Boz Scaggs, "Silk Degrees"

Mitch takes one more for the road

, and

Nov 17, 2021

Mitch’s Pitch:

Like most kids, I was taught not to judge a book by it’s cover, and like most kids, I took that advice quite literally: I bought, sold, and read many books with terrible covers and never once did I judge a book by its cover (although CJ and I definitely judged shoppers at the old Waldenbooks in Needham for their terrible purchases!)

However, no one ever said anything about judging record albums by their cover, and I picked a ton of records (and avoided many others) based purely on their graphic design. I remember the first time I saw the cover to The Byrds’ Greatest Hits and was hypnotized by Crosby’s walrus mustache and crazy fur hat. I first fell in love with the Dead because I adored the ice cream kid from Europe ‘72. And my Dad’s copy of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass’ Whipped Cream and Other Delights made me a man long before my Bar Mitzvah.

Surprisingly, it was Boz Scaggs’ album covers that beguiled me the most. Boz always looked so cool and sophisticated, dressed in suits and tuxedos, often with a mysterious woman barely in frame. Somehow, me, a guy who pioneered the “work short” and cries at the very thought of wearing pants that require a belt, was smitten by Boz’s sartorial splendor, which ultimately led me down the path to being one of Boz’s loudest and proudest superfans.

###

The first time I saw Boz Scaggs live, after years of anticipation, I was out of my mind with excitement. After the usual pregaming (fair warning: there’s not much of a shakedown scene outside of Boz shows) we went into Harbor Lights just as the show was starting. I started hooting and hollering like a lunatic until I realized that I was quite literally the only person in the crowd who was: a) standing; b) screaming; c) not wearing Dockers; and d) under 70. I like to think that Boz appreciated my youthful enthusiasm, even if my new concert buddies didn’t.

###

The cover to Boz’s 1976 breakthrough album Silk Degrees perfectly encapsulates the themes contained within. A forlorn (but fabulous) Boz looks to the side, either in despair or regret, while a woman’s hand is barely on the bench - either reaching for or leaving him. Love desired (“What Can I Say”), love unrequited (“What Do You Want Me To Do”) and love spoiled (“Love Me Tomorrow”) are all possibilities. The “Harbor Lights” are just over the horizon, and it’s safe to assume that a bag of cash from Lido’s last job (“Lido Shuffle”) is somewhere just out of view (Boz loves a caper almost as much as he loves love.)

Of course, it takes more than a beautiful, evocative, and mysterious cover to get into the hallowed halls of the Newbury St. Collection. It takes great songs, excellent performances and a dash of innovation to achieve the highest honor in the music industry. And lucky for us, Boz delivers on all counts.

###

For a time there in the late ‘70s, it seemed like everyone was doing it. Freshening up their sound by embracing choppy basslines, scratchy guitars, and lots of hi-hats to create a danceable beat. Whether these aging rockers were genuinely inspired or cynically cashing in on the popularity of disco, things definitely got a little more funky. It was fun while it lasted, but it was just a fad.

But Boz was different. Where others merely added disco elements to their music, Boz completely reinvented his sound and created something truly unique by combining the slick, sexy appeal of disco with his deep love and respect for rhythm & blues and soul. Harnessing his incredible vocal control and range and leaning on the deft musical chops of the guys from Toto (they’re back again!) Silk Degrees was both a revelation and a natural progression in his career.

I love everything about this album - the vibe, the production, the backing vocals, the orchestration and of course, Boz. The hits (“Lido Shuffle”, “Lowdown”, “It’s Over”, “What Can I Say”) are great but so are the lesser-known tunes like “Georgia”, “Harbor Lights”, and the impossibly gorgeous ballad “We’re All Alone” (take it from me - don’t try to sing that one at karaoke). Ironically, only “Jump Street” falls a little short - the only real blues tune from the man who gave us the classic “Loan Me a Dime”.

###

Gentlemen, not to cast aspersions, but over the last few weeks we’ve let some dodgy characters into Newbury St. I think it’s time we class up the joint a bit. How about we add a nicely tailored suit to all of the leather pants and codpieces?

CJ’s Response:

I used to tease Mitch every time he announced that he was going on his yearly pilgrimage to see Boz Scaggs in concert.

“How many times do you need to hear ‘Lido Shuffle’?” I’d jab.

“How many times do you need to hear ‘Tom Sawyer’?” he’d shoot back.

Touché.

***

I never really thought much about Boz beyond his cool name, the few songs that I knew and the real or imagined memory that Johnny Fever wore a Boz Scaggs t-shirt on WKRP in Cincinnati. So, I was kind of excited when Mitch threw Silk Degrees at us last week.

Without studying the track list, I hit play and settled in for an hour of Boz. Three songs in, I began to doubt that I had the right album because so far it, uh, sucked. Like maybe I had inadvertently dialed up Foz Baggs or Coz Slaggs. I double checked and, sure enough, I was listening to Boz blurble his way through “Jump Street”, “What Do You Want The Girl To Do?” and “Harbor Lights”. I was once again reminded of songs that felt like they were used for ‘70s TV theme music. A bit bummed out, I fired off a text to Mitch and Ken.

“Listening to ‘Harbor Lights’ right now. They sound like the lobby band at the cocktail hour of the Feldstein Bar Mitzvah.”

Side Note: If you’re ever invited to a fancy Bar Mitzvah party with a sit-down dinner, DO NOT miss the cocktail hour. Pass arounds usually include lamb chop lollipops, pigs in a blanket, potato latkes and, if you’re lucky, vegetarian egg rolls. It totally blows the sit-down part away.

But all of a sudden, the tide turned. Here was “Lowdown” and “It’s Over” and echoes of Steely Dan in “Love Me Tomorrow” and, of course, “Lido”. It was fantastic! Like an AM Gold orgy. Where was all this earlier?

So now I have a conundrum. Can I, in good conscience, let half of a great album onto Newbury St.? Hang on. I’m gonna give it another listen. Be right back.

***

Verdict: I think you overplayed the soft rock hand. Al Stewart was a revelation. Boz was a letdown.

Sorry Mitch.

Pitch Failed (If it’s any consolation, I’d wear the t-shirt.)

Ken’s Response:

Mitch invited me to see Boz Scaggs with him sometime in 2015-2018. The optimist in me wants to tell you that the show was at some sold-out venue in the Theater District of Boston, but the realist-with-a-terrible-memory knows it was 80% full and it was in a place we call Lynn (“Lynn-Lynn the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in”). Lynn is to Boston as Sloth was to the Fratelli Gang in The Goonies, except Lynn never becomes the hero.

It was great to be at a concert and be the youngest person in the room, a feat which hadn’t occurred since I saw the original Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band in the summer of 1989. The highlight of the evening though was an older woman sitting one row in front of us, who was basically comatose for the first hour of the show. Then “Lido Shuffle” started, and she turned into a 17 year old girl watching The Beatles at Shea Stadium. And isn’t that exactly what Silk Degrees does to us?

I don’t like this album as much as Mitch does, but I also disagree with CJ that it’s half of a great album. I think it provides us with some songs that are slightly on the boring side like “Georgia” and “What Do You Want the Girl To Do”, but it also has some jump-up-out-of-your-seat-and-dance tracks. If you’re not tapping your feet to “What Can I Say”, “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle”, you’re doing it all wrong.

The closing track is the gorgeous “We’re All Alone”. It’s a beautiful ballad but for me it falls extremely short, and that’s largely due to Boz’s really strange falsetto vocals that make me extremely uncomfortable. There’s something about it that’s just awkward and makes me want to hit the “skip” button.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any tracks after that to skip to, so…

Pitch failed (you’re all alone, Mitchy)

Mitch’s pitch was not successful and Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees has been exiled back to Slim’s Place!

What can I say? These jokers have broken this heart of mine but you can Cadillac walk over to the comments section and give us the dirty lowdown on Silk Degrees. You can have me anytime, but will you love Boz tomorrow?

Exile on Newbury St.

Discussion about this post