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## GuitarsCanada

Milkman said:


> Now now, no need to use words like ignorant.
> 
> I'm not criticizing anyone for making money but I know a heck of a lot of guys who went country because the money is there and NOT because their heart was in it.
> 
> It's entirely up to ZZ Top or their management who opens up for them but although Paisley and indeed the guys in B & D are great players, I wouldn't want to sit through their set and it would be a downer for me as a ZZ Top fan.
> 
> I personally think country is best when it's country and so is rock.
> 
> My tastes only.


I have to agree. I just don't get it myself and would not be interested in B&D at all. Journey, Cheap Trick and Heart. That seems to fit to me. I guess the two bands must think its a winning ticket.

When we seen Rush a few weeks back and before the show where they flash the upcoming concerts on the big screens, there was a lot of open "WTF" and giggles when that one flashed up.


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## GuitarsCanada

*This smells*

I found this one courtesy of azcentral.com

Personally I think the guy is out of his mind



> The duo's latest adventure finds them heading out on the road with classic rockers ZZ Top. Brooks - the mustachioed man under the hat - says that's just the latest way to keep the duo in the public eye. He called from his Nashville home to talk up the tour, which stops in Phoenix on Saturday.
> Question: How did you get hooked up with ZZ Top?
> 
> Answer: We did a Crossroads special on CMT a few years back. We knew them from doing award shows and hanging out in Vegas at the craps tables. When CMT approached us about Crossroads, we were fired up about having them do it.
> 
> Q: Is the business end of teaming up difficult to work out?
> 
> A: The business part of it is that it's a co-headline deal. We'll flip-flop, and they'll open one night and we'll open the next. We've got tons of respect for them, and they must be digging something that we do.
> 
> Q: The mix of rock and country in concert: No problems?
> 
> A: It's good. Kids today are not any different than we were back then. We didn't know the Allman Brothers from the Eagles from Jerry Jeff Walker. There's a lot of rock in country music these days. Plus, Ronnie and I have always been accused of turning our amps up too high.
> 
> Q: For you, what's the difference between rock and country?
> 
> A: It's really defined by the song. Rock and pop lyrics, in general, tend to be Dylan-esque and so deep in poetry that they don't have a literal interpretation. I think one of the defining things about country music is the clarity and the beauty of a good lyric. And it's just more melodic in general. But I don't like putting up a lot of fences.


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> I didn't call you ignorant. I called the statement ignorant. Don't take it personally, we've all made ignorant comments at one time or another.
> 
> 
> 
> I've been country/blues/and a bit of classic rock (60's - 70s) all my life. I've been to the other side playing rock and my heart wasn't in it as eventually I would just sound like a country player playing rock
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are many players on this earth that, although I don't exactly prefer the genre they may represent I would gladly sit through their performance and appreciate their abilities. Brad Paisley is such an artist. You may hate country but to see this guy whale out on his Paisley crooks guitars through his Vox or Dr Z amps is simply an experience I can't imagine any true musician would pass up if given the chance.
> 
> 
> 
> So your not an Eagles fan. I am and I love Country Rock. I don't mind the traditional stuff and playing a few tunes of it a night is ok.
> I had a house gig I did for 2 years, about 11 years ago. The guy was a well known country artist that bought his own bar and billed him self as the house band. It was straight (and agonizingly slow) traditional country. He was a great guy and talented. But in those 2 years I literally trained my self to sleep while playing. I need some serious kick in my country.




You're making some rather extreme leaps of assumption there big fella.

1. I do not hate country and never said I did. In fact I LOVE what I consider real country and bluegrass.

2. I guess I'm not a "true musician" because although as I've said, I consider Paisley a talented player, I would not enjoy his show because (hey get this) I don't like his music. (say that was sort of an ignorant statement on your part n'et pas?)As for his tone, I prefer a much cleaner Tele tone. His is way to "hairy for me".

3. I LOVE the Eagles.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> You're making some rather extreme leaps of assumption there big fella.
> 
> 1. I do not hate country and never said I did. In fact I LOVE what I consider real country and bluegrass.



Yes. This is an ignorant statement made by someone that thinks only he knows what true country music is. As if no kind of music is ever aloud to evolve. I like traditional country and bluegrass as well. I started out with bluegrass and evolved in to country back in the early 80's when skaggs brought it together.I then evolved in to the crossover country with bands like Restless Heart and Exile. I would not be so arrogant to call today's country music not true country just because they don't do it exactly like our grand daddy's.
I've been a country fan since 1969 listening to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. I also listened to Kansas, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, etc. Alot of the country music today is influenced by the 2 types of musics. I have gone through and enjoyed all the different evolutions of country music. I don't think I'd be so happy to have spent the last 40 years playing the same 3 chord songs over and over. 



Milkman said:


> 2. I guess I'm not a "true musician" because although as I've said, I consider Paisley a talented player, I would not enjoy his show because (hey get this) I don't like his music. (say that was sort of an ignorant statement on your part n'et pas?)


If all you've heard is the fluff from Brad Paisley that gets released to the radio stations then I agree. You really have to hear his albums to know what he's about. You'll hear it all. The crappy commercial stuff that the radio plays, the Traditional the bluegrass. Its all there with monster playing. Being a guitar player I would gladly sit through any music where the musician is as accomplished as that. Especially if I'm there any way to see another band




Milkman said:


> 3. I LOVE the Eagles.


One of the original "country rawk" bands So then what's the problem.


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## Robert1950

Who the hell is Brooks and Dunn ???


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> Yes. This is an ignorant statement made by someone that thinks only he knows what true country music is. As if no kind of music is ever aloud to evolve. I like traditional country and bluegrass as well. I started out with bluegrass and evolved in to country back in the early 80's when skaggs brought it together.I then evolved in to the crossover country with bands like Restless Heart and Exile. I would not be so arrogant to call today's country music not true country just because they don't do it exactly like our grand daddy's.
> I've been a country fan since 1969 listening to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. I also listened to Kansas, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, etc. Alot of the country music today is influenced by the 2 types of musics. I have gone through and enjoyed all the different evolutions of country music. I don't think I'd be so happy to have spent the last 40 years playing the same 3 chord songs over and over.
> 
> 
> 
> If all you've heard is the fluff from Brad Paisley that gets released to the radio stations then I agree. You really have to hear his albums to know what he's about. You'll hear it all. The crappy commercial stuff that the radio plays, the Traditional the bluegrass. Its all there with monster playing. Being a guitar player I would gladly sit through any music where the musician is as accomplished as that. Especially if I'm there any way to see another band
> 
> 
> 
> 
> One of the original "country rawk" bands So then what's the problem.


Don't feel like you have to rationalize or justify what you like and dislike(I don't). Good is good and tacky is tacky. 



I have my tastes. I've shared some of them. If that displeases you, that's a shame.

We'll both get over it.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> Don't feel like you have to rationalize or justify what you like and dislike(I don't). Good is good and tacky is tacky.
> 
> 
> 
> I have my tastes. I've shared some of them. If that displeases you, that's a shame.
> 
> We'll both get over it.



I've got no problem with your tastes and I don't need to justify mine. But I do raise my eyebrows slightly that you think you know what true country is.


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## GuitarsCanada

Robert1950 said:


> Who the hell is Brooks and Dunn ???


Who the hell is Brad Paisley?


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> I've got no problem with your tastes and I don't need to justify mine. But I do raise my eyebrows slightly that you think you know what true country is.


Raise em all you like. I didn't claim to "Know" what true country is. I only know what true country is to ME.

For example; Allison Kraus is true country to me. Shania Twain is not.

A small distinction maybe but it's pretty significant IMO.

Anyway, the bottom line is, I'm sorry if I offended you by making disparaging remarks about music you enjoy.


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## Milkman

GuitarsCanada said:


> Who the hell is Brad Paisley?


He a monster who plays a lot of Paisley coloured Teles (go figure) through boutique amps. He's a great player but the music doesn't grab me at all and I find his tone a bit too dirty for my liking.

Many people consider him a gawd.


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## Milkman

Paul said:


> I hear Allison Kraus as Bluegrass, (which is relative of, but not, country), strictly because Union Station doesn't have a drummer. Add a drummer and it ain't Bluegrass anymore.
> 
> YMMV


It's still country to me. 

I suppose it comes down to how fine you want to compartmentalize music. There are now MANY "types" of metal as well.


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## guitarman2

Paul said:


> I hear Allison Kraus as Bluegrass, (which is relative of, but not, country), strictly because Union Station doesn't have a drummer. Add a drummer and it ain't Bluegrass anymore.
> 
> YMMV


I have a 2 hour concert DVD of Allison Kraus that is definitely bluegrass. She does cross over but is primarily billed as bluegrass.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> He a monster who plays a lot of Paisley coloured Teles (go figure) through boutique amps. He's a great player but the music doesn't grab me at all and I find his tone a bit too dirty for my liking.
> 
> Many people consider him a gawd.


I have to admit that I am much more a fan of his guitar technique than his song writing which for me goes from ridiculous to not bad with the exception of his instrumentals which are great. Luckily for me his albums showcase his guitar abilities quite abit which makes his albums fun for me as long as I skip the tracks "Celebrity", "Online" etc. As for the dirty tones I am a convert from the ice picky super cleans of the fender twin reverb to the more Vox voiced and warm, slightly dirty tones of the boutique el84 amps. The slight break up is pretty much a prerequisite of the new country. Even way back in the 80's when skaggs started the Bluegrass/country style music Ray Flacke had that dirty sound live even though his studio guitar was relatively clean.
One of my favorite guitar players playing one of my favorite songs from the skaggs archive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPYxj3QBkIs&feature=related


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## Milkman

So....does that mean that if an artist plays an acoustic guitar and sings with say, a mandolin player and they play something by say....Johhny Cash, it's blue grass, no matter how country it sounds?


I guess we need a tightly defined set of guidelines, LOL.


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## Milkman

guitarman2 said:


> I have to admit that I am much more a fan of his guitar technique than his song writing which for me goes from ridiculous to not bad with the exception of his instrumentals which are great. Luckily for me his albums showcase his guitar abilities quite abit which makes his albums fun for me as long as I skip the tracks "Celebrity", "Online" etc. As for the dirty tones I am a convert from the ice picky super cleans of the fender twin reverb to the more Vox voiced and warm, slightly dirty tones of the boutique el84 amps. The slight break up is pretty much a prerequisite of the new country. Even way back in the 80's when skaggs started the Bluegrass/country style music Ray Flacke had that dirty sound live even though his studio guitar was relatively clean.
> One of my favorite guitar players playing one of my favorite songs from the skaggs archive.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPYxj3QBkIs&feature=related


My taste for CLEAN cleans is not exclusive to country music. I don't know if I'd describe it as "ice picky" but I really do prefer the Fender Twin or even Roland JC120 to the slightly (or heavily) overdrien tones that lots of people call clean these days.

Can't deny the man's ability though.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> So....does that mean that if an artist plays an acoustic guitar and sings with say, a mandolin player and they play something by say....Johhny Cash, it's blue grass, no matter how country it sounds?
> 
> 
> I guess we need a tightly defined set of guidelines, LOL.


You can take country songs and do them bluegrass style and vice versa. Alot country singers lately have been taking rock songs from artists such as Tom Cochrane (Rascal Flatts - Life is a highway) or Areosmith (Mark Chestnut - I don't wanna miss a thing) and doing them country style. Some come out more country than others. Sure it really blurs the line between genres but because of this country can be so fun because of the lack of borders. We can be playing Jazz style, rock, country blues etc and its all accepting to the country crowd.


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## guitarman2

For those asking who the hell Brad Paisley is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtNC_mYvAHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUj5sKM0rXY

These are a couple of instrumentals from his albums. He puts one on each album. His next album is supposed to be an all instrumental album with heavy weights such as Brent Mason and Red Volkaert.


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## guitarman2

Milkman said:


> My taste for CLEAN cleans is not exclusive to country music. I don't know if I'd describe it as "ice picky" but I really do prefer the Fender Twin or even Roland JC120 to the slightly (or heavily) overdrien tones that lots of people call clean these days.
> 
> Can't deny the man's ability though.



To me I always had a hard time getting ice picky out of a Telecaster/Twin combination. My Dr Z Maz 38 although it could be cleaned up would never be as clean as a 6L6 amp and probably no el 84 amp is. Especially at the volumes a twin can reach. My Dr Z Stangray is a bit cleaner. One thing I've come to know and this is where I understand Brads definition of clean is that with getting the fat warm tones that I've always wanted it its pretty much impossible to get super clean with some amount of slight breakup. Especially after those el84 amps warm up. I still would like to get an amp that has the super cleans without the harshness a tele is capable of but I don't have as much need for it as I used to.


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## Milkman

Paul said:


> Is there a drummer???? Early Cash with The Tennessee Two didn't have a drummer. And if it's really early Johnny Cash, then it might be Gospel.
> 
> These guys are bluegrass....sorta
> 
> 
> 
> Guidelines????? We can't folks to agree on basic literacy, and now you want guidelines for style????




That was sarcasm.

I find musician's tendency to divide and compartmentalize music sort of silly (and yet I do it myself).


I suppose we have to do this just to comunicate and describe music, but Bluegrass is country to me and vice versa.


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## Starbuck

Magenta = sarcasm. We need to develope that protocol here.[/QUOTE]

Ha! I LOVE it when a man says Magenta!! What's next, Chartreuse?


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## caaustin02

Sorry to interupt the conversation, but I was of the mindset of Milkman and the Administrator towards Brooks and Dunn, and Brad Paisley. My fiance is quite the country fan, and because of that fact I have been subjected to her tastes.

Anyway, in 2005 a group of us got cheap tickets to see Brooks and Dunn at Rama, so I was basically "assigned" to go. I thought this is going to be the biggest BS concert I have ever been to. But I still went in with an open mind, and they actually put on a hell of a show. I gained a new appreciation for a new genre of music.

Similarly the same group of friends got cheap tickets to see Brad Paisley at the the Molson Amphitheatre in '07, and I was absolutely blown away. Chaulk it up to never knowing you like it until you try it.

On a side note, they also had a CMT Crossroads of Brad Paisley with John Mayer. Never saw it, but it could be interesting


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## guitarman2

caaustin02 said:


> My fiance is quite the country fan, and because of that fact I have been subjected to her tastes.


I have no sympathy for you. You think you have it rough? My wife is a fan of Barry Manilow and Abba.



caaustin02 said:


> Similarly the same group of friends got cheap tickets to see Brad Paisley at the the Molson Amphitheatre in '07, and I was absolutely blown away. Chaulk it up to never knowing you like it until you try it.


You lucky basturd




caaustin02 said:


> On a side note, they also had a CMT Crossroads of Brad Paisley with John Mayer. Never saw it, but it could be interesting


I've seen some of it on youtube.


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## guitarman2

Paul said:


> There are only two compartments.
> 
> 1) What I like is good.
> 
> 2) What I don't like is bad.
> 
> Whew! That was easier than I thought!
> 
> Magenta = sarcasm. We need to develope that protocol here.



Looks pink to me.


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## Milkman

Starbuck said:


> Magenta = sarcasm. We need to develope that protocol here.


Ha! I LOVE it when a man says Magenta!! What's next, Chartreuse?[/QUOTE]

Mmmmmauve


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## toby2

*Who is headlining the show ? ZZ Top or B+D ??*

Hi 
Does anyone know who is headlining the show ? ZZ Top or B+D ??


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## Robert1950

Starbuck said:


> Magenta = sarcasm. We need to develope that protocol here.
> Ha! I LOVE it when a man says Magenta!! What's next, Chartreuse?


Lavender and Dusty Rose.


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## howie

do people get toooo caught up on labels??? forget what classification a song or artist falls into! you either like it or you don't. zz top , brooks and dunn both great acts. ****, if you don't like the warm up act just stay in the bar for an extra hour.


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## GuitarsCanada

howie said:


> do people get toooo caught up on labels??? forget what classification a song or artist falls into! you either like it or you don't. zz top , brooks and dunn both great acts. ****, if you don't like the warm up act just stay in the bar for an extra hour.


Well there really is not an opening act, it's a co-headlining tour and they alternate spots. One night B&D opens the next ZZ Top. So for what you pay for a concert ticket today, I would not be wanting to sit out half the show because I did not like one of the acts. It's still a bizarre marriage in my mind.


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## Milkman

GuitarsCanada said:


> Well there really is not an opening act, it's a co-headlining tour and they alternate spots. One night B&D opens the next ZZ Top. So for what you pay for a concert ticket today, I would not be wanting to sit out half the show because I did not like one of the acts. It's still a bizarre marriage in my mind.


And in mine.

Co headliners?

That is almost incomprehensible to me.

That's a bit like Page and Plant "co-headlining" with Toby Keith. This is freaking Billy Gibbons we're talking about here!


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## GuitarsCanada

Milkman said:


> And in mine.
> 
> Co headliners?
> 
> That is almost incomprehensible to me.
> 
> That's a bit like Page and Plant "co-headlining" with Toby Keith. This is freaking Billy Gibbons we're talking about here!


Yep, check out that interview I posted on page 2. With Dunn I think.


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## Tarl

I'm sure some of you folks were there last night, but here are some of my impressions.
-for a non-country fan Brooks and Dunn put on a hell of a good show....I even recognised a couple of tunes
-great venue for a concert......my 1st time there
-I thought Reverend Billy was a bit off, there were a few flubs and his voice sounded weak
-after the B&D collaboration at the end I really thought the crowd deserved an encore
-why no Blue Jean Blues?


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## Tarl

Forgot to post these ealier......


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## Tarl




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## Tarl




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