“It’s fair to say that this is a transitional record,” noted ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons of TEJAS. “It may be representative of how rapidly things were changing in the studio.” While the trio now had better recording equipment at their disposal, the 1976 collection stands out more for its diverse influences, most notably country (lead single “It’s Only Love”) along with touches of psychedelia (“El Diablo”) and flamenco (“Asleep in the Desert”). But there’s still plenty of room for the boogie & blues that have always been this band’s bread & butter, and “Arrested for Driving While Blind” is a classic in that style. Gibbons turns 75 today, so we’ll fire up the Gold-certified TEJAS to wish him a happy birthday.