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Boz Scaggs - Down Two Then Left Audio CD

A fair review of the Boz Scaggs "Down Two Then Left" 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.

Boz Scaggs Band: Boz Scaggs
Title: Down Two Then Left
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-04-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Still Falling for You 2: Hard Times 3: Clue 4: Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man 5: We're Waiting 6: Hollywood 7: Then She Walked Away 8: Gimme the Goods 9: 1993 10: Tomorrow Never Came/Tomorrow Never Came (Reprise)

Boz Sure Had The Goods
That's a deep thing to say for a guy who had started his career with rootsy blues and pop styles of his debut Boz Scaggs. Boz Scaggs once described his mid 70's musical period as going for a conteporary sound that was not an "old timey thing" but what was contemporary at the time. It shows he understood that his music of choice R&B was progressive and that was why he extended that idea into Silk Degrees,his commercial breakthrough which made him a household name. Wheras that excellent album focused largely on ballads and even a couple heavy rockers this follow up was entirely different. Written along with his keyboard player Michael Omartian,along with Toto alumni Jeff Porcoro and guitar wiz Ray Parker Jr. this album is Boz's full on funk album. The emphasis is on songs with shifting harmonies and tempos,not fixed ones and he keeps the balladry to something of a minimum here. He's also done something very interesting in blending some of the orchestral sounds of Barry White and Gamble/Huff along with some of vital chord progressions of a Stevie Wonder. "Still Falling For You","Whatcha' Gonna Tell Your Man" and the excellent "Hollywood" are all great examples of the sounds:spirallingly upbeat tunes sung with a strengh that show that while his main claim to fame has tended to be with mellow stuff that Boz MORE than has the stuff for writing and singing out the faster jams. "Hard Times" and the powerful "A Clue" really show the prominance of Ray Parker Jr. in the production and really give up the funk a bit harder in the pop context. There are three songs here that are simply amazing. "Gimme The Goods" is a huge dyanamic melody with this strong melodramatic chorus that emmediatly catches your attention. On "1993" there's a similar beat to his earlier hit "Lido Shuffle" but the overall feel is a funk one wheras this demanding keyboard riffs take the place of the loud guitars. This is a song that in the arrangement shows the strong Stevie Wonder influence. "We're Waiting" is an excellent,extended jazz-funk jam that puts Boz and his band right in sync with eachother. The two ballads are "Than She Walked Away" and "Tomorrow Never Came". Both are great but the latter is the superior in that it again brings that Wonder influence of using contemporary keyboards in a classically inclined string context in a soul tune;it's not as obvious here but it really enhances the composition. From my point of view this was the beginning of a great but enevitably unexplored direction in Boz's long and thankfully fruitful career. Pretty much anything the man does-much as with Wonder,George Clinton,Rod Temperton or Al Green is going to draw me to it like a magnet. Fact is though this is one of his most artistically satisfying of his first decade as a solo artist well as likely being his funkiest.


down two then left
This is the album I remember from years ago, and the sound is fantastic, the transition from lp to cd is unusually superb!.


Still Hip After All These Years
However, it has really had a popularity resurgence since the day. I remember when it was released back in '77 and so many folks were disappointed. Its so hip. . . . so urban. . . its hard to believe that us soul funksters missed the genius of the tunes!
Also, its got some of the best background vocals I have ever heard. Its a real pleasure to step back and listen to it again.
Remember that song "A Clue". . . ?
Imagine that song playing while quaffing some Dom with that special lady and then the dozen roses come on out. . . yeah!!!
Just a great, great cd Boz Scaggs!
Greg

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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.

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