Frank Beard, drummer for ZZ Top. My music hero.

Ever since I started listening to music, ZZ Top and more specifically, Frank Beard, their drummer, has stood out over all. Something about that no nonsense boogie-shuffle! A workin' mans drummer, no frills or gimmicks. Just getting the work done.
(SONGS);All songs by ZZ TOP, Gibbons, Hill, Beard
"Waitin' for the bus"
"(Somebody else been) Shakin' your tree"
"Balinese"
"She loves my automobile"
"Mary's"
"She's a heartbreaker"
"I need you tonight"

[@christopherhambleton9701]

My drumming hero as well.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I really wish we would’ve heard more of him doing interviews and drumming videos. Unfortunately, Bill Hamm never wanted them guys to be out there in the public. That is except for Billy Gibbons he could pretty much do whatever he wanted.

[@oliverfunk6606]

I think, Frank Beard does have the best "left hand" in Rock'n'Roll business. What was really surprising me was realizing how difficult it is to play a rocking shuffle like "Tush" properly. Not only on the drums, many guitarists also fail with this riff. It sounds to be easy, but it isn't.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

With shuffles played like that, they're good or they are terrible. Hard to find a happy medium. My left hand will not stay consistent, so I am constantly mucking it up which forces me to simplify it some. One week soon, when I change up my kit, I'm going to set up for a left-handed player. That way I can work on my left and become somewhat ambidextrous. Video on that should be interesting.

[@gregwonhoff7161]

CDG, I love the way you spin your story and mix in snippets of your great drumming. As always, thank you for sharing all you do.

[@Ominous_Thrust]

Hey there, Todd. Stumbled upon your tribute to Frank here and it put a giant grin on my face. I too was there when the whole MTV thing broke and remember all of those video glory days before the whole platform got infiltrated by the likes of Yo MTV Raps and the other rubbish. I have a nearly parallel lifelong adoration of ZZ Top, but my obsession as a guitar player was with Billy Gibbons. I vividly remember the hot summer day in '75 during college break working as a lawn maintenance guy at an apartment complex....one of the hippies that worked there invited me into his apt. to cool off and have some lunch. He said "Hey...you play a Les Paul, right? Check this out!" and he placed that divine LP known as "Fandango" on a Bang & Olufsen turntable and let it rip. After I heard "Get ready for ZZ Top....godamit get ready!!" and those first opening notes of "Thunderbird", I was totally and completely floored. Here you had Billy just ripping it with Dusty & Frank providing that insanely tight rhythm unit...it was mesmerizing. Nasty Dogs & Funky Kings is another one where all three are absolutely seamless. Musical talent given, that comes from practice and experience. I have to agree with you about Frank...the guy's timing is like a clock. To this day, I listen to that LP at least twice a week. Bought their entire catalog over the years and also caught their Worldwide Texas Tour in '76. The hiatus they took after El Loco gave Billy the opportunity to travel and check out the new music scene in Europe, etc. and that's probably when the whole synth & drum machine influence entered the room. Eliminator was epic, but for me, the sweet spot has always been Tres Hombres/Fandango/Tejas. Any way, power on amigo and kudos to you for carrying the torch and doing what you like to do. Cheers!

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

Hey there, Thank you very much for the comment. Nice to know more fans are out there and that they exist. I was never a fan of the fandango or Tres Hombres albums, but I’d like Tejas and El Loco the best. One thing that I was always ticked off about was their manager Bill did not like them going off on their own and doing interviews or other steps away from the band itself. Most of Franks stuff is kind of a mystery. Very few interviews. I would absolutely love to him to go on Drumeo and talk about his playing style. He’s getting older and I don’t think he’s got too much longer and I would hate to go to the rest of my life without seeing him talk about his playing and actually giving instruction like so many artists do on Drumeo. AnyWho, it’s getting late, thank you very very much for the comment. I really appreciate it. Have a good night.

[@Ominous_Thrust]

@@CheapDrumsGuy I hear you...I'd love to hear more from Frank as well. That must've been quite a turning point in Memphis when those guys had Eliminator in the can. I think Ham wanted to keep a sense of mystique around the band to make them even more interesting and compelling...and to sell more units. He was also a marketing genius...I guess it all worked out in the end. Sadly, Billy's voice is shot and the band is merely a nostalgia act and a shell of it's glory days.

[@ctfair]

My introduction to ZZ Top was sometime after the release of “Rio Grande Mud” when me and a couple of friends of mine went to another guy’s house, a more prominent family in the community, while the guy’s parents were out of town. He had his stereo system out by the pool and when we got out of the car, “Just Got Paid” was blasting over the speakers. I’d never heard anything quite like it prior to that. I knew that day that blues rock was my preference. I wouldn’t say my parents were actually music lovers. Most of their exposure to music was in church on Sundays. However, I had an older brother and he exposed me to a lot of the popular music of the day, like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I later saw ZZ Top live in 1975, and again in 1994 supporting the “Antenna” tour. The first 3 albums have always been my favorites because it’s the music of their roots. After the first 3-4 albums, they became a much more commercial band. But I’ve always been a fan and still listening to them today at age 67.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I started listening to them in 1981 when they came out with their El Loco album. I like their older stuff like Deguello and Rio grande mud I even like their first album quite a bit. I have seen him in concert probably six times from 1983 onward and I don’t think they do a very good job. I think Billy Gibbons just does the bare minimum to get by and calls it good. Frank and Dusty are doing their thing, but all in all Bands are supposed to sound better in concert than they do on their albums, but with them its the other way around

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

My mistake eliminator was the first from 1983 then I bought the 1981 album

[@Joethedrummer]

What a brilliant video. Kudos!

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I apologize for not responding quickly back to you Joe. One thing that I noticed about Frank is that his style is ingrained in me, which has held me back a bit. Like your video "Why don't I talk about Jon Bonham" - in that video of yours, you were talking about certain students who cannot move forward easily because of their obsessions with certain drummers like the late Neil Peart or Dave Grohl. Apparently, I'm one of those students! I've been listening to him and imitating him for the better part of four decades, so I've got my work cut out for me. By spending more time listening to others, I hope to inch away from Frank a little.

[@Joethedrummer]

@@CheapDrumsGuy Hey Todd. I think you got the wrong end of the stick. What I think Andy was saying is that holding Bonham up as the pinnacle of drumming is limiting people's sense of the possibilities. If this one drummer with his foibles and limitations (we all have them) is the be all and end all, people end up ignoring the broader horizons. My point is that fetishisation of any kind is a bit silly and limiting especially as it creates these holy cow topics that we're not allowed to question. In both cases we are talking about general phenomenon within the culture, it's not a criticism of anyone in particular. For example you have someone like Bonzoleum who seems to know everything about every note Bonham played and every drum and cymbal the man hit. His deep knowledge and enthusiasm is inspiring and entertaining. But if everyone had the same fetish it would get a bit tiresome. So I wouldn't want you to think that I had any truck with someone having a main influence, I think we all do to some extent. Infact one of the first things i learned to play was Hot Legs by Rod Stewart and I feel that my playing has something of Carmine Appice in it to this day. I wouldn't worry too much about being too much Frank, as you broaden your skills and repertoire, so will your style and vocabulary broaden. And if you end up sounding like Frank playing whatever different styles you get into, what's not to like? 😁

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

@@Joethedrummer thank you, Joe

[@edwardkaminsky8142]

Many of the groups that have been playing for years have scaled down. I noticed that in January when REO Speedwagon visited, Bryan Hitt played on a 4 piece kit. No more huge stage presence. Same song/ scaled down approach. I like the cutting in and out. The timing has to be almost perfect. Sounded great Todd. ZZ top is huge.

[@mattaylor8935]

Fandango Brother Live it !

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

That album could’ve been so much better if they had a better recording. But you can seriously hear Frank all throughout really going to town with some of his grooves. Wish he did that stuff these days.

[@NintenDub]

I didnt know that about the drum machine on the recordings. Im not big into zz top and i dont know that much of their stuff. They are iconic though. The fuzzy explorer guitars,the beards, the sungkasses. Those guys have been damn cool for 50+ years. Maybe i should dive into the rabbit hole

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

When I listened to all their older stuff, it's easy to tell that the newer stuff is "different" I hate drum machines. One of the songs I did on this was "She's a heartbreaker". It's from their country-ish "Tejas" album. Kind of a little shuffle that was fairly easy and fun to do. Lagrange is something I have to spend a lot more time on......

[@jonvanhouten8369]

I can relate, I was mesmerized by Frank as a young man, one of my favorites. Thanks for the info, did not know about the drum machine stuff.Pretty humble guy to handle it the way he did.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

Well, as far as I’ve read about the incident, he was ready to fight. He was pissed and understandably, so. I think it would’ve been a big kick in the teeth as well. From eliminator onward, I am not really fond of the other albums just because of the tinny sound of the drum machines I’d rather hear Frank playing

[@rocknrollermann]

wow. I never knew. thx for vid.

[@JFKDrummer]

Frank Beard rules !!!😄🔥🔥🔥🥁

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

Yeah- he's my boy

[@Spagz]

They were the longest running, original lineup American band ever. I think only The Stones have been around longer (and still going) but in the US ZZ Top is the oldest band still together. Always thought it was funny that Beard was the only guy WITHOUT a beard, in a band that was identified by beards.

[@Spagz]

Cool background on Frank. I knew about the drum machine and it never made sense to me. Frank had all those mini fills he would throw in that were always perfect and not overdone. But for sure his shuffle was the coolest. And the rim playing on the intro of La Grange!

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I am going to work on that shuffle this week and have it done by next weekend. I cannot not learn it.

[@Spagz]

@@CheapDrumsGuy that's the spirit! Once you get different shuffle patterns down it opens up so many more songs and styles. Stewart Copeland shuffles, Bonham, Purdie, Porcaro. Jeff Porcaro was asked in an interview why so many people struggle trying to do the Roseanne shuffle. He said the key that people miss is they forget to breathe! Relax. And breathe. Just breathe. Good luck with it! I can't do it lol. There's a great video on it on the whole Lotta drumming channel. Video titled shuffle like Bonham Purdie Porcaro & Copeland. It breaks down to learning RLRRLR. Not sure if that works for Me. Beards Texas Shuffle but I believe it may.

[@newfie66xbox76]

I WAS BORN IN THE 60s

[@meanmetalmike666]

Do you like Phil Rudd or Acdc

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I love ACDC and Phil is one of my favorite drummers. Has a certain swing like no other

[@davepounds8924]

Do you like the Beatles music?? You are younger then I am so you might be too young when the Beatles were making their music in the 60s but do you listen to them now?? I love Ringos drumming! He never overplayed and plays for the songs!!

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

I have never really been a fan of the Beatles, but like you, I do like Ringo Starr and his style of playing

[@davepounds8924]

@@CheapDrumsGuy 👍

[@NintenDub]

​@@CheapDrumsGuyI take it you've heard most of the radio stuff? You might wanna try again. They where the best to ever do it. I'm going to see a Beatles tribute in just a few hours. I'm pretty stoked.and being a zz fan,that's why I recommended the band "the sword", they covered cheap sunglasses, and although they're not really zz topish,one album kind of is "high country". And "warp riders" is a killer ode to classic rock. If I had to compare, I'd say they're kinda zztop meets sabbath. Theyre heavy, theyre rock, they're stoner.just a great band all around,one of my favs. And both their drummers and drum parts are just killer. Check out the song three witches.i bet you'd love to play along to that

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

@@NintenDub I’ve heard everything ZZ Top has ever done both their recordings, their live stuff and a lot of the international releases. I probably watched every single video related to them on KZbin as well. There hasn’t been much that has escaped me. Plus, up until about ten years ago, I had every book ever written about them.

[@newfie66xbox76]

AEROSMITH AND THE ROLLING STONES ARE STILL GOING

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

Correct. Will have to check out their startup time frame. ZZ is at 1969

[@newfie66xbox76]

@@CheapDrumsGuy the rolling first performance was On a hot summer's night on July 12, 1962, at London's Marquee Jazz Club, The Rolling Stones played their first-ever gig.

[@CheapDrumsGuy]

@@newfie66xbox76 1962. Well, we have a winner.