Departing from
the Steve Miller Band
after a two-album stint,
Boz Scaggs
found himself on his own but not without support.
Rolling Stone
publisher
Jann Wenner
, his friend, helped him sign with
Atlantic Records
and the label had him set up shop in
Muscle Shoals
, recording his debut album with that legendary set of studio musicians, known for their down-and-dirty backing work for
Aretha Franklin
and
Wilson Pickett
, among many other
Southern soul
legends. The
rhythm section, occasionally augmented by guitarist
Duane Allman
, gives this music genuine grit, but this isn't necessarily a straight-up
blue-eyed soul
record, even if the opening
"I'm Easy"
"I'll Be Long Gone"
are certainly as deeply soulful as anything cut at
. Even at this early stage
Scaggs
wasn't content to stay in one place, and he crafted a kind of
Americana
fantasia here, also dabbling in
country
blues
along with the
soul
R&B
that grounds this record. If the
shuffle
"Now You're Gone"
sounds just slightly a shade bit too
vaudeville
for its own good, it only stands out because the rest of the record is pitch-perfect, from the
Jimmie Rodgers
cover
"Waiting for a Train"
and the folky
"Look What I Got!"
to the extended 11-minute
workout
"Loan Me a Dime,"
which functions as much as a showcase for a blazing
as it does for
Boz
. But even with that show-stealing turn, and even with the
musicians giving this album its muscle and part of its soul, this album is still thoroughly a showcase for
' musical vision, which even at this stage is wide and deep. It would grow smoother and more assured over the years, but the slight bit of raggedness suits the funky, down-home performances and helps make this not only a great debut, but also an enduring
masterpiece. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine