ZZ Top - Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top

Since Rhino released an exhaustive four-disc ZZ Top box in October 2003, some may question the appearance of a double-disc retrospective in June 2004, a mere eight months after the box set. The two may be released awfully close to each other, but they do play to different audiences -- in other words, there are a bunch of fans who want all the hits, but not a full box set, and that's what the 38-track Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top delivers. Not that it gets everything right -- there are a few classic album cuts, like "Leila" and "I Got the Six," that probably should have been included, and ending the set with a live version of "Cheap Sunglasses" and 12" remixes of "Legs" and "Velcro Fly" leaves a bad aftertaste -- but it gets it close enough, containing all of their biggest hits and a great cross-section of album tracks and AOR favorites. And apart from the aforementioned bewildering final three tracks, it's sequenced well, with the down-n-dirty '70s material on the first disc, and the MTV hits from the '80s on the second. There's still a need for a single-disc that has all the biggest hits, but until that comes along, Rancho Texicano is the best and most concise overview of that lil' ol' band from Texas. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Bill Ham Audio Production, Executive Producer, Compilation Producer, Producer Billy Gibbons Fiddle, Harmonica, Keyboards, Sax (Baritone), Vocals, Guitar Bob Ludwig Engineer, Remastering Bob Small Compilation Producer, Compilation Producer Dusty Hill Keyboards, Guitar (Bass), Vocals, Sax (Tenor), Bass Frank Beard Drums, Sax (Alto), Percussion, Vocals Helmut Werd Photography Hugh Brown Art Direction James Austin Compilation Producer, Liner Notes James Patrick Cooper Photography Jim Reeves Engineer Joe Hardy Engineer Larry Nix Engineer Marc Salata Product Manager Maria Villar Design Robin Brian Engineer Ross Halfin Photography Steve Woolard Discographical Annotation Steven Chean Project Assistant Terry Kane Engineer Terry Manning Engineer Tim Scanlin Project Assistant Tom Vickers Liner Notes Vanessa Atkins Editorial Supervision