By 1980, ZZ TOP had six albums and a decade of experience under their collective belts.
1979s Deguello was a top thirty charting album that yielded two hit singles in I Thank You and Cheap Sunglasses, and after the 1981s El Loco which charted top twenty, the blockbuster 1983 release Eliminator would bring the band international stardom.
However, on the popular Rockpalast (Rock Palace) at the Grugahalle arena stage in Essen Germany, the talented trio was still that little old band from Texas, knocking out an appreciative European audience with their high octane blend of blues, boogie, and rowdy Southern rock sound.
As Rockpalast was a WDR live broadcast, viewers stayed tuned in until ZZ TOP rang its last notes around 5:30 AM, the bands incendiary performance setting the stage for a subsequently sold out European tour.
Live In Germany perfectly captures that single moment in time, presenting ZZ TOP at the peak of their pre superstardom notoriety, and providing longtime fans with what might be the best live recorded performance of the bands lengthy and storied career.