Artist: Boz Scaggs Rating: Release Date: October 07, 1997Total Time: 152:49Type: Compilation (best of)Genre: Rock
Review In his liner notes to the double-disc, two-and-a-half-hour
Boz Scaggs compilation My Time: The Anthology (1969-1997), Ben Fong-Torres writes, "There are those who, charting Boz's career, identify specific phases: rock and roll with [Steve] Miller; the early solo albums, which were as much country and blues, and pop and jazz, as they were rock; the
Slow Dancer /
Silk Degrees stage, of Boz as sweet soul singer; the nearly decade-long retrenchment and semi-retirement, and the return to rootsy blues and R&B in
Some Change and Come On Home." Fong-Torres goes on to say that this is not an incorrect way to describe Scaggs' career, but that there is more unity than it would imply: "in every phase of his career, he has remained faithful to his musical instincts." Fair enough, and that unity is reflected in the compilation, which shows that, with slight variations, Scaggs has always been interested in what might be called an evolved version of the Chicago blues, augmenting his rock sound with horn charts and prominent female background vocals, all in support of his adenoidal tenor voice. But most people would make a far simpler division in his career, between the early, harder rocking period (1968-1972) and the smooth R&B/disco period (1974-80), when he scored major hits with the singles "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" and the multi-platinum album
Silk Degrees . While including most of his chart singles (the exceptions are the minor hits "Hollywood" and "Cool Running"), the compilation attempts to de-emphasize that distinction, probably because he had much more critical respect in the earlier phase than in the later one. This is accomplished by a striking example of sequencing legerdemain. In a collection that is otherwise roughly chronological, disc one ends by following the
Silk Degrees selections recorded in 1975 with "Loan Me a Dime," a 13-minute blues workout from 1969 that prominently features
Duane Allman . Aurally, the suggestion is that whatever you may think, Scaggs didn't sell out to disco. It would have been nice if the compilers had trusted his musical instincts as much as the annotator does. That said, the collection is generous and presents most of Scaggs' major recordings across record labels, including tracks recorded for
Atlantic ,
Columbia ,
Giant , and
Virgin . ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Tracks
CD 1
CD 2
Hard Times
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (4:30)
1993
Boz Scaggs , Michael Omartian Boz Scaggs (4:05)
Jojo (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs , David Lasley , David Foster Boz Scaggs (5:52)
Isn't It Time
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (4:54)
Simone (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs , David Foster Boz Scaggs (5:08)
Breakdown Dead Ahead (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs , David Foster Boz Scaggs (4:35)
Miss Sun (Lyrics) David Paich Boz Scaggs (5:32)
Look What You've Done to Me (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs , David Foster Boz Scaggs (5:18)
Heart of Mine (Lyrics) Bobby Caldwell , Dennis Matkosky , Jason Scheff Boz Scaggs (4:14)
What's Number One? (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs , Marcus Miller , J.C. Carroll Boz Scaggs (3:59)
Drowning in the Sea of Love (Lyrics) Kenny Gamble , Leon Huff Boz Scaggs (5:02)
Sierra (Lyrics) Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (5:21)
Some Change
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (6:11)
As the Years Go Passing By [With Booker T. & the MG's]
Deadric Malone Boz Scaggs (4:46)
Just Go
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (3:01)
Goodnight Louise
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs (4:02)
Credits Clayton Ivey (Piano (Electric)), Orville Rhodes (Guitar) , John Hagen (Sax (Tenor)) , Jim Haas (Vocals (Background)) , Jim Gilstrap (Vocals (Background)) , Booker T. Jones (Organ (Hammond)) , Doug Simril (Keyboards) , John "J.R." Robinson (Drums) , David Lasley (Vocals (Background)) , Pete Carr (Guitar) , Andre Lansel (Photography) , David Foster (Synthesizer) , John McFee (Guitar (Steel)) , Michael McDonald (Vocals) , Jim Keltner (Drums) , Lorna Willard (Vocals) , Mitch Maketansky (Producer) , David Paich (Synthesizer) , Drew Zingg (Guitar) , Fred Tackett (Guitar (Acoustic)) , John Arnold (Vibraphone) , George Bohannon (Trombone) , Mike Porcaro (Bass) , Lincoln Schleifer (Bass (Acoustic)) , Phil Perry (Vocals (Background)) , David Paich (Arp) , Myrna Matthews (Vocals) , Nancy Donald (Art Direction) , Fred Jackson, Jr. (Saxophone) , Danny Caron (Guitar) , Plas Johnson (Tenor (Vocal)) , Doug Simril (Guitar) , David Foster (Keyboards) , Boz Scaggs (Producer) , Charles Chalmers (Vocals (Background)) , Donald Fagen (Fender Rhodes) , Marty Wehner (Trombone) , Marcus Miller (Rhythm Arrangements) , Gene Estes (Vocals (Background)) , Rick Marotta (Drums) , John Arnold (Vocals (Background)) , Ernie Watts (Saxophone) , Jack Laubach (Trumpet) , Paul Hubinon (Flugelhorn) , Bob Gurland (Trumpet) , Donald Fagen (Producer) , Tom Poole (Flugelhorn) , Peter Wolf (Keyboards) , Vince Lars (Sax (Alto)) , Warren Vaché (Flugelhorn) , Sharon Redd (Vocals (Background)) , Lenny Castro (Percussion) , Vic Anesini (Mastering) , Louie Shelton (Guitar (Acoustic)) , Ricky Fataar (Keyboards) , Elliot Scheiner (Producer) , James Gadson (Drums) , Steve Porcaro (Synthesizer) , Al Quaglieri (Compilation Producer) , Ben Sidran (Vibraphone) , Dave Brown (Bass) , Bill Schnee (Producer) , Ben Sidran (Keyboards) , Hooshik (Design) , Joe Sample (Keyboards) , James Jamerson (Bass) , Augie Johnson (Vocals (Background)) , Lincoln Schleifer (Bass (Electric)) , Don Henley (Vocals (Background)) , Aaron Zigman (Rhythm Arrangements) , Plas Johnson (Sax (Tenor)) , Coke Escovedo (Percussion) , Timothy B. Schmit (Vocals (Background)) , Bill Atwood (Brass) , Charles Brown (Vocals) , John McFee (Guitar) , Donna Rhodes (Vocals (Background)) , Mel Martin (Brass) , David T. Walker (Guitar) , David Brigati (Vocals) , Eddie Brigati (Percussion) , John Hagen (Vocals) , Paulette McWilliams (Vocals (Background)) , Jeff Porcaro (Drums) , Rita Coolidge Ladies Vocal Ensemble (Vocals (Background)) , Joachim Jymm Young (Keyboards) , Pat Henderson (Vocals) , Paul Rappaport (Producer) , James "Curly" Cooke (Guitar) , Jimmy Vivino (Guitar) , Joe Clayton (Conga) , Carolyn Willis (Vocals) , Boz Scaggs (Vocals) , Pete Escovedo (Percussion) , Michael Rodriguez (Drum Programming) , Al Quaglieri (Project Director) , Paul Hubinon (Trumpet) , Wayne Wallace (Trombone) , Boz Scaggs (Keyboard Programming) , Bill Atwood (Bass) , Phillip Ingram (Vocals (Background)) , Donald Fagen (Melodica) , Don Felder (Guitar) , Fred Jackson (Saxophone) , Ray Parker, Jr. (Guitar) , David Hungate (Bass) , Pat O'Hara (Brass) , Bill Ortiz (Trumpet) , David Hood (Bass) , James Ingram (Vocals (Background)) , Norbert Stachel (Sax (Tenor)) , John Arnold (Percussion) , Gene Estes (Percussion) , Joy Gilbert Manfried (Project Director) , J. Michael Rodriguez (Project Coordinator) , J. Michael Rodriguez (Keyboard Programming) , Michael McDonald (Piano) , Booker T. Jones (Organ) , David Paich (Keyboards) , Joachim Jymm Young (Organ) , Nancy Donald (Artwork) , John Pierce (Bass) , Mel Martin (Sax (Baritone)) , Duane Allman (Guitar) , Charlotte Crossley (Vocals (Background)) , Zedric Turnbough (Vocals (Background)) , John Kelson, Jr. (Saxophone) , Chris Anderson (Trumpet) , Clayton Ivey (Piano) , Michael Omartian (Keyboards) , Donald Fagen (Vocals) , Glenn Frey (Vocals (Background)) , Marty McCall (Vocals (Background)) , Pat O'Hara (Trombone) , Eddie Brigati (Vocals) , Clayton Ivey (Organ) , Donald Fagen (Piano) , George Rains (Percussion) , Chuck Findley (Trumpet) , Jeff Young (Keyboards) , Boz Scaggs (Keyboards) , Mel Martin (Flute) , Joe Porcaro (Percussion) , Rita Coolidge (Ensemble) , Roger Hawkins (Drums) , Nathan East (Bass) , Jeff Porcaro (Percussion) , Tom Coster (Accordion) , Larry Debari (Guitar) , Duane Allman (Dobro) , Jeff Young (Vocals) , Joachim Jymm Young (Vibraphone) , Dennis Coffey (Guitar) , Don Grolnick (Piano) , Ben Fong-Torres (Liner Notes) , Steve Cropper (Guitar) , David Foster (Producer) , Lisa Dal Bello (Vocals (Background)) , Lon Norman (Trombone) , Adrian Tapia (Saxophone) , Jerry Peters (Keyboards) , Clarence McDonald (Keyboards) , Donald Fagen (Mandola) , Jimmy Johnson (Guitar) , Ricky Fataar (Producer) , Rosemary Butler (Vocals (Background)) , Phoebe Snow (Vocals) , Scott Edwards (Bass) , Michael McDonald (Piano (Electric)) , Carolyn Willis (Vocals (Background)) , Myma Matthews (Vocals) , David Brown (Bass) , Dave Ellis (Sax (Tenor)) , Ed Greene (Drums) , Duane Allman (Slide Guitar) , David Brigati (Percussion) , Steve Lukather (Guitar) , Johnny Bristol (Producer) , Doug Simril (Piano) , Warren Vaché (Trumpet) , Rita Coolidge (Vocals (Background)) , Charles Brown (Piano) , Boz Scaggs (Vocals (Background)) , Jim Gillstrap (Vocals (Background)) , Annie Leibovitz (Photography) , Steve Potts (Drums) , Tom Poole (Trumpet) , Wah Wah Watson (Guitar) , Lincoln Schleifer (Bass) , Jeffrey Beck (Graphic Design) , Fred Tackett (Guitar) , John Lehman (Vocals (Background)) , Maxine Green (Vocals (Background)) , Marcus Miller (Bass) , Fred Tackett (Guitar (Rhythm)) , Stewart Levine (Producer) , Aaron Zigman (Keyboards) , Paulette Brown (Vocals (Background)) , David Paich (Mini Moog) , James "Hutch" Hutchinson (Bass) , Boz Scaggs (Drum Programming) , Ricky Fataar (Drums) , Barry Beckett (Keyboards) , Michael Rodriguez (Keyboards) , Roger E. Sandler (Photography) , Marcus Miller (Keyboards) , Dann Huff (Guitar) , Eddie Hinton (Guitar) , David Paich (Moog Bass) , Rhett Lawrence (Programming) , Marco Franchina (Photography) , Marlin Greene (Producer) , Plas Johnson (Soloist) , David Bennett Cohen (Guitar) , George Rains (Drums) , Glyn Johns (Producer) , Mel Martin (Sax (Alto)) , Moshe Brakha (Photography) , Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar) , Chuck Findley (Flugelhorn) , J. Michael Rodriguez (Drum Programming) , Jimmy Johnson (Guitar) , Jay Graydon (Guitar) , Patti Matheny (A&R) , Norbert Stachel (Sax (Baritone)) , Jann Wenner (Producer) , Dennis McDermott (Drums) , John "J.R." Robinson (Percussion) , Russ Turner (Keyboards) , Gene Estes (Vibraphone) , Louie Shelton (Guitar) , Don Grolnick (Piano (Electric)) , Bob Gurland (Vocals) , Bob Gurland (?) , Michael Melvoin (Keyboards) , Carlos Rios (Guitar) , Russell Turner (Keyboards) , Myrna Smith-Schilling (Vocals (Background)) , Stan Farber (Vocals (Background)) , Norbert Stachel (Sax (Alto)) , Hooshik (Photo Coloring) , Barry Beckett (Piano) , Boz Scaggs (Synthesizer) , Jeffrey Beck (Graphic Direction) , Michael Landau (Guitar) , Jim Cox (Piano) , Donald "Duck" Dunn (Bass) , Bill Thedford (Vocals (Background)) , Joseph Wissert (Producer) , Ronnie Cuber (Sax (Baritone)) , Mel Martin (Sax (Tenor)) , Julia Tillman (Vocals) , Darryl Johnson (Bass) , Chuck Findley (Soloist) , Greg Poree (Guitar) , Jack Laubach (Flugelhorn) , Victor Feldman (Claves) , Joachim Jymm Young (Piano) , Ricky Fataar (Percussion) , Ron Stalling (Sax (Tenor)) , Sandra Chalmers (Vocals (Background)) , Jim Hughart (Bass) , David Cohen (Guitar) , Venetta Fields (Vocals (Background)) , David Paich (Moog Synthesizer) , Boz Scaggs (Guitar) , Cornelius Bumpus (Sax (Tenor)) , Booker T. Jones (Keyboards) , King Errisson (Conga) , Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington (Bass) , David Laskey (Vocals (Background))
