ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Defends Nickelback

[Magic]

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Defends Nickelback





ZZ Top legend Billy Gibbons has fired back against those who consistently disparage Canadian post-grunge rockers Nickelback. Billy appeared with the band on their 2005 track "Rockstar" and spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock about his experience with them.

"'Rockstar' was quite an unexpected success," Gibbons began.

"We were touring the U.S., up the North West. It was the day before our own show, they were playing and we were curious, so we popped down to catch the band's performance. You have to note the great vocal stylings that Chad Kroeger can bring to the party. Man, he can sing for days."

He adds the Kroeger then invited him to the studio to appear on the track:

"He had most of it but felt he needed something extra, so he called me up to see if we could make some sense of it. He dreamed up the vocal inflection that I sang, and I reckon it came out OK."




ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Defends Nickelback

 

[Sharp Dressed Man]

I find it interesting that Billy's quote about Nickelback is making its way around the Internet (again?) considering it was actually published in Classic Rock Magazine back in 2009/2010 in their "Ever Meet Hendrix" series of articles where Billy also talks about other musicians (I have the magazine myself, Iggy Pop is on the cover). The magazine just recently reposted the whole article online and I guess other websites, such as Ultimate Classic Rock decided to copy a part of the article that they knew would turn some heads. What bugs me though, is that they seemingly have the nerve to claim that it's a quote from a talk they had with Billy ("Billy appeared with the band on their 2005 track "Rockstar" and spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock about his experience with them"). Maybe I'm just weird, but I find that kind of disrespect towards the source annoying!

As for the actual comments, all I can say is that, Billy is entitled to his opinion. I don't have an opinion about Nickelback, I never really listened to them. Haven't even heard their cover of "Sharp Dressed Man".

 

[Magic]

I didn't know about the original printing........

BUT Classic Rock (online) put out the article March 23, 2014. From there other sources have picked it up and ran with it.

I found an article on a site I visit called RTTNews (top link in OP). And I put up the Ultimate Classic Rock link since RTT cited them as a source.

Classic Rock. Com



If these sites are creating a buzz about Billy Gibbons and Nickelback.......Maybe there is some thing going on behind the scenes that we don't know about yet...

 

[Lynch]

Rockstar is a great track. I also think that Nickelback takes WAAAAY too much flack for what they do. To all of the naysayers, I say "if you don't like it, don't listen to it"

Honestly, if given the opportunity to listen to the worst Nickelback song 100 times or the best Radiohead song 1 time, I'd take Nickelback 1000 times out of a 1000.

 

[Riff Raff]

I say "if you don't like it, don't listen to it".
Exactly and that applies to anyone who bitches constantly about bands they hate.

 

[Magic]

Me too, Lynch. I def am NOT a Radiohead fan

I never could understand all the negativity when it comes to Nickelback. Maybe it is because a lot of their songs are mainstream......but I don't hold that against them.

Infact, the song Burn It To The Ground is not only catchy, but hard rockin and original. One of my favs....

 

[Johnny-Too-Good]

Rockstar is a great track. I also think that Nickelback takes WAAAAY too much flack for what they do. To all of the naysayers, I say "if you don't like it, don't listen to it"

Honestly, if given the opportunity to listen to the worst Nickelback song 100 times or the best Radiohead song 1 time, I'd take Nickelback 1000 times out of a 1000.

I like both of 'em.

 

[Lynch]

Infact, the song Burn It To The Ground is not only catchy, but hard rockin and original. One of my favs....

Agreed... I just cranked that one up in the car on phone a little while ago while i was taking a break from doing other stuff.

Their whole greatest hits album is pretty good. Chock-full of good tracks!

 

[Musikwala]

Yeah I don't quite get the vitriol directed at Nickelback especially online, on facebook etc.. They're nowhere close to my favourite but I don't hate them either. Life is too short to hate on some band whose music you don't enjoy. Just don't listen if you don't like what you hear. Simple. Sheesh!

Nice to see somebody standing up for Nickelback for a change.

Btw, Magic... who is that in your sig?? It looks weirdly like Radiohead's Thom Yorke!

 

[Sharp Dressed Man]

^^ That's Macaulay Culkin. You know....