Track Listing

1. Payday
2. Sarah
3. Miss Riddle
4. I Just Go
5. Desire
6. Call That Love
7. King Of El Paso
8. You're Not
9. Vanishing Point
10. Thanks to You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107907 in Music
• Released on: 2007-03-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Album Description
Co-produced by Boz Scaggs, David Paich (Member of Toto and collaborator on Silk Degrees) and Danny Kortchmar (guitarist for Don Henley and James Taylor)

Dig, originally released in 2001 on Virgin Records, is now available on Gray Cat Records. The critically-acclaimed album features contributions by Roy Hargrove (D'Angelo) on trumpet, Ray Parker Jr. and Steve Lukather on guitars, Nathan East on bass and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards.

Dig, in sum, is an album that both reaches back to the essential elements of Boz Scaggs' artistry as it points the way to a fresh installment in a lifetime dedicated to music. The result is ten original tracks that together comprise the artist's most assured and accessible collection since his 1976 landmark Silk Degrees.

Amazon.com
He didn't go so far as to call it Silk Degrees II, but Dig is as close as Boz Scaggs is likely to come to recording the sequel to his most commercially successful and, for many, best-loved record (unless you count 1977's underrated follow-up, Down Two Then Left). Reunited after all these years with Silk Degrees collaborator David Paich, Scaggs makes a successful return to the blue-eyed soul of his late-'70s works on tracks such as "Desire" and "Thanks to You," the latter featuring tastefully muted trumpet work from Roy Hargrove. Elsewhere, a tuneful "Call That Love" bounces along over a "Lowrider"-style groove, while "Get on the Natch" and "You're Not" are apparent attempts by Scaggs and Danny Kortchmar (who coproduced with Paich) to fuse blues and hip-hop. There's even something for fans of Paich's old band, Toto, whose pristine pop stylings circa "Africa" are echoed on "Vanishing Point," arguably one of this album's best cuts. True, nothing here may be quite as poppy as "Georgia" or as pretty as "Harbor Lights," but Scaggs deserves credit for trying to evoke the spirit of Silk Degrees without merely pandering to his past. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews

Boz gets funky, bluesy
The sound of Boz Scaggs' new album is the sound of the night, but it's a stylish Uptown evening. Simply called Dig, the CD features nearly an hour's worth of polished tunes that fit comfortably in the region between blues, jazz, pop, and R&B. There are many good songs, but the absolute highlight is "Desire," a juicy soul ballad with Boz's silky-smooth vocals, a snaky rhythm section, subtle electric guitar, and lush keyboards. Boz has always been the master of the ballad - "We're All Alone," "Look What You've Done To Me," etc. - and "Desire" is certain to become one of his most requested songs. Another interesting track is "Get on the Natch," a bluesy, funky track that sounds very much like something Don Henley might have recorded (not surprising since it was co-written with frequent Henley collaborator Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar). On the song, Scaggs mutters a twisted rap against a pounding rhythm and sinewy bass, uttering humorous lines like "Pretty soon you're gonna need a new wardrobe to cover your big new _ss." Besides Kootch's participation, the album features several other notables such as Steve Lukather (from Toto), jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove Jr., and good ol' Steve Jordan.

I Dig "Dig" by Boz Scaggs
"Dig" is the best album Boz Scaggs has released in many years. I only rated it 4 stars because of the hip-hop flavored song "Get On The Natch", which sounds out of place on the album. "Payday" starts things off with a nice groove, and Boz's voice has lost none of its bluesy expressiveness. "Miss Riddle" sounds like it could have been an out-take from the album "Silk Degrees." For me, the best song on the album is "Vanishing Point." It's about a traveler on a lonely desert road going to Vegas, who stops to pick up a hitchhiker. The journey serves as a metaphor for all of life's losers who keep trying to hit it big. "I was just another deadbeat loser there the last time. I couldn't even read the signs. But I've got this feeling and there's magic in the cards now. I'm going back to take what's mine." The album closes out with "Thanks To You", a jazzy ballad recalling the glory days of jazz-rock fusion. Thanks to Boz Scaggs for a very good album!

Boz is back!!
Boz Scaggs wrote music that I grew up to. With a smoky smooth voice and an ear for songs that hooked you from the start, Boz never failed to crank out songs that were soulful, jazzy, funky, and just all around great. His reunion on DIG with David Paich of Toto fame has been long overdue, and the fusion of the Toto style and Boz Scaggs vocals blend flawlessly.Silk Degrees and Middle Man are two of my very favorite albums, and after hearing DIG, I now have another. Payday starts the disc off in superb form, Paichs keyboards adding a grand touch. Sarah is a lovely track and stands with the best of the Boz's work. Miss Riddle is a sultry number that is slowly becoming a favorite of mine and Vanishing Point along with Desire are standout tracks as well. Its hard to distinguish between them as to which I like better.The only track I was a little hesitant to embrace is Get on the Natch, most likely because Ive never thought Boz would attempt a rap type song. The beat is catchy and it gets you after a while.Boz is a bit older now and his vocals have deepened a bit, becoming more suitable for the bluesy style he has always favored. His music is still great and anyone who listens to Dig will realize after a few listenings that the Middle Man is still making music that will endure. Play it once, youll like it. Play it twice, youll love it. It only gets better with each listen. Try it and youll really DIG it, man.