Product Description
Imagine stepping out of an air-conditioned Kwik-E-Mart and into the hot summer sun, cold soda in hand, when a long-and-low baby blue ‘62 Chevy Impala slowly trolls into the parking lot. How about rolling to a stoplight in West Hollywood and spying a bearded motorist with an 8-ball logo on the louvered and striped hood of his BMW? There’s no mistaking the common thread in these remarkable scenarios—Billy F Gibbons, be-shaded axe-man extraordinaire from ZZ TOP a… More >>
#1 by Clayton S. Gregory on July 2, 2010 - 6:23 pm
Billy Gibbons, the spiritual leader of ZZ Top, is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He has always had the respect of the music community however the secretive nature of his long time manager, Bill Ham, has presented Billy from really streching outside ZZ until recently. In the past year Billy has guested on albums by Les Paul, BB King, Queens of the Stone Age, Nickelback and Vivian Campbell. He has also appeared in videos by Tim McGraw and the QOTSA. Now he is releasing an autobiography. Let me say that this book is outstanding. It’s a handsome coffee table sized, hard cover. Each page is well thought out with terrific pictures in interesting locations. The book is split into 3 sections. The Life, The Cars and the Guitars. My only very slight disappointment is with the life section. Billy mostly recounts the stock tales he has been telling over the years. Not much new is revealed for the true fan. The sidebars with his favorite custom guitar and car builders is a nice touch. The real fans will however love the sections on his guitars and cars. The photgraphy and quick commentaries are are joy to behold. I’m sure I’ll be pulling this one off the shelf for many years to come. My only question to Billy – whens volume II coming? Thanks Billy – awesome job.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by D. A. Kuntze on July 2, 2010 - 9:03 pm
I Just received this oversized hardbound treasure and four hours later, yeah, i’m still drooling over it… Folks, you wont be disappointed. I’ll break it down for ya’ll:
Rev Billy produced a gem of a book for ZZ Top fans, Hod Rod addicts, and vintage/custom guitar junkies. Broken down into these three sections respectively.
Expect to find an in-depth historical of the band, by the man himself, which covers the group’s earliest gigs to the latest release, post superstardom. BFG’s storytelling is genuine. Not to mention that its packed with documented proof, lots of vintage photos, and momentos alike.
Hot Rods and customs are offered up in oversized and vivid photography, in outstanding backdrops, and dished up with plenty of..um, eye candy.
The reverend has, undoubtedly, a collection of the rarest guitars in the world. Sixty plus pages of road worn vintage axes from Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and others. (Hey, where’s the amps?) Hoards of wild custom axes too. VERY Nice.
Mandatory education for guitar gearheads, and some fine machinery to boot. Five stars!
[...]
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Wes S. on July 2, 2010 - 10:11 pm
I just saw Billy and the boys at the Bell County Expo Center in Texas last week, and they rocked the house like they were 20 year-olds. When I flew back home to California, I had this book that I’d ordered a week earlier on my doorstep. It has lots of great photos and is an easy read.
Billy starts out writin’ like a good ol’ boy but includes some of them ten dolla’ words eventually. He reminds me of my cousins, who always try to fool the city slickers into thinkin’ they’s just some country hicks but end up with most o’ the chips.
Billy’s living an interesting life, and he knows how to tell about it quickly, without bogging it down. In short, it reads kind of like a ZZ Top song.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Roger L Hayes on July 3, 2010 - 12:43 am
If you are a fan of ZZ Top, a guitarist, a car buff or dig the Rock and Roll life style….this book is for you! It’s well laid out with lots of interesting stories, pics and trivia about DA MAN!!!!
Buy it! Dig it! Put it on yer coffee table and show yer cool!
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by BigO419 on July 3, 2010 - 3:02 am
If you are a ZZ Top fan, this book is a must read for you–it shows some of the private side of “The Reverend Billy G” and some of his passions on guitar and car collecting–although not really diving into the bands personna as much as I would have liked, seeing this side of one of Rocks “Major” influences was a very nice read—plus it is a nice bargain at Amazon–I was very pleased to get this book–I first saw this book at a guitar show in Orlando and when I was upset at myself for not buying it at the show I went to the Amazon site and purchased it for 15 bucks cheaper! Shazaaam! I had a friend of mine once tell me that before I buy any book to always check Amazon first–I guess she wasn’t wrong–anyway–a really nice book that will draw much attention if left on a coffee table when guests are over–
Rating: 5 / 5