Watch music video for ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons’ new solo song, “Desert High”

SHARE NOW

Last week, Billy Gibbons released a second advance track from his forthcoming solo album, Hardware — a brooding, atmospheric spoken-word tune called “Desert High.” Now, a music video for the song has premiered on the ZZ Top singer/guitarist’s official YouTube channel.

In the sepia-toned clip, Gibbons takes us for a ride in a 1965 Dodge deep into California’s high desert, not far from where the album was recorded. The video showcases striking footage of the barren, rocky, cactus-filled landscape, interspersed with images of hawks, an iguana, a chameleon, an owl, a rattlesnake, a scorpion, a coyote and a bald eagle.

The song itself features Gibbons reciting a narrative poem in his deep, gruff voice, accompanied by reverb-drenched guitar. The lyrics feature desert imagery reflected in the video, as well as interesting music references, such as “The Lizard King,” which was late Doors singer Jim Morrison‘s nickname, as well as Keith Richards and late country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons.

As previously reported, Hardware will be released on June 4, and can be pre-ordered now. Gibbons recorded the album last summer at Escape Studios, located near Joshua Tree National Park, with ex-Guns N’ Roses member Matt Sorum on drums and second guitarist Austin Hanks. Sorum also helped co-produce and co-wrote most of the album’s tracks.

“Desert High” was the second advance track released from Hardware, after the surf-rock-influenced “West Coast Junkie.”

Visit BillyGibbons.com for more details about Hardware.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.