This album features one of ZZ's best known songs: "Sleeping Bag". However, my personal favorite is track 2: "Stages". "Afterburner" also features a song that I hate to admit to liking: "Velcro Fly". I hate to admit to that because when I think of that song, I also can't help but think of that stupid "Macarena" song too.

All in all "Afterburner" is not a great album; but, you'll like to slide in the cd player every once in a while.

This Hasn't Aged Well
"Sleeping Bag" opened a lot of eyes and ears in 1985 with the addition of synthesizers to the ZZ Top sound. Unfortunately, it sounds as dated and trendy as a lot of other music from that era. "Stages" was an up-tempo hit, and "Rough Boy" was a ballad hit as well. All three of these songs still get lots of radio airplay, but none hold up as well as the classic Top from the early days (i.e. "Tush," "La Grange," etc), or for that matter, "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs" and "Gimme All Your Lovin'" from the huge LP a couple of years earlier. "Can't Stop Rocking" is a rehash of everything they've ever done, and although "Woke Up With Wood" is typically silly and enjoyable, the synthesized sound eventually overwhelms nearly everything here. Sometimes sticking with the tried and true is better. This was not a disastrous direction for the band to take, since they've sold plenty of records since. But it's certainly among their least memorable.

Let The Eliminator Fly.........
One thing about this album over anything else ZZ Top did..It ROLLS with a fun atmosphere!! The only track that actually shouldn't be on it is "Rough Boy"..It's way to slow n bluesy for this album, not that it's a bad song, it just doesn't fit with the rest of the tunes...Many can harp about how ZZ Top was better before Eliminator or how they gave in to the 80's sound, but let me say this.."Rock N Roll is just that...fast cars, shakin' beats and wild girls, down right fun...fun ...fun!!! You need to hear some good Rockin' Texas Boogie to keep you rollin' once in a while, whether it's enhanced digitally or not!! Delta/Chicago Blues isn't rollin' in my books..Just down and out drown in your beer, feelin' bad Blues.."That just doesn't fit the 80's.... ZZ Top's best albums IMHO came in the 80's and why not..The 80's were about big dreams, mega fun and partying...Not about war stories and sorrow, so why should they have played slow blues only? You play what the decade deals ya! Even though Rock N Roll did originate from the Blues, The "Rock N Roll" title alone set's it apart from any basic slow Blues riff, which is why this album out sold any before Eliminator and the boys had one goal in mind..Rockin N Rollin 80's style! I suggest?...Buy this album!!!

GREAT ALBUM!
I don't know why some people have to boast about selling ZZ TOP albums they don't like [aftre 1st listen probably] oh well, doesn't take away from them, especially Afterburner. It's very good, IMO. This album is blamed for the beginning of bland solo's but I think you'll find that these's solo's aren't that bad [actually sometimes quite good]. Anyway I think like many ZZ Top albums, the longer you have it the more you'll like it [see Lars's review] Many of these songs are fun and they get that head nodding and those toes tapping and so forth. Great vocal harmonies too. "I got the message" I think is Gibbons vocals at their best. Seven of these songs hit the top 20! Two songs went to number one [Stages and Sleeping bag]! The music's good so I don't care if it isn't bluesy. Rough boy is a slow ballad, and Can't stop rockin' is sung by Dusty Hill, it's a rocker with a 50's rnr flavour. The synth sounds used give an outer-space mood to it. It's a great album worthy of any collection.