[.ca] Slow Dancer

Back to the Bay Area:
I arrived in the Bay Area in the mid-1970s with psychedelic visions in my head, only to learn that the ultra-hip region was in the midst of a neo-Soul revival led by Tower of Power along with a bunch of white ex-rockers, especially Boz Scaggs. That Bay Area sound broke into the nation's consciousness in about 1976 with the release of Boz's "Silk Degrees," a huge hit that had a slightly more sophisticated take on the disco/nightclub sound. It's a fine album, but the real gem was its predecessor, "Slow Dancer," which sounds like more of a tribute to the strings-drenched Philadelphia soul sound, combined with the singer's evident love for classic R & B. A few cuts feature that almost Native American tom-tom beat that some soul singers used, and one cut even features a country-tinged pedal steel guitar. This album was only a regional hit when it came out, but was reissued with a new cover in the wake of "Silk Degrees" success. This album is incredibly romantic, heartfelt, and is bursting with creative ideas. The songs are strong throughout, but my favorites are the title song, "You Make It So Hard (To Say No)," "Angel Lady," "Pain of Love," and "There's Someone Else." Worth discovering.

• You Make It So Hard (To Say No)
• Slow Dancer
• Angel Lady (Come Just in Time)
• There Is Someone Else
• Hercules
• Pain of Love
• Sail on White Moon
• Let It Happen
• I Got Your Number
• Take It for Granted