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Silk Degrees

Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees Audio CD

A fair review of the Boz Scaggs "Silk Degrees" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Boz Scaggs reviews here, or go back to the Boz Scaggs tabs.

Band: Boz Scaggs
Title: Silk Degrees
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: What Can I Say 2: Georgia 3: Jump Street 4: What Do You Want the Girl to Do? 5: Harbor Lights 6: Lowdown 7: It's Over 8: Love Me Tomorrow 9: Lido Shuffle 10: We're All Alone

"Silk Degrees" Boz Scaggs
Four-deep, Silk Degrees had four charted hit singles in 1976, in an era spinning with `singles' vinyl. Silk Degrees from Boz Scaggs is a classic album from the heart of the Classic era of Rock.
"Lido Shuffle", "Low Down", "We're All Alone", " What Can I Say", and
"Georgia", harmonizes into the cultural backdrop when memories revive that Bi-Centennial era back into a clearer focus. . .
"We're All Alone" gave further mileage to Silk Degrees in 1977, poignantly covered in a longing, loving lament by Rita Coolidge.
Especially, specifically and to the point, what Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees means to this reviewer is exemplified in this magical lyrical riff from "Georgia":------"Your Daddy was high the night he dreamed of you"(!) "Georgia, the stars were flying the night that you came through. Christmas in your eyes. . . " Oh, what a nice surprise. Pure poetry!--pure inspired lyrical genius from the Boz; distilled to send shockwaves down the nape of the neck; distilling spirits into poetry like Highland peat-roasted 12 year old Scotch. . . Or like an early-morning-in-August drive across the Golden Gate, returning from a long, extended night out, and watching as the reign of grey sullen fog succumbs to the sun-drenched, cement-spired City; that golden mirage moored across the Bay. Pure poetry. . . "Silk Degrees", Boz Scaggs ( and Company ), at their best. . .

.

A Classic, Without Question!
This is truly one of my favorite albums of all time. . it's a classic to me in that I seldom find an album in which every song appeals to me. . . often one or two songs, but not an entire album! Over the years, I have often thought that if I were stranded on a desert island with only one album to have in my possession, this would be it.

The quality of the lyrics and rhythms is superb, from the smooth, cool lines of "Lowdown" to the rockin' and boppin' of "Lido Shuffle" to the easy comfort of "Georgia". Of course, not to be missed are the beautiful slow romantic melodies of "Harbor Lights" and "We're All Alone" (which was quickly picked up by the likes of Cecilio and Kapono on their wonderful "Night Music" album, and Rita Coolidge on her "Anytime Anywhere" album). From "What Can I Say" to "Jump Street" to "It's Over", there's not a bad song to be had! In my opinion, I think this represents the absolute best from a truly great artist!.

So Much More than I Realized!
Whatever label makes 'em happy! I get happy by simply listening to the music. Who knew Boz Scaggs had MORE songs as good as, if not better than, 'Lido Shuffle'? I leave it to the critics to decide if it's R&B, blue eyed soul or disco. A great example of the feel-good pop of the 70's, before everyone began carrying an enormous chip on their shoulder; it would be a real shame to see this album fade into utter obscurity. With our current diet of bland corporate mush, brought to you by advertising-engineered 'stars' like Spears, Lohan, Simpson et al, CDs like this shine even more brightly. It may be pop music, but it was TALENTED pop music, and that no longer seems to be a prerequisite. .

A showcase of pure rhythm, beat and groove
Perhaps its the fact that he sometimes sounds amazingly like Kermit the Frog but Boz Scaggs has a unique knack for making some memorable and amazingly catchy tunes. With a crystal clear voice and a rhythm section with talent to boot, Boz Scaggs scored well with this ten track classic album. This is in no small part due to the quality of his session players (who would later form the brilliant Toto) who churn out the tighest grooves over which Boz wails to his hearts content. Indeed the late drummer Jeff Porcaro's talent would shine through on a number of tracks here and it's no coincidence that this is arguably Boz's most successful release to date. So, how about the tracks:

"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
Boz Scaggs turns in a legendary performance in the album that peaked at number two in the Billboard pop chart. In about 40 minutes of music for 10 songs, you will find out what it means for a vocalist to truly appreciate and interpret the lyrics that are sung.

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. .

You can see a complete list of all Boz Scaggs discography, or go back to the Boz Scaggs tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.