Silk Degrees


Silk Degrees is the seventh album by Boz Scaggs, released on Columbia Records in 1976. The album peaked at No. 2 and spent 115 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has been certified five times platinum by the RIAA and remains Scaggs's best selling album. Silk Degrees spawned four singles. "It's Over", "Lowdown", and "Lido Shuffle" made the Top 40, while "What Can I Say" peaked at No. 42.

Background

The album was recorded at Davlen Sound Studios and Hollywood Sound Studios in Los Angeles. Among the accompanying musicians, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, and David Hungate became members of Toto, while Fred Tackett became a member of Little Feat. The album marked Scaggs's commercial zenith, a mix of pop rock, soul , and ballads.

Release and reception

"Lowdown" reached the top 5 on the club play, black, disco, and pop charts and also did respectably on the AC chart, with its peak at #3 on the pop chart. It earned a Grammy Award, as the Best R&B Song at the Grammy Awards of 1977, and the song is an airplay staple to this day, particularly on AC, oldies, and smooth jazz radio stations. "It's Over", "What Can I Say", and "Lido Shuffle" reached #38, #42 and #11, respectively, on the pop chart. Scaggs also received Grammy nominations for Album of the Year, Best LP Package, Best Pop Vocal by a Male, and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Male for "Lowdown".
Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1976, Robert Christgau praised the album as "white soul with a sense of humor that isn't consumed in self-parody." Alex Henderson of music database website AllMusic noted that Scaggs "hit the R&B charts in a big way with the addictive, sly "Lowdown" and expressed his love of smooth soul music almost as well on the appealing "What Can I Say."" However, Henderson stated that "Scaggs was essentially a pop/rocker, and in that area he has a considerable amount of fun." He concluded: "Though not remarkable, the ballads have more heart than most of the bland material dominating that format."
On February 27, 2007, Silk Degrees was reissued by Legacy Records with three bonus tracks recorded live at the Greek Theatre on August 15, 1976.

Track listing

Side one
Side two

2007 bonus tracks

Personnel

Production personnel

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Singles

Certifications