Billy Gibbons’ killer version of Treat Her Right from Perfectmundo

Billy Gibbons

Photo: By Alberto Cabello from Vitoria Gasteiz (ZZ Top) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Billy Gibbons’ new CD Perfectmundo was released on November 6, 2015. The album is Billy Gibbons first solo CD. On the back of the CD, the record company perfectly described the album as “A Little Spanish, a little English, and a whole lotta Slanguish.” The first track, “Got Love if You Want It,” delivered on the promise of a hard edge mixture of sizzling blues rock. However, it’s the second track on the album that is the real head turner. On his fabulous new album, Billy Gibbons has recorded a version of Roy Head’s classic nineteen sixties rock tune “Treat Her Right.”

Billy Gibbons version of “Treat Her Right,” takes the song to new heights by fusing the 196o’s rockabilly tune into a latin fused blues tune. The song opens with a bright, but somewhat dirty ZZ Top classic sounding drum groove that opens the door for Gibbons’ trademark guitar sound. However, its the sound of the piano that drops those vintage Latin piano lines over the guitar riffs that separates the track from Gibbon’s past work. The song’s traditional one, four, five, chord changes are freshly fueled by a groove that counters the common blues progression.

Roy Head and Gene Kurtz’s Treat Her Right was originally released in 1965. Roy Head had a major hit with the song as it reached all the way up to the Number 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts in 1965. The song “Treat Her Right,” has been covered by multiple artists over the past fifty years. One of the most successful cover versions of the song was recorded by George Thorogood for his 1988 Born To Be Bad album.

The Latin fused solo album by Billy Gibbons should not comes as a surprise to fans of ZZ Top if they knew of Billy Gibbons early musical training experience. As a young teenager Billy Gibbons studied with Latin Jazz legend Tito Puente. During his later years Billy Gibbons also lived in Mexico for a period of time.

If you have not heard Billy Gibbons’ cover of “Treat Her Right,” you are missing one of the best cover versions of a classic rock song done in the past 40 years. The album and single are simply pure “Slanguish.”

 

Written by Brian Kachejian

 

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Be the first to know when a new article is published

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Cinderella Songs
10 Best Cinderella Songs
Top 20 Rock Bands With Misspelled Names
Top 20 Rock Bands With Misspelled Names
Top 10 Songs Of The Cardiacs
Top 10 Songs Of The Cardiacs
10 Best Songs With The Word 'Story' In The Title
10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Story’ In The Title
James Taylor Albums
Top 10 James Taylor Albums
10 Best Sounding Albums Of All Time
10 Best Sounding Albums Of All Time
116 Albums With Identical Titles By Different Artists
116 Albums With Identical Titles By Different Artists
10 Essential Live Rock Albums Composed Of 4 Or More Vinyl LPs
2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
Paul McCartney and Wings Songs
Wings at the Speed of Sound Soared to No. 1—49 Years Ago Today
Black Flag Roars Back:
Black Flag Roars Back: Punk Icons Announce Reunion with New Lineup
New Faces Album
Stewart, Wood & Jones Working On New “Faces” Album
Jan Akkerman of Focus: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Mark Kendall of Great White Interview: My Career in 5 Songs
Mark Kendall of Great White Interview: My Career in 5 Songs
Mark Farner Interview
Mark Farner Of Grand Funk: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Ace Frehley Interview
Ace Frehley: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Aerosmith Band
Why Aerosmith Is The Greatest American Rock Band Of All Time
Human Beinz Albums
Complete List Of The Human Beinz Albums And Songs
25 Most Famous Female British Singers Now!
25 Most Famous Female British Singers Now!
Khruangbin Albums
Complete List Of Khruangbin Albums And Songs
11 Classic Bands Who Returned With New Music After A Long Gap
11 Classic Bands Who Returned With New Music After A Long Gap
Complete List Of All Super Bowl Halftime Performers Since 1967
Complete List Of All Super Bowl Halftime Performers Since 1967
10 Gifts Not To Buy An Old-School Music Fan
10 Gifts Not To Buy An Old-School Music Fan
20 Worst Moments In Rock Music History
20 Worst Moments In Rock Music History
Three Dog Night 1968 Debut Album Review
Review Of Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Reissue
Review Of Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary Reissue
10 Best Breakup Songs For Shattered Hearts
10 Best Breakup Songs For Shattered Hearts
Billy Idol Rebel Yell 40th Anniversary Vinyl Review