Rhythmeen

Production and recording

Billy recalls "Rick Rubin has turned me on to one of his acts called Barkmarket and that the guitar player uses C# and B tunings so we began experimenting with really low tunings." Around the Rhythmeen era Billy's collection of African artifacts began and several tracks include African tribal percussion.

This is when Billy began to sport the Nudu Hat, woven by the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon, Africa.

Gibbons uses a 1955 Les Paul Goldtop guitar which is featured prominently throughout the album.

"We originally had a working title of 'Nearing the Completion Stage'. But, it was the backbeat, that mean groove, which hit us as a strong recurring element of the album. So, we did our customary play on words, shuffling words about until we came up with our own invention—a feel-good elixir named Rhythmeen."

Reception

AllMusic gave it a mixed review, stating, "ZZ Top's long-awaited return to blues finally arrived in 1996, well over a decade after they abandoned their simple three-chord boogie for a synth and drum machine-driven three-chord boogie."

The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

Bonus track [Japan]

Personnel

Billy Gibbons – guitar, lead vocals

Dusty Hill – bass, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals (10)

Frank Beard – drums, percussion

James Harman – harmonica (4)

Greg Morrow – percussion, drums (credited as 'Gangzz Clangzz & Percussion Thangzz') on "She's Just Killing Me" and other tracks

Production

Producers – Billy Gibbons, Bill Ham

Engineer – Joe Hardy

Assistant engineers – Lizzie Harrah, Gary Moon

Mixing – Joe Hardy

Mastering – Bob Ludwig

Director – Douglas Biro

Art direction – Sean Mosher-Smith

Design – Billy Gibbons, Sean Mosher-Smith

Photography – James Bland

Studio – John Moran's House of Funk aka Digital Services Recording

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)

Singles – Billboard (United States)