The five hundred and twenty-sixth album: #526 ZZ Top - Eliminator

A lot of the time, ZZ Top's eighth album feels like a throwback to an earlier era. With the rise of new wave and a poppier sound - something that has influenced some tracks - a lot of the hard rock tracks harken back to the decade prior, with a number of blues rock tracks really feeling like they could have been from the Rolling Stones. They're really good - If nothing else, they've honed their craft during that time - but it feels oddly out of place now. The long solos, clearly intended for more exciting reactions when performing live - do feel out of place now, but on the whole I can't fault the album.