As talented and successful as they are, it is hard to believe that this is only ZZ Top’s second live concert DVD. The first disc “Definitely Then…1980” was filmed for the German TV series Rockpalast in Essen, Germany on April 20, 1980. The trio amazingly manages to play 22 songs, including two encore performances. It is fun to see Billy Gibbons picking up a double neck guitar in the middle of the show. This is a non-stop live concert, and the camera even follows them to their dressing room while the audience enthusiastically asks for an encore. The picture definitely shows some age, but the sound quality is surprisingly good.
 
The second disc “Almost Now…2008” captures excerpts from various shows of their 2008 World Tour. Their signature beards (or mustache in Frank Beard’s case) are slightly more whitish and less dense, their shows are more flashy and glamorous, but most importantly their sound remains great. Nevertheless, unfortunately the quality of the second disc is not consistent. The first song is not vivid and colorful due to the very bright lighting and flashes. Certainly it is the fault of the venue because these issues are completely gone in the next concert footage. Then later, the camera during “Just Got Paid” becomes a bit shaky at times, which is annoying. The interview in Paris, France is scattered all over the disc, and I would have preferred the whole interview to be shown in one piece as a special feature section, especially considering the fact that there are no special features.
 
What I dislike about this set (other than no special features) is that the concert segments on this second disc are sometimes interrupted by clips of roadies preparing the stage as well as of the trio’s off-concert activities like traveling and photo shoots. Some fans may actually find these behind-the-scene clips interesting, but I for one would rather see ZZ Top’s stage performance without any interruptions (at least the music keeps on playing).
 
Undoubtedly the first disc with the full-length concert is the gem of the set. If I could evaluate these two DVDs separately, I would definitely give “Definitely then…1980” a much higher rating, whereas the second DVD “Almost Now…2008” falls below the expectations and should have included some bonus material. Obviously I cannot split the set, but I still recommend Double Down Live to longtime ZZ Top fans to complete their collection and to new fans, particularly those who have not yet seen a ZZ Top live concert.