Boz Scaggs

by Boz Scaggs

Overview

Departing from the Steve Miller Band after a two-album stint, Boz Scaggs found himself on his own but not without support. Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, his friend, helped him sign with Atlantic Records and the label had him set up shop in Muscle Shoals, recording his debut album with that legendary set of studio musicians, known for their down-and-dirty backing work for Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, among many other Southern soul legends. The Muscle Shoals rhythm section, occasionally augmented by guitarist Duane Allman, gives this music genuine grit, but this isn't necessarily a straight-up blue-eyed soul record, even if the opening "I'm Easy" and "I'll Be Long Gone" are certainly as deeply soulful as anything cut at Muscle Shoals. Even at this early stage Scaggs wasn't content to stay in one place, and he crafted a kind of Americana fantasia here, also dabbling in country and blues along with the soul and R&B that grounds this record. If the country shuffle "Now You're Gone" sounds just slightly a shade bit too vaudeville for its own good, it only stands out because the rest of the record is pitch-perfect, from the Jimmie Rodgers cover "Waiting for a Train" and the folky "Look What I Got!" to the extended 11-minute blues workout "Loan Me a Dime," which functions as much as a showcase for a blazing Duane Allman as it does for Boz. But even with that show-stealing turn, and even with the Muscle Shoals musicians giving this album its muscle and part of its soul, this album is still thoroughly a showcase for Boz Scaggs' musical vision, which even at this stage is wide and deep. It would grow smoother and more assured over the years, but the slight bit of raggedness suits the funky, down-home performances and helps make this not only a great debut, but also an enduring blue-eyed soul masterpiece. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/13/2024
Label:	Friday Music
UPC:	0829421006909

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Boz Scaggs   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Duane Allman   Guest Artist,Dobro,Guitar,Slide Guitar
Irma Routen   Vocals (Background),Vocals
Gene "Bowlegs" Miller   Trumpet,Trombone,Horn Section
Al Lester   Fiddle,Violin
Jimmy Johnson   Guitar
Joyce Dunn   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Barry Beckett   Keyboards
Eddie Hinton   Dobro,Guitar,Slide Guitar
Charles Chalmers   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Horn Section
Tracy Nelson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
James Mitchell   Saxophone,Horn Section,Sax (Baritone)
Ben Cauley   Trumpet,Horn Section
Floyd Newman   Saxophone,Horn Section,Sax (Baritone)
Gene Miller   Trumpet,Trombone
David Hood   Bass
Roger Hawkins   Drums
Mary Holladay   Vocals
Joe Arnold   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Horn Section
Mary Holiday   Vocals (Background)
Jeanie Greene   Vocals (Background)
Donna Thatcher   Vocals (Background)
Mary Holliday   Vocals (Background)
Jeannie Green   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Jann Wenner   Producer
Steve Paley   Photography
Robert Kingsbury   Design
Barry Beckett   Composer
Fenton Robinson   Composer
Charles Chalmers   Composer
Boz Scaggs   Composer,Producer
Jesse Anderson   Composer
Marlin Greene   Engineer,Producer
Jimmie Rodgers   Composer
W.R. Scaggs   Composer
Tom Perry   Remixing
D. Rhodes   Composer
Mike Middlebrook   Composer
Elaine Mayes   Cover Photo,Photography