Note: my CD is the 2007 reissue with three live bonus tracks, recorded August 15, 1976 at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles.
The reissue's liner notes put it best:
Silk Degrees was a triumph of state-of-the-art mid-'70s West Coast cool.
I'll second that. The release was certainly one of the first hit albums in the genre that was originally known as Adult Oriented Rock, now called
Yacht Rock (and if you think that's a derogatory term, you're at the wrong blog). This is easily Scaggs' strongest album, commercially and artistically. Scaggs, then 31, teamed up with a set of musicians ten years younger: drummer Jeff Porcaro, keyboardist David Paich, and bassist David Hungate. These three high school friends would go on to to be some of the biggest L.A. session musicians of the late '70s - '80s when they weren't working with their side project,
Toto. Good call, Boz. Paich also wrote or co-wrote 6 of the album's 10 songs. Even though it was received mixed reviews (see below), the album spent a remarkable 115 weeks on the Billboard album chart. It narrowly missed the top spot, being denied by the behemoth double album sets Frampton Comes Alive and
Songs In The Key Of Life. I wasn't an LP buyer at the time (I was 9 when this was issued), but looking back, this wouldn't have been a bad choice for my first purchase.
Press of the time:
- Billboard: "A mixed bag of material, and it's all well handled by Scaggs, backup singers and band."
- CashBox: "an album that works on all counts"
- Rolling Stone: "Without solid rock as a base, Scagg's more diverse approach falters."
- Record World: "A luxurious record, in a special way"
- Stereo Review: "More like polyester"
- Robert Christgau (A-): "Scaggs is criticized for his detachment, but I say it's subtlety and I say thank god for it."
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #2
- Billboard R&B: #6
- CashBox: #2
Tracks: My favorite track is easily Lido Shuffle, but then there's the megahit Lowdown (#3 Pop, #11 AC, #5 R&B, #12 Dance, Grammy for Best R&B song), the minor hits It's Over and What Can I Say, the hit for someone else We're All Alone, and the shoulda been hit Harbor Lights. All of the aforementioned tracks have aged very well. In fact, it's a good bet you could turn on a oldies radio station and hear Lowdown today. Sure, there's a some filler here (What Do You Want The Girl To Do, Georgia), but it's better than average filler. The only tracks that seem out of place are Jump Street, which is a nod askance at Scaggs' roots and the reggae-ish Love Me Tomorrow that has an interesting chord progression that would have probably benefited from a better setting/arrangement.
The previously unreleased live bonus tracks (What Can I Say, Jump Street, and It's Over) are okay, but completely unnecessary. The kind of bonus tracks you listen to a couple of times, but don't rip to files.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In early 1977, I was obsessed with Lido Shuffle, often singing it at the top of my lungs at the most inopportune times. I had no idea what the song was about, then The Love Boat appeared on my TV and its talk of the ship's "Lido Deck" further confused my pre-teen mind. I've never bothered to figure out what the song is about (ignorance is bliss), but that doesn't keep me from still singing along with the thing at top volume. On a totally unrelated note, I should probably apologize to my family and neighbors for waking them up this morning.
