Lanky Texan neo-soul crooner and underrated guitar warrior Boz Scaggs was a Steve Miller Band alumnus who jumped ship to probe silky R&B instead of gritty blues, the Miller Band's original milieu, and each of his early '70s solo albums polished the mix toward this triumphant zenith. Hindsight too often devalues Silk Degrees for its snug fit with the disco aesthetic that prevailed upon its mid-'70s release, and the style's rhythmic signatures do bubble up significantly, particularly on the best-known track, "Lowdown," which can't help but risk museum-piece status if only for its ubiquity on the radio. Yet Scaggs's lyric intelligence and the skintight playing of a studio band built around what would soon become Toto (!) makes this a modern classic, as noteworthy for its ballads ("We're All Alone," "Harbor Lights") as for its workouts ("Georgia," "Lido Shuffle"), and a typically smart cover choice in a great version of Allen Toussaint's "What Do You Want The Girl to Do." --Sam Sutherland
Silk Degrees,Boz Scaggs,Sony,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop
Silk Degrees
Average customer rating:
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Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000HEZF90 Release Date: 2007-02-27 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want The Girl To Do
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
- What Can I Say
- Jump Street
- It's Over
Customer Reviews:
The sound of the '70s.......2007-04-01
"Silk Degrees" wasn't completely unprecedented, even among Scaggs catalog; he'd already been edging in this direction, bathing in the blues and soul of collaborations with Duane Allman and the Muscle Shoals rhythm section. His preceding LP, 1974's "Slow Dancer," boasted horns, strings and some embryonic disco rhythms, but it didn't have Joe Wissert's sharp production or the L.A. studio rhythm section anchored by drummer Jeff Porcaro and bassist David Hungate. The blend of Porcaro's crisp playing and Hungate's lightly funky low strings creates a propulsive groove throughout the album. Their percussive opening on "Lowdown" is just one of the album's great instrumental moments -- and a popular sample to this day.
Scaggs' songs brimmed with optimism, fitting perfectly into an America that was still re-awakening from the debacles of Vietnam and Richard Nixon, and readying itself for a bicentennial celebration. The horn charts carried the warmth of an L.A. summer, and Scaggs is - for the first time at album length - completely at ease. The album sparkles with the band's intense studio craft, but still feels effortless and organic. Scaggs' tenor fits both the mid-tempo numbers and the soaring ballads with memorable perfection. If you were an American high school student in 1976, you no doubt have fond memories of slow-dancing to the six-minute "Harbor Lights."
Legacy's 30th anniversary reissue includes new notes from Scaggs and an essay by Bud Scoppa. Three bonus tracks provide contemporaneous versions of "What Can I Say" "Jump Street" and "It's Over" from a 1976 concert at the Los Angeles Greek Theater. They're a nice coda to the original album, showing how the songs translated to live performance (good, but not as good as the studio versions), but after ten perfect tracks, the reprise is nearly superfluous. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]
Great 70's Album!.......2007-03-29
Some of the best crafted pop music of the 1970s.......2007-03-18
Tight Album.......2007-03-05
Blue-Eyed Soul Classic Remastered Finally..........2007-03-02
Average customer rating:
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Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002564 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want The Girl To Do
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Amazon.com
Lanky Texan neo-soul crooner and underrated guitar warrior Boz Scaggs was a Steve Miller Band alumnus who jumped ship to probe silky R&B instead of gritty blues, the Miller Band's original milieu, and each of his early '70s solo albums polished the mix toward this triumphant zenith. Hindsight too often devalues Silk Degrees for its snug fit with the disco aesthetic that prevailed upon its mid-'70s release, and the style's rhythmic signatures do bubble up significantly, particularly on the best-known track, "Lowdown," which can't help but risk museum-piece status if only for its ubiquity on the radio. Yet Scaggs's lyric intelligence and the skintight playing of a studio band built around what would soon become Toto (!) makes this a modern classic, as noteworthy for its ballads ("We're All Alone," "Harbor Lights") as for its workouts ("Georgia," "Lido Shuffle"), and a typically smart cover choice in a great version of Allen Toussaint's "What Do You Want The Girl to Do." --Sam SutherlandCustomer Reviews:
So Much More than I Realized!.......2007-04-14
A showcase of pure rhythm, beat and groove.......2007-02-18
"What can I say", "Georgia" and "It's Over" were all major pop hits - showcasing Boz's talent in a very upbeat and palatable fashion. Throw in the massively popular "Lido Shuffle" and you have four of the defining tracks in Boz's career. "Lowdown" is an absolute masterpiece, moreso due to the stellar backing band than Boz's singing (which is no less awesome that usual, though). They used to call Jeff Porcaro "Mr Time" - there's no question from hearing this that he layed down the best grooves in the business. It's a testament to the song that the intro to "lowdown" has been sampled countless times.
"Jump Street" is an unsual pop-rock song, with more edge than Boz's other offerings, but is not my favourite, while the other four songs "love me tomorrow", "What do you want the girl to do", "harbor lights" and "We're all alone" are out of the ballad mould. The latter three are some of the best slow ballads I can think of...Boz has an awesome voice and he really does chose his musicians well!
Overall, this album is sublime. Every single track, from slow ballad to pop masterpiece, is pure gold. However, at only 40 minutes in duration, I would totally recommend getting his "Hits" package, which includes some of his other great tunes like "Jojo" and "Heart of Mine".
So Smooth, So Very Smooth.......2006-12-22
The focus of the production is totally on Scaggs as his appreciation of R&B, soul and pop are found in Georgia, What Can I Say and Lido Shuffle. The bouncy Jump Street and his cover of Allen Toussaint's What Do You Want The Girl To Do remain underrated, solid songs.
But it is the two Scaggs-penned ballads - Harbor Lights & We're All Alone - that make the CD a beautiful classic. Simply, you are not truly in a meaningful relationship if the lyrics and music - especially in Harbor Lights - fail to subtly touch your heart. You may not be able to describe it, but you'll know.
The CD holds up marvelously 30 years after being released because of a simple, but too often elusive - formula; Scaggs has material that he believes in, session musicians are playing to bring out the vocals and the production is very clean.
This silk is very smooth.
A Classic .......2006-09-23
Time has not diminished this great album. My personal favorite songs are "Love Me Tomorrow," "Lowdown", and "It's Over" .
Sorry about the confusion with the star rating. I meant to give the album five stars, not one.
Timeless, Near-Perfect Classic -- Eclectically Brilliant.......2006-06-28
He was a jazz pianist who commented that Boz was the only "popular" artist he liked to listen to more than Oscar Peterson.
Over the years, the album keeps growing on me. I've owned and given away probably half a dozen copies. Turning a friend who has missed out on Boz Scaggs into a Boz fan is great fun. People with real musical taste who hear the guy wonder, "How did I MISS this?" Then they have the delight of being able to buy 10 other Boz Scaggs albums, each one with some great cuts.
Silk Degrees has to be heard, if for nothing else the astonishing
drum work of Jeff Porcaro. Unbelievable grooves.
Do yourself a favor. Read the other reviews here, believe them, and spend less than 9 bucks to join one of the happiest musical fraternities on the planet.
Once you are hooked, you'll want to order the concert
DVD, "Boz Scaggs Greatest Hits Live," and watch a perfectly
recorded, high definition, widescreen concert that, if anything,
actually improves on the recorded original. I kid you not!
I do have to disagree with one reviewer, who suggested Boz has
retired. Actually he is quite active, and his recent album "Dig" is one of the best pop albums of the last decade.
Average customer rating:
|
The Collection: Slow Dancer/Silk Degrees/Down Two Then Left
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BM6AUG Release Date: 2005-11-15 |
Tracks:
- You Make It So Hard (To Say No)
- Slow Dancer
- Angel Lady (Come Just in Time)
- There Is Someone Else
- Hercules
- Pain of Love
- Sail on White Moon
- Let It Happen
- I Got Your Number
- Take It for Granted
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do?
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Tracks:
- Still Falling for You
- Hard Times
- Clue
- Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man
- We're Waiting
- Hollywood
- Then She Walked Away
- Gimme the Goods
- 1993
- Tomorrow Never Came/Tomorrow Never Came (Reprise)
Customer Reviews:
The Collection: Boz Scaggs.......2007-05-12
Average customer rating: |
Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000008KG0 Release Date: 1991-07-01 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do?
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Average customer rating: |
Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000N4RB9G Release Date: 2007-04-16 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
- What Can I Say [Live][#][*]
- Jump Street [Live][#][*]
- It's Over [Live][#][*]
Average customer rating:
|
Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002A6Z Release Date: 1994-08-30 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want The Girl To Do
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Amazon.com
Lanky Texan neo-soul crooner and underrated guitar warrior Boz Scaggs was a Steve Miller Band alumnus who jumped ship to probe silky R&B instead of gritty blues, the Miller Band's original milieu, and each of his early '70s solo albums polished the mix toward this triumphant zenith. Hindsight too often devalues Silk Degrees for its snug fit with the disco aesthetic that prevailed upon its mid-'70s release, and the style's rhythmic signatures do bubble up significantly, particularly on the best-known track, "Lowdown," which can't help but risk museum-piece status if only for its ubiquity on the radio. Yet Scaggs's lyric intelligence and the skintight playing of a studio band built around what would soon become Toto (!) makes this a modern classic, as noteworthy for its ballads ("We're All Alone," "Harbor Lights") as for its workouts ("Georgia," "Lido Shuffle"), and a typically smart cover choice in a great version of Allen Toussaint's "What Do You Want The Girl to Do." --Sam SutherlandCustomer Reviews:
So Much More than I Realized!.......2007-04-14
A showcase of pure rhythm, beat and groove.......2007-02-18
"What can I say", "Georgia" and "It's Over" were all major pop hits - showcasing Boz's talent in a very upbeat and palatable fashion. Throw in the massively popular "Lido Shuffle" and you have four of the defining tracks in Boz's career. "Lowdown" is an absolute masterpiece, moreso due to the stellar backing band than Boz's singing (which is no less awesome that usual, though). They used to call Jeff Porcaro "Mr Time" - there's no question from hearing this that he layed down the best grooves in the business. It's a testament to the song that the intro to "lowdown" has been sampled countless times.
"Jump Street" is an unsual pop-rock song, with more edge than Boz's other offerings, but is not my favourite, while the other four songs "love me tomorrow", "What do you want the girl to do", "harbor lights" and "We're all alone" are out of the ballad mould. The latter three are some of the best slow ballads I can think of...Boz has an awesome voice and he really does chose his musicians well!
Overall, this album is sublime. Every single track, from slow ballad to pop masterpiece, is pure gold. However, at only 40 minutes in duration, I would totally recommend getting his "Hits" package, which includes some of his other great tunes like "Jojo" and "Heart of Mine".
So Smooth, So Very Smooth.......2006-12-22
The focus of the production is totally on Scaggs as his appreciation of R&B, soul and pop are found in Georgia, What Can I Say and Lido Shuffle. The bouncy Jump Street and his cover of Allen Toussaint's What Do You Want The Girl To Do remain underrated, solid songs.
But it is the two Scaggs-penned ballads - Harbor Lights & We're All Alone - that make the CD a beautiful classic. Simply, you are not truly in a meaningful relationship if the lyrics and music - especially in Harbor Lights - fail to subtly touch your heart. You may not be able to describe it, but you'll know.
The CD holds up marvelously 30 years after being released because of a simple, but too often elusive - formula; Scaggs has material that he believes in, session musicians are playing to bring out the vocals and the production is very clean.
This silk is very smooth.
A Classic .......2006-09-23
Time has not diminished this great album. My personal favorite songs are "Love Me Tomorrow," "Lowdown", and "It's Over" .
Sorry about the confusion with the star rating. I meant to give the album five stars, not one.
Timeless, Near-Perfect Classic -- Eclectically Brilliant.......2006-06-28
He was a jazz pianist who commented that Boz was the only "popular" artist he liked to listen to more than Oscar Peterson.
Over the years, the album keeps growing on me. I've owned and given away probably half a dozen copies. Turning a friend who has missed out on Boz Scaggs into a Boz fan is great fun. People with real musical taste who hear the guy wonder, "How did I MISS this?" Then they have the delight of being able to buy 10 other Boz Scaggs albums, each one with some great cuts.
Silk Degrees has to be heard, if for nothing else the astonishing
drum work of Jeff Porcaro. Unbelievable grooves.
Do yourself a favor. Read the other reviews here, believe them, and spend less than 9 bucks to join one of the happiest musical fraternities on the planet.
Once you are hooked, you'll want to order the concert
DVD, "Boz Scaggs Greatest Hits Live," and watch a perfectly
recorded, high definition, widescreen concert that, if anything,
actually improves on the recorded original. I kid you not!
I do have to disagree with one reviewer, who suggested Boz has
retired. Actually he is quite active, and his recent album "Dig" is one of the best pop albums of the last decade.
Average customer rating:
|
Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000DSL8 Release Date: 1994-03-22 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do?
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Customer Reviews:
The thing to which the Japanese may listen is good. .......2006-03-13
since it listened for the first time.
We 're All Alone is the highest song even if it listens now.
PS:I wanted to write the review in Japanese.
Average customer rating:
|
The Collection: Slow Dancer/Silk Degrees/Down Two
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000002AKT Release Date: 1997-08-12 |
Tracks:
- You Make It So Hard (To Say No)
- Slow Dancer
- Angel Lady (Come Just In TIme)
- There Is Someone Else
- Hercules
- Pain Of Love
- Sail On White Moon
- Let It Happen
- I Got Your Number
- Take It For Granted
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want The Girl To Do
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Tracks:
- Still Falling For You
- Hard Times
- A Clue
- Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man
- We're Waiting
- Hollywood
- Then She Walked Away
- Gimme The Goods
- 1993
- Tomorrow Never Came (Reprise)
Customer Reviews:
good overview.......2002-08-25
Awesome Boz!.......2001-03-17
Average customer rating: |
The Collection: Slow Dancer/Silk Degrees/Down Two Then Left
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002IQEVY Release Date: 2004-07-13 |
Tracks:
- You Make It So Hard (To Say No)
- Slow Dancer
- Angel Lady (Come Just in Time)
- There Is Someone Else
- Hercules
- Pain of Love
- Sail on White Moon
- Let It Happen
- I Got Your Number
- Take It for Granted
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do?
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Tracks:
- Still Falling for You
- Hard Times
- Clue
- Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man
- We're Waiting
- Hollywood
- Then She Walked Away
- Gimme the Goods
- 1993
- Tomorrow Never Came/Tomorrow Never Came (Reprise)
Average customer rating: |
Silk Degrees
Boz Scaggs Manufacturer: Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0006GAZH6 Release Date: 2005-01-03 |
Tracks:
- What Can I Say
- Georgia
- Jump Street
- What Do You Want the Girl to Do?
- Harbor Lights
- Lowdown
- It's Over
- Love Me Tomorrow
- Lido Shuffle
- We're All Alone
Album Details
Digitally remastered Japanese release.Rap Music:
- So Far So Good
- So [Original recording remastered]
- Some Devil
- Something About Airplanes
- Songs From the Wood [Original recording remastered]
- Speak [Enhanced]
- Stand Up [Original recording remastered]
- Still Not Getting Any... [Enhanced] [Limited Edition]
- Take It All Away [Enhanced]
- The All-American Rejects [Enhanced]
Recommended Music:
Ibiza Club Convention V.1 [Import]
Senza Ritorno [Enhanced] [Import]
Plays the Music of Luis Miguel
The Definitive Collection [Import]