Yacht Rock Essentials

Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees (Columbia, 1976) Leisure-suited hot-tub funk from a Jann Wenner protegé and future restaurateur dancing the squeakiest-clean “dirty lowdown” around. Lido misses the boat; Boz watches the harbor lights; backing band turns into Toto. Steely Dan Aja (ABC, 1977) Agoraphobic beatnik geniuses hooked on crossword-puzzle lyrics and bebop go the cocktail-rock route,…

Snapshot J. Geils Band Images, Frozen Without A Sound

1. Put on the J. Geils Band’s self-titled debut during muted pre-Obama-interview Super Bowl pre-game festivities, and yeah, it pretty much kicks the butt of every other Geils album I’ve pulled out lately. Just real solid, and never much winds up seeming stodgy or sluggish no matter how bar-band blues it gets. Six covers out…

150 Best Albums of 1977

No Elvis*, Beatles or Stones in 1977. At least not here. (One of them died!) These are my 150 favorite LPs of the year. I’ve spent the past four years or so re-listening to my entire LP and CD (even cassette) collection, then resorted to streaming several albums I can’t physically touch. I’m ready to…