ZZ Top DVD "That Little Ol' Band from Texas" Out Friday

ZZ Top has always maintained a mystique behind their inimitable blues-rock boogie. Many have never seen singer-guitarist Billy F. Gibbons and bassist-singer Dusty Hill pre-beards. They appear as mystery men with a special force in their groundbreaking music videos. Plus, the band doesn’t give many interviews and there’s no official biography.

Now, the curtain has been lifted thanks to “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas,” the excellent new documentary thta’s out this Friday (Feb. 28) by Banger Films (“Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey”; “Iron Maiden: Flight 666”; “Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage.”)

This film is an absolute must for hardcore followers and also essential viewing for casual fans and the uninitiated alike. And if you only know ZZ Top from those witty 1980s videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin,’” “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” it’s high time for you to dig deep into the band’s Texas-sized treasure trove of formative and later mid-career material.

And we’re not just talking “La Grange” and “Tush” either. Deep cuts and fan favorites played throughout the movie such as “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers,” “Blue Jean Blues” and “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” will have you hooked.

“That Little Ol’ Band from Texas” takes the viewer all the way back to Gibbons’, Hill’s and drummer Frank Beard’s teenage years in Dallas and Houston and how they first joined forces. The band members take us through the recording of their first album and how they found their sound – a great story involving some overdubbing and a BBQ run – and their early trials and tribulations – playing a full show at a bar, including encores, for one person.

That last anecdote is telling of the band’s commitment and dedication to its craft and honing its live show. Life on the road is a big part of the film. After years on tour and finding modest success, ZZ Top made its name when it embraced its Texas roots big-time on the 1976-77 Worldwide Texas Tour, featuring a 63-by-48 foot stage in the shape of the State and live wild stock. The onstage and backstage footage is a highlight of the documentary.

There are also great stories of opening for Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger hand-picking the band to support the Rolling Stones in Hawaii. “That Little Ol’ Band from Texas” ends after the “Eliminator Era” in the mid-1980s and notes that the band has been making music ever since.

Those latter-day albums continue ZZ Top’s tradition in fine form. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of their latest disc, “La Futura.” It’s easily their best of the last decade. The band also continues to be a live force, as their last visit to the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood a few years back evidenced.

The stories are fun, but the music, of course is the foundation. Gibbons says he’s always thought of ZZ Top as a rock band that interprets the blues. Band engineer Robin Hood Brians says it best: “ZZ Top turned the blues into party music.” So get a copy of “That Little Ol’ Band from Texas,” invest in some 1970s albums and join the party. You won’t be disappointed.