Rio Grande Mud


Rio Grande Mud is the second studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in 1972 by London label. The album title was inspired by the Rio Grande, the river that forms the border between Mexico and Texas.

Background

ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons said of the album:
It was the first record that brought us into step with the writing experience. We started documenting events as they happened to us on the road; all of these elements went into the songwriting notebook. As we went along, we were keeping track of skeleton ideas as they popped up. The craft was certainly developing.

In 1987, the album was remixed for CD release. On January 11, 2011, Rhino released a remastered version from the original 1972 mix on vinyl only. This album was put up for download on Amazon's MP3 store and iTunes as a digital download in 2012, and features the original mixes of the tracks that are on Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, and the 1987 remixes of the tracks that are not from that box set. The original mix of the album was released on CD in June 2013 as part of the box set The Complete Studio Albums .

Reception

retrospectively gave the album 3.5 stars, stating: "With their second album, Rio Grande Mud, ZZ Top uses the sound they sketched out on their debut as a blueprint, yet they tweak it in slight but important ways."
The album peaked at number 104 on the Billboard 200 in June 1972.

Singles

The only single released from the album was "Francine" which peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another 45 version was released with "Francine" appearing on both sides. Various official ZZ Top releases throughout the years, beginning in 1972, have used the alternative spelling "Francene", especially on the various 45 releases both within and outside the United States.

Track listing

Personnel

;ZZ Top
;Additional personnel
;Production
;Album
;Singles
YearSingleChartPosition
1972"Francine"Pop Singles69