Both artistically and commercially,
Boz Scaggs
had his greatest success with
Silk Degrees
. The laid-back singer hit the
R&B
charts in a big way with the addictive, sly
"Lowdown"
(which has been sampled by more than a few rappers and remains a favorite among baby-boomer
soul
fans) and expressed his love of
smooth soul
music almost as well on the appealing
"What Can I Say."
But
Scaggs
was essentially a pop/rocker, and in that area he has a considerable amount of fun on
"Lido Shuffle"
(another major hit single),
"What Do You Want the Girl to Do,"
and
"Jump Street."
Meanwhile,
"We're All Alone"
"Harbor Lights"
became staples on
adult contemporary
radio. Though not remarkable, the
ballads
have more heart than most of the bland material dominating that format. [A 2007 re-release added three bonus tracks, "What Can I Say," "Jump Street," and "It's Over."] ~ Alex Henderson