Customer Reviews

Come on Home

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Boz' crowning acheivement to date, this CD is one lean mean groove! Whether he's Fats, doing 'Sick and Tired', Jimmy Reed doing 'Found Love', or himself doing T-Bone Walker, Boz has come home. This is ONE OF THE BEST RHYTHM & BLUES ALBUMS EVER, it raises Boz' already respectable credentials to a new plateau. Boz pays tribute to his mentors with painstaking attention to detail, and his choice of musicians & material reaches beyond inspired. I can't pick out favorites, every song pulls you into a place you don't want to leave. The only thing wrong with this album is how good it is. Boz will probably never make a better record, so all we can hope for is more work of the same caliber.

I grew up on Ray Charles, James Brown, soul, blues, country & gospel. I've been listening to and collecting music for 40 years, and have approx. 3,000 recordings. Simply put, this is one of the best, most soulful, powerful, bodaciously BAD records I've ever heard! There is not a weak cut here. Boz sounds like he's been holding this in for 30 years! The production & playing are flawless, but not too slick. The "live-in-the-studio" sound is preserved. There are no "highlights", every cut is astounding. With that in mind, "Love Letters" brings tears to my eyes, and, like the previous reviewer, I fall to my knees when Boz testifies "I've Got Your Love". His vocal chords should be enshrined; his heart and soul could provide electrical power to most of North America. If you like ANY kind of blues or R&B, you will surely dig this!

Just great...simply amazing. Boz covers a bunch of blues standards and does a great job. If you wanna listen to someone who is true to the american roots of music, pick this album up now! Boz does one of the best cover albums ever...and every track is solid.

This 1997 release,was a worthy followup to the excellent,*Fade Into Light*of 1996,and the watershed *Some Change* a couple of years earlier.These two Cds *wet* my appetite and rekindled an appreciation for that distinctive style that typifies Boz Scaggs,professional stylish,blusey,jazz-tinged,and vocally distinctive.I had heard the T Bone Walker,classic ,*T Bone Shuffle*and liked what I heard,and was eagerly awaiting the whole CD,*Come On Home*...I was not disappointed!!!
There is not a bad track in this collection.It heartfeltly honours the influences and artists,both singers and songwriters,that have shaped and directed the career of Boz Scaggs.
It is a tribute to that particularly American music form,born of jazz and blues,that is R&B,and Boz Scaggs delivers it masterfully.The project was a personal desire and goal,which he has admirably delivered here,so much so that he has eclipsed the excellence of *Some Change* and raised the *bar* a little higher for the future releases.

The choice of muscians and the production and arrangements are masterful,delivering an adult oriented and traditionally rich interpretation of some classic R&B standards,as well as a couple of originals,*Goodnight Louise*,*Picture Of A Broken Heart* and*Ive Got Your Love*.The latter receiving a tremendous treatment that makes it a standout,along with *Goodnight Louise*.
The Earl King Johnson,*It All Went Down The Drain*and the Porter/Hayes,*Your Good Thing(Is About To End)*warrant the purchase of the CD on their own.
I may have lost the faith throughout the 80s,but Boz is back with a vengence in the 90s,and that is a pleasing thing.The most recent release*Dig*,although not as consistently standout and excellent as this,still delivers more of the same,that will make this CD the defining sound of the mature Boz Scaggs.A must for any CD collection,buy at any cost,guaranteed to remian played frequently and savoured and enjoyed.
No one sings R&B quite like Boz...a return to the late 60s and the Steve Miller Band feel...10 stars!!!!!!

For those who have followed Boz Scaggs from the early days of his career and felt that the commercial success of "Silk Degrees" led him away from his R&B roots, your prayers have been answered. And for those fans who feared that the best of Boz was behind him (myself included), this appropriately titled CD is the ultimate rebuttal. This CD brings to mind such earlier hits as "Runnin' Blue". From the hard-driving opener, "It All Went Down The Drain" to the ballad-like "Goodnight Louise", this CD is of solid quality from start to finish. With ballads such as "Ask Me 'Bout Nothin'" and "Love Letters" to the traditional blues of "Found Love" and "I've Got Your Love", the selections should have broad appeal. And the cuts "Don't Cry No More", "T-Bone Shuffle", and especially "Sick And Tired" will have you tappin' your feet. All a fan can say is "Boz, welcome home!"

I'm listening to Silk Degrees as I'm writing this, and it's beautiful. But there's something more mature and beautiful about Come on Home - maybe the bit of aging and deepening of his voice, or even the further maturity of his taste in arrangement and material. I only picked this one up a couple months ago, but it hasn't been far from the CD player since. I expect it's going to stay that way for a long time. I'm hard-pressed to choose between those two and Moments (will somebody please put this on CD - my vinyl's almost dead?) for a favorite Boz.

But I gotta say, I love the fact that he's revitalizing himself with these last couple of CD's. "Dig" already is providing me with some new favorite tunes.

This one is a classic by a classic, and as someone said earlier, one of the best in recent years.

On the opening track "It All Went Down The Drain," Boz sounds highly reminiscent of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (and that's definitely intended as high praise). And just as Clapton had his journeys into pop and reggae-lite and came roaring back home with "From The Cradle," Boz steps back into the bluesy framework of his first eponymous post-Steve Miller Band album. Boz has a naturally "smooth" sound, but in his case it's NOT synonymous with "lifeless." Listen to "Found Love" and you'll see the difference. The "Silk Degrees" audience is now part of the "Golden Oldies" crowd, and I'm not sure who bought the post-"Silk" albums, but I can tell you who SHOULD own this one...fans of the first album. The seven-minute "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)" stirs up memories of Joe Cocker's glory days with Leon Russell and Mad Dogs & Englishmen, as well as the late great Luther Allison in his Alligator years. It slowly and deliberately maintains its intensity, rewarding the listener who sits back, relaxes, and enjoys the ride.

Boz's last album was great, but this is absolutely amazing. Positively his best album since "Moments". I didn't know he had it in him anymore. Thank Christ he's through with the disco and back to his roots. Encore!

Boz gives the music that he loves so much a fine tribute . He states in his liner notes that he had a hard time choosing the songs - which I can well understand . I particularly like the original of his called 'Picture of a Broken Heart ' which has a great lyric and a fine groove .

This album may make you go back to your blues albums , or may get you into the blues , which has many styles , no matter how you like your music .

Buy this album and enjoy a good collection of material .