Billy F Gibbons Goes Top 20 with New Solo Album 'The Big Bad Blues'

Following last week's HMV Q&A and signing which saw ZZ Top singer and guitarist Billy F Gibbons make a suitably stylish entrance, pulling up outside of the Oxford Street store in front of queues of fans and spectators in a gleaming white 1968 Cadillac Deville, the release of new solo album 'The Big Bad Blues' has awarded Billy his first Top 20 album since the release of ZZ Top's 'Antenna' in 1994.

Debuting at Number 19 in the Official Album Charts, BFG's recently unleashed solo album 'The Big Bad Blues' (out now on Snakefarm Records) has struck a blues-drenched chord with fans of his distinctive style and sound, propelling the record into the Top 20 on week of release.

Co-produced by Gibbons and Joe Hardy, 'The Big Bad Blues' - as the title suggests - represents a return to Gibbons' blues roots, featuring BFG-ified renditions of songs associated with some of his heroes: 'Standing Around Crying' and 'Rollin' and Tumblin' by Muddy Waters, and 'Crackin' Up' and 'Bring It To Jerome' from the Bo Diddley canon. These are joined by nine originals recorded at Foam Box Recordings in Billy's original hometown of Houston.

The album features Hardy on bass, drums by Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver/The Cult veteran Matt Sorum as well as Nashville great Greg Morrow, plus Austin stalwart Mike 'The Drifter' Flanigin on keyboards. Blues harp (harmonica) duties are handled by James Harmon as well as Billy who, of course, is the album's vocalist and guitar slinger nonpareil.