ZZ Top

With their fairly major guitarist and fairly ferocious groove, they're the class of arena blues, and they also write songs. So here are 18, a dozen choice. For nonarena types the revelation is the show-stopping "Got Me Under Pressure"--its groove brooks no modifiers. But from "Legs" to "Tush," from "Sharp Dressed Man" to "Cheap Sunglasses," only one blues standard emerges: "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," which could have been stolen off some black genius's porch, and if it really was I apologize. If Billy Gibbons or Dusty Hill sang as good as he plays, could I still say this? (Grade: A-)