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(More customer reviews)The rhythm section that propelled the great Atlantic soul singers like Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding...the legendary lead guitarist Duane Allman just as he was forming his great band...the keys to the kingdom were handed to the former Steve Miller Band guitarist and aspiring singer Boz Scaggs for his debut solo album in 1969...and boy oh boy did Boz ever deliver!
"Boz Scaggs" is another candidate for the greatest overlooked, unjustly forgotten album of the classic rock era. It wasn't overlooked in its own day. Back when FM radio was "free form" and could play 10 minute-long cuts, the amazing "Loan Me a Dime," a delicately soulful blues wail that evolves into a monstrous Allman guitar workout, was a staple, especially at night. But the whole album is as good as that climactic moment. "I'll Be Long Gone," which Tracey Nelson also memorably covered, is an emotional inspiration. There are many other highlights--"Look What I Got" has the emotional directness of the Band; "Sweet Release" is heavenly soul. The album is sequenced beautifully; it is almost flawless.
A lot of fans of this album like to bemoan the fact that Boz Scaggs seemed to "go commercial" in later years, especially with "Silk Degrees." I think this is the wrong way to look at his career. This album is so complete, so rich, and so thoroughly occupies the territory, what else could he have done with it? Scaggs obviously loves the whole wide expanse of soul, blues and R & B, and feels no need to settle into a single groove within that broad category. So, with each album, he explores a sound as thoroughly, creatively and thoughtfully as he can, and then, on his subsequent album, moves on to explore another aspect. "Silk Degrees" happened to be very successful, but it's just as fresh as this album, a classy, creative take on the dance music of its time. "Middle Man" went even further uptown; it is the only Steely Dan-influenced album that belongs on the same shelf with them.
Some day, a label like Rhino is going to do the kind of comprehensive job on Scaggs' career that they have done with other artists of this period, finally releasing the albums that have sunk out of sight like "Moments," unearthing some unreleased and obscure tracks that show his work with his consistently great array of sidemen, remastering (although this disk, old as it is, sounds just fine), maybe digging out some live performances (Scaggs has never released a full live album), and finally get this great artist the credit he is due.
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The incredible first album with Duane Allman on guitar and featuring his FM radio staple 'Loan Me A Dime'.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
