Billy F. Gibbons launched his belated solo career in 2015 with Perfectamundo, a loose exercise in Latin rhythms that was slightly outside of the wheelhouse of ZZ Top, which had been his main gig since 1969. Big Bad Blues, its 2018 sequel, could also be seen as a bit of a genre exercise, as it was a heavy blues album, but Hardware is something else entirely. This 2021 platter is a straight-ahead rock & roll album in the vein of ZZ Top, a record filled with originals that feel familiar, as they're built of the same components Gibbons has relied upon for decades: fuzztone guitars, thick swing and burly boogie, sly jokes and growled vocals.

Perfectamundo, the 2015 solo debut from Billy F. Gibbons, found the ZZ Top majordomo indulging in his fascination with Cuban music, which meant that it felt fundamentally different than his main gig. The same can't quite be said of Big Bad Blues, its 2018 follow-up. Working with a band featuring drummer Matt Sorum, guitarist Austin Hanks, harpist James Harman, and bassist Joe Hardy, Gibbons dives deep into blues and boogie that's been at the foundation of ZZ Top since their first album in 1971. Superficially, Gibbons is covering the same ground, but having Big Bad Blues as a busman's holiday does significantly change the feel, particularly in regards to rhythm. Sorum and Hardy provide a looser foundation than Frank Beard and Dusty Hill, which lets Gibbons slither a bit more, plus it's fun to hear him have foils in Harman and Hanks.

William Frederick Gibbons is an American rock musician who is the guitarist and primary vocalist of ZZ Top. He began his career in the Moving Sidewalks, who recorded Flash (1968) and opened four dates for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Gibbons formed ZZ Top in late 1969 and released ZZ Top's First Album in early 1971. Gibbons possesses a gravelly bass-baritone singing voice and is known for his bluesy, groove based guitar style. He is also noted, along with ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, for his chest-length beard. Gibbons has made appearances with other artists and acted on television shows, most notably Bones. In 2001, Rolling Stone named him the 32nd greatest guitarist of all time.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and ZZ Top frontman, Billy F Gibbons wants to take you on a desert trip. Hardware is Billy's third release as a solo artist. He compiled a group of a-listers including Matt Sorum (dr), Austin Hanks (gtr) and headed into the California desert to record in Pioneertown. Hardware features the guitar prowess and vocals that have made Billy a legend but it also shows Billy stretching his music landscape past the place where the road ends.