Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs augmented his solid blues rock credentials and smoky blue-eyed croon with mellow Philly soul strings on his biggest seller. Silk Degrees contains the brilliant, strutting hipster taunt "Lowdown," the disco-rocking "It's Over" and the megahit "Lido Shuffle," making it the soundtrack to mid-'70s condo life, pool parties and bay cruises. Newly remastered, album cuts like "What Can I Say," "Georgia" and "Harbor Lights" (holy smokes, this guy can sing) sound better than ever, while three live bonus cuts show off Boz's energetic concert persona from the period.

Scaggs is criticized for his detachment, but I say it's subtlety and I say thank god for it. In the past, he's sometimes bought (not to mention sold) his own lushness, but this collection is cooled by droll undercurrents--white soul with a sense of humor that isn't consumed in self-parody. Inspirational Verse: "Gotta have a jones for this/Jones for that/This runnin' with the joneses, boy/Just ain't where it's at." (Grade - A-)