Stages

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Stages" by ZZ Top from their 1985 album Afterburner, a track that’s got the Zoo Freaks vibing with its slick, synth-driven rock energy. This song, which hit number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for two weeks, was a standout from an album that marked ZZ Top’s full embrace of digital experimentation. According to Billy Gibbons in a Genius interview, the band spent extra time on Afterburner’s songwriting and production, aiming to match the massive success of their prior album Eliminator. The use of synthesizers, particularly the Fairlight CMI played by bassist Dusty Hill, gave "Stages" its glossy, danceable edge, though it stirred mixed feelings among fans. Some longtime listeners, expecting the band’s raw Texas blues, were thrown by the high-tech polish, while others loved how it broadened ZZ Top’s reach, making them a defining rock act of the ‘80s.

Another cool tidbit about "Stages" comes from the Afterburner tour’s wild stage design, detailed in Christopher McKittrick’s book Gimme All Your Lovin'. The tour’s space-age setup, originally pitched for the band Loverboy, was crafted by stage designer Ty Reveen after a chance meeting with Gibbons at a Las Vegas party. Reveen, who’d later work with icons like Madonna and Paul McCartney, showed Gibbons a vision for a futuristic stage that perfectly matched Afterburner’s vibe, helping songs like "Stages" come alive in larger-than-life live shows. The song’s lyrics, with their theme of love’s ever-changing “stages,” also resonated with fans, capturing the push-and-pull of relationships in a way that’s both universal and playful, a hallmark of ZZ Top’s tongue-in-cheek style.

ZZ Top got their start in Houston, Texas, in 1969, when guitarist Billy Gibbons, fresh off the breakup of his blues-rock band Moving Sidewalks, teamed up with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, who’d played together in American Blues. Taking cues from blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, they crafted a gritty, blues-infused sound that shone on their 1971 debut, ZZ Top’s First Album. Their breakthrough came with 1973’s Tres Hombres, featuring the radio hit “La Grange,” which showcased Gibbons’ searing guitar and the band’s knack for sly, innuendo-laden lyrics. By the mid-’70s, albums like Fandango! and their epic Worldwide Texas Tour—complete with a Texas-shaped stage and live snakes—cemented their reputation as a must-see live act. The ‘80s saw them lean into synthesizers and MTV with Eliminator and Afterburner, turning them into global superstars while still keeping their Texas swagger.

You can keep up with ZZ Top on their official website, where they share tour dates, merch, and news like their 2022 album RAW and Tres Hombres bourbon whiskey. They’re active on social media too, posting on Facebook, Instagram, and X, where they share throwbacks, tour updates, and glimpses of their signature bearded cool. Fans can dive deeper at sites like AllMusic for detailed discographies or join communities like the ZZ Top Fans Facebook group, where Zoo Freaks and others swap stories, rare photos, and concert memories. Whether you’re grooving to “Stages” or exploring their bluesy roots, ZZ Top’s legacy keeps rocking.