Boz SCAGGS - Come on Home 1997
Blues
On this prime collection of R&B and blues songs and influences from Boz Scaggs' youth -- and four new yet classic-sounding self-penned originals -- the blue-eyed soulman eschews the slick production values of his pop chart-toppers such as "Lido" and "Lowdown," instead getting way down and his hands dirty with the honest blood, sweat, and tears of the real down-home blues. Packing in tow drummer Jim Keltner, guitarist Fred Tackett (from Little Feat), and slow-burning, soulful horn arrangements by Willie Mitchell, one of the founding fathers of Memphis soul (and composer of Come On Home's title track), Scaggs' covers of songs originally composed and performed by such legends as Jimmy Reed ("Found Love"), T-Bone Walker (the legendary "T-Bone Shuffle"), Sonny Boy Williamson ("Early in the Morning") and Bobby "Blue" Bland (the thunderous "Ask Me 'Bout Nothing (But the Blues)"), along with "It All Went Down the Drain" (Earl King), and the smoldering "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" (David Porter with Isaac Hayes), are absolutely impossible to resist. Come On Home is a genuine musical treasure.
By Chris Slawecki, All Music Guide.
**
Right from his earliest work as a member of the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs has been a disciple of blues & soul, something he has never totally forgotten in any of his solo work. But of course, since 1976's mega-selling SILK DEGREES, Boz was content to make his music sound as polished as possible, creating soul-pop with a pronounced accent on "pop". However, after experiencing a creative rebirth with 1994's SOME CHANGE, Boz decided to revisit his past with an album that explored the sounds he grew up idolizing. With an album firmly grounded in R&B and blues, a title like COME ON HOME could not have possibly been bettered.
While covers albums are often the ones most avoided by an artist's fans, when done right, the result seems worth all the trouble. COME ON HOME not only proves this beyond a doubt, but Boz also created 4 original songs written & recorded in the vintage style. Clearly, Boz loves this music so much, he can tailor his own songs to the old sounds flawlessly, and that is far from an easy thing to do. Of the originals, the Stax horns-driven "Picture Of A Broken Heart" & the closing Blue Note-jazz-styled ballad "Goodnight Louise" are the biggest highlights. You'd swear that these songs were outtakes from the old days, they're that authentic-sounding. "I've Got Your Love" is almost straight from the Hi Records vaults with Boz sounding close to Al Green at times (not to mention showing off his often-overlooked guitar abilities). "After Hours" is exactly as its title claims, a downhearted blues shuffle that is perfect for any smoky club. Best of all, Boz is one White singer that can pull off these kinds of songs without trying too hard to sound Black. Again, this is a gift only a select few White singers possess, with Boz among them.
The covers range from raw Southern-styled blues to the kind of gritty soul music that was put out more by Stax Records rather than Motown. The odd song out from these covers is the jazzy take on the old standard "Love Letters", which predates Boz's standards album BUT BEAUTIFUL by 6 years. The deep Southern blues numbers given a modern makeover include Jimmy Reed's "Found Love", Sonny Boy Williamson I's "Early In The Morning" & T-Bone Walker's "T-Bone Shuffle". The first two songs pretty much retain their country blues pedigrees, while the last one has a more pronounced city blues identity with the addition of piano & horns. I wonder if Boz is a particularly big fan of Bobby "Blue" Bland, for he covers two of his songs with "Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' [But The Blues]" & "Don't Cry No More". He could easily have chosen "I Pity The Fool" or some other better-known Bland classic, but Boz did right in digging deeper into Bland's catalog for songs to recast.
Boz even heads on down to New Orleans with two Crescent City soul classics: the recently-departed Earl King's "It All Went Down The Drain" (again going for a lesser-known gem than the more-famous "Come On [Let The Good Times Roll]") & Fats Domino's "Sick & Tired". The latter tune in particular is a piano-pounding delight, Boz's version sure to have pleased even Fats himself. The gutbucket soul of labels like Stax & Hi Records is given a chance to shine with tunes that make you wonder why those labels never thought about signing up Boz back in their heyday. Syl Johnson's "Come On Home" & a 7-minute epic workout on Mable John's "Your Good Thing [Is About To End]" (later an even bigger hit for Lou Rawls) are songs Boz easily gets comfortable in, and like always, his enthusiasm & genuine love for the material comes through totally.
After 30 years in the music business, 20 of those spent employing a decidely more glossy sound than what he was brought up on, Boz Scaggs took a considerable risk in returning to the stripped-down R&B blues that first inspired him to become a musician in the first place. The old logic of "stick with what works" may have hampered most other artists' wishes to do something like this. However, Boz had reached a point in his career where he could make an album like COME ON HOME with little regard for what sold best. He was a confirmed veteran who could record COME ON HOME for himself & those devoted fans who've stuck with him through thick & thin (perhaps even for newcomers like me). While the album after this would have Boz making a slight return to the polished soul-pop that had made him a name, he still proved that he could COME ON HOME back to this roots & influences without making it just another run-of-the-mill hats-off to
who inspired you.
Eric N Andrews.
**
Jim Keltner- Drums
Boz Scaggs- Vocals, Guitar
Jim Cox- Piano, Hammond B-3 organ
Dave Matthews- Piano, Hammond B-3 organ
Freddie Washington- Bass
Ricky Fataar- Drums, Percussion
Charles Hodges- Hammond B-3 organ
Ron Stallings- Sax (Tenor)
Wayne Wallace- Trombone
Bill Ortiz- Trumpet
Monte Owens- Vocals (Background)
Norbert Stachel- Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Horns
Steve Freund- Guitar
Kitty Beethoven- Vocals (Background)
Anthony Blea- Violin
Harry Duncan- Harmonica
Otis Cooper- Background Vocals
Vince Lars- Alto saxophone
Lonnie McMillan- Sax (Tenor)
Also:
Fred Tackett- Guitar,
Ronnie Cuber- Horn, Sax (Baritone),
Tom Coster- Accordion,
Dave Ellis- Sax (Tenor).
**
01. It All Went Down The Drain 5:33
02. Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' (But The Blues) 4:39
03. Don't Cry No More 3:18
04. Found Love 3:00
05. Come On Home 3:16
06. Picture Of A Broken Heart 4:04
07. Love Letters 3:49
08. I've Got Your Love 4:35
09. Early In The Morning 4:39
10. Your Good Thing (Is About To End) 7:22
11. T-Bone Shuffle 2:44
12. Sick And Tired 4:29
13. After Hours 4:05
14. Goodnight Louise 4:02
**
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