Continued from Part 1…

Of the current crop of today's musicians, who do you think represents the future of blues-rock?

Gibbons:  That's a good question…

Hill:  Well, it's like when some people came out west, in the 1800s and they went, "Well, we're pioneers!" And the people who were already there went "I thought we were pioneers." So, I don't know. I don't know who has the stuff now, and we won't know till later, because people haven't made up their minds, yet.  It sounds like a roundabout answer, and it is. [laughter all around]

What is the difference between the Texas Blues and the Delta Blues?

Gibbons:  I think it'd probably be fair to say that the Texas Blues came later, and when electricity found its way to the stage, that really separated it.

Hill:  More of a band-thing, than a single, one-string sound.

How did the 'amp cabin' come about?

Gibbons:  The amp cabin…  Well, we were looking for a different sound.  (Nothing new to that.)  We had about 18 amplifiers, and didn't know which one to single out; so we kind of piled them on top and around, stuck a microphone in the middle, and turned them all on.

So you didn't individually mic them? You just centralized the microphone and took it all in?

Gibbons:  Yeah. There it is.

How did the whole Bones thing come about?

Gibbons:  Hart Hanson, who was the developer of the series, is a big music fan, and he actually had had a couple of different musicians doing little bit parts.  And we got along famously, so he said, "Come on. We've got to do this." And then told me, "You look like you can be a mean dad." So, I said, "All right. Let's do it."

Where's your favorite barbecue?

Beard:  Swingin' Door [in North Hollywood, CA].

All three of you?

Hill:  I still like Goode Company, down in Houston.

Gibbons:  I was just there, Goode Company…

Now, you said barbecue...  But I figured we ought to include Mexican food; and right here in Las Vegas, a favorite is Carlito's Burritos.  It’s way up there.

¡Gracias, ZZ Top!

Concluded in Part 3…

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