50 Years of Soul Power

Posted February 20, 2013 by J Matthew Cobb in Features

Boz Scaggs
Silk Degrees
(Columbia; 1976)

When looking at this disc, go ahead and throw that fucking misnomer of blue-eyed soul out the window. Silk Degrees, one of the under-appreciated brilliant albums of the ‘70s, is soul music with a little bit of everything – from Philly soul (“What Do You Want the Girl to Do?”) to Elton John rock n’ roll (“Jump Street”) to proto-Toto (“Lido Shuffle”). “Lowdown,” obviously the album’s signature tune, is embroiled in a dangerous case of disco funk – it almost sounds like something lifted off of Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall. “It’s Over Now” and “Georgia” both play with the sensibilities of rock/jazz band Chicago, while “Love Me Tomorrow” features a feisty reggae gusto set to disco. By the time Scaggs wraps the album with the heartfelt AC-sounding “It’s Over Now,” he seems comfortable in his new skin, especially with Steely Dan recruits (later to become Toto) encircling his every move in the studio. Before Hall & Oates broke out the box with their successful rock n’ soul style, Scaggs clearly gave them something to marvel at.