Rhythmeen

Rhythmeen is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top, released in 1996. It is their last album with longtime producer Bill Ham.

Production and recording

Billy recalls "Rick Rubin has turned me on to one of his acts called Barkmarket and that the guitar player uses C# and B tunings so we began experimenting with really low tunings." Around the Rhythmeen era Billy's collection of African artifacts began and several tracks include African tribal percussion.
This is when Billy began to sport the Nudu Hat, woven by the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon, Africa.
Gibbons uses a 1955 Les Paul Goldtop guitar which is featured prominently throughout the album.
"We originally had a working title of 'Nearing the Completion Stage'. But, it was the backbeat, that mean groove, which hit us as a strong recurring element of the album. So, we did our customary play on words, shuffling words about until we came up with our own invention—a feel-good elixir named Rhythmeen."

Reception

AllMusic gave it a mixed review, stating, "ZZ Top's long-awaited return to blues finally arrived in 1996, well over a decade after they abandoned their simple three-chord boogie for a synth and drum machine-driven three-chord boogie."
The album peaked at number 29 on the [Billboard 200|Billboard 200] and at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

;Bonus track

Personnel

Billy Gibbons – guitar, lead vocals
Dusty Hill – bass, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals
Frank Beard – drums, percussion
James Harman – harmonica
Greg Morrow – percussion, drums on "She's Just Killing Me" and other tracks

Production

Producers – Billy Gibbons, Bill Ham
Engineer – Joe Hardy
Assistant engineers – Lizzie Harrah, Gary Moon
Mixing – Joe Hardy
Mastering – Bob Ludwig
Director – Douglas Biro
Art direction – Sean Mosher-Smith
Design – Billy Gibbons, Sean Mosher-Smith
Photography – James Bland
Studio – John Moran's House of Funk aka Digital Services Recording

Charts

Album – Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1996	The Billboard 200	29

Singles – Billboard

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1996	"Bang Bang"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	22
1996	"She's Just Killing Me"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	12
1996	"What's Up with That"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	5
1997	"Rhythmeen"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	35