Boz Scaggs - C/D?

I have to thank this thread and a coworker of mine for making me figure out he was the guy singing "Lido Shuffle" (and what the song itself was called) -- a mystery I rank on the level of figuring out that the one song was called "Baker Street" and was sung by Gerry Rafferty.

can I saw how great "Harbor Lights" is? Thanks.

oh HELL yes

I never did buy Silk Degrees, John: I chose the updated Hits instead, which has got his not-so-good '88 Top 40 single. I shouldn't have been so shocked that apart from the singles I knew the guy is some kind of near genius.

I can't listen to Danny Wilson again either.

there is no better amusement park song than "Lowdown"...

if all you ever did in your entire life was the 3:57 featured in this youtube clip, your classic status would be unimpeachable:

check out j. porcaro. he's probably like 20 in this.

Yes, this is an absolute classic. Love Boz's dance as he comes out on stage - folks had much better moves way back when. Also, love the reveal of the orchestra. When was the last time a band unveiled a funky orchestra in such a dramatic fashion?

note: that's new year's eve, oakland 1976. kind of the perfect storm of awesome, that show.

haha this:

nice build up. ends with what appears to be the same NYE show from above.

"Jojo"

TS: Scaggs vs. Fagen

John D's and others comments have made me resolve to pick up the two albums I constantly see by him in the used record shop down the road.

"Silk Degrees" and the other one with the white cover with the photo in the middle... 1 euro each..

I have to thank this thread and a coworker of mine for making me figure out he was the guy singing "Lido Shuffle" (and what the song itself was called) -- a mystery I rank on the level of figuring out that the one song was called "Baker Street" and was sung by Gerry Rafferty.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:52 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ha, I went through the same process right around the same time! Was one of those "what the hell IS that" for the longest time, because, I mean, who would guess to google "Lido" and not, y'know "Leo" or "Woah oh"?

Song never fails to put me in a good mood though.

Did Warren G. sample "Jojo" in one of his tracks?

the other one with the white cover with the photo in the middle

Is it Slow Dancer or Down Two Then Left? Slow Dancer's good-not-great (opening track fantastic though and more gems throughout) but Down Two is nearly as good as Silk Degrees.

"What Do You Want The Girl To Do!!!

Thanks so much, John.

It's this one which looks like Down Two Then Left..

http://img.mp3fiesta.com/covers/12/12417/alb_65400_big.jpg

Thanks John.. Will go find these two tomorrow..

Great sleeve design - which is what actually attracted me to the record in the first place..

Those two new years clips are fucking awesome. What a shit hot band Boz had.

holy shit, the live tracks on the Silk Degrees reissue smoke.

I think I'll need to get that Silk Degrees reish after having seen those live clips. It's funny, I've been meaning to pick it up on vinyl for years (rare is the used bin that has no copy), but recently chanced on the two cd anthology from '97 at an antique shop for a few bucks. It has like 2/3s of SD on it already, so my quest ended. I'd unintentionally known "We're All Alone" for years via the Rita Coolidge cover, but never linked it as the same song Boz did (and wrote). I've got the early albums on vinyl. The first few Columbia ones weren't out long on cd in the states.

gah i need to upgrade my silk degrees vinyl.. i should at least trade in my cd for the new remaster; i've heard the sound and liner notes are really top notch.

that 2cd anthology you mention is really the shit; i don't think it's available anymore, which is a shame.

his new album is a diana krall type jazz standards snoozer.. he pulls it off, i'll give him that.

I have to thank this thread and a coworker of mine for making me figure out he was the guy singing "Lido Shuffle" (and what the song itself was called) -- a mystery I rank on the level of figuring out that the one song was called "Baker Street" and was sung by Gerry Rafferty.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:52 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ha, I went through the same process right around the same time! Was one of those "what the hell IS that" for the longest time, because, I mean, who would guess to google "Lido" and not, y'know "Leo" or "Woah oh"?

Song never fails to put me in a good mood though.

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:45 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

I used to sing "whoa-oh-a-ohhhhh" constantly form memmory, but couldn't figure out what it was until recently after hearing it in Ikea and going on a mad google+youtube+wiki hunt.

When I found it was on Silk Degrees, an album I own on vinyl (solely to play Lowdown in clubs), I felt ridiculously dumb.

Have always loved this album cover, but can someone explain to me what's going on? Has he gotten over his shyness (on the front sleeve) to join (on the back) the woman attached to that hand?

I've been working on trying to play the shuffle beat from "Lido Shuffle" these last few days. Let me tell ya, it's a bitch!

recently picked up his second or third album - "Moments" - from 71. could easily fit in the west coast post-country/folk thread or even the balearic beach cannon thread. pretty nice.

Got Middle Man (home of "Jojo" and "Breakdown Dead Ahead") this afternoon.

Another iconic cover:

http://img.snowrecords.com/lp/4/36764.jpg

"Look What You Done To Me" = supermarket fare for the ages

Nice guy, btw

I assumed he was a reggae artist for ages based on his name.

Harbor Lights is killing me

but seriously, I cannot stop listening to Silk Degrees.

It is perfect. It slays me every time.

His writing is great too, deceptively simple and giving you whole story arcs in a song, like Georgia...and even the phrasing, nothing seems crammed in, everything hangs together so, 'right'... He seems kind of underrated in that department.

I think he's underrated there because his writing is sometimes pretty bad, too - one misstep counts against you hard on that front, and he gets clunkers. Xgau can't stand Boz lyrically.

in 2003 i loved boz, in 2011 i still love the boz.

Silk Degrees is outright unfuckwithable. I really like Down Two Then Left too; it's not completely impeccable like Silk Degrees, but the good songs are insanely awesome ("Still Falling For You"!).

How is the first album? Duane Allman + Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section sounds pretty kickass on paper...

thank you so much, aero

man it is such a pleasure! discovering Silk Degrees in my late twenties was a HUGE revelation to me - it feels like it maps out a whole geography of emotional territory that's if not alien to pop, usually tangential to it, and just makes it the focus. and then "we're all alone" takes grown-up longing & regret and just blows it up widescreen. top 5 album for me!

I heard Rita Coolidge's version of "We're All Alone" a few days ago at the market, actually.

I love how "We're All Alone" just verges on treacle yet doesn't place a foot wrong.

total tightwire act! I think "no need to bother now" is so devastating that it sort of shores up space against any other directions the other phrases tend toward

Boz' first album is good but it didn't really grab me the way his later stuff did. the must-haves IMO are Silk Degrees, Down Two Then Left, My Time, and Slow Dancer, then a few outlier songs (Jojo!)

The wife and I are fierce Silk Degrees converts for two or three years now... I'm another one who tips my hat to aero a little whenever I kick back with this perfect beast.

I think it was the Lido Shuffle that set me off in search of Silk Degrees, but yeah aero definitely set me straight on its unfuckwithableness

Middle Man is excellent when he isn't shouting over power chords.

Xgau can't stand Boz lyrically.

^ I always was curious as to why I liked Boz Scaggs so much, now I know.

He likes SD a lot though:

Silk Degrees [Columbia, 1976]
Scaggs is criticized for his detachment, but I say it's subtlety and I say thank god for it. In the past, he's sometimes bought (not to mention sold) his own lushness, but this collection is cooled by droll undercurrents--white soul with a sense of humor that isn't consumed in self-parody. Inspirational Verse: "Gotta have a jones for this/Jones for that/This runnin' with the joneses, boy/Just ain't where it's at." A-

I see the A minus, but I have no fucking clue what the rest of it means. what does "In the past, he's sometimes bought (not to mention sold) his own lushness" even mean? I cant for the life me understand what the hell he is talking about there.

I think he's talking about to which degree Boz seems to either be immersed in his schtick or, like Bryan Ferry, both immersed in it & winking (with the listener) at it. Earlier Boz wasn't as many-levels-of-persona as SD.

_boz scaggs_

how do we feel about some change? i think it’s rather good. good tunes, diverse sounds, his voice sounds really cool. thumbs up. “sierra” has gotta be up there with the top boz ballads.

Prob somewhere upthread, but I was always pretty taken with this, esp. the shift (which galvanizes but doesn't bust the vibe), when Duane Allman eventually shows up (spoiler)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGGvlTXGERA

Some have wings and others sing
The rest do lazy ballets in the air

Boz rocks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8R19JVuwmQ