Sunday, July 05, 2009

Boz

Back when he was at the height of his popularity, I did not care much for Boz Scaggs, to the extent that I knew him from the radio. It wasn't until I discovered "Loan Me A Dime" on The Duane Allman Anthology that I realized that there was a lot of soul there, and what had put me off earlier had more to do with the cheesy production of his hits.

So thanks, John Cole, for the reminder. Here is "Breakdown Dead Ahead."

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Here is "Look What You've Done to Me." Don't miss the awesome ending.

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Here is "Lido Shuffle," the song of his that used to bug me most, but which I like much better now, especially hearing it stripped down, with guitars and drums turned up in the mix. (And yes, I say "stripped down" while aware that there are two keyboard players, background singers, and a horn section. Tells you something about how the original version came across to me.)

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And here is a recent performance of "Loan Me A Dime," where Boz joined an incarnation of The Allman Brothers Band, featuring a guitar player whom I don't know,* but who seems to have spent some time listening to Duane's records. Low volume, and in two parts, but worth it. Turn it up.

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Okay, don't forget to turn your volume back down, lest you get new mail, and a heart attack.



* [Added] That's Derek Trucks, as it turns out, and yes, he's related. Butch is his uncle.

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