"A lot of producers would have the drummer come in on Monday, then they'd call the bass player in on Tuesday, the guitar player would show up on Wednesday and maybe the singer on Thursday," says ZZ Top guitar king Billy Gibbons. "When we got together with Rick Rubin, he said, 'My idea of ZZ Top is three guys playing together at the same time with the red light turned on.' That sounded just right to us."

And so it was that for their forthcoming album, La Futura, their first full-length since 2003's Mescalero, that the "little ol' band from Texas" hooked up with the maverick producer. Gibbons and Rubin had rubbed shoulders before – their first meeting occurred 25 years ago during a rave at Knott's Berry Farm. Rubin had expressed interest in working with the trio over the years, but what sealed the deal, according to Gibbons, was when the producer said, 'Hey man, I don't have to rewire ZZ Top. My job is to make you guys work, work and work.' And we said, 'Superb.' What Rick didn't know was, that was music to our ears, because that's what we enjoy doing the most."