Boz Scaggs / Down Two Then Left (1977)

昨日は、AOR界の"GREAT 3B"の内、Billy Joelの"52nd Street"を紹介いたしましたし、既にこのブログでBobby Caldwellの最高傑作である1stアルバムを紹介しておりますので、本日は、Bos Scaggsの最高傑作（と私は思っております"1977年の"Down Two Then Left"を紹介いたします。
Bozも本作と次作の"Middle Man"の2枚が彼の傑作アルバムだと思いますが、"Middle Man"の紹介記事では書きましたが、前作のミリオンセラー（５００万枚近く）アルバムの"Silk Degrees"をBOZの代表作として挙げる方が多いかも知れませんが、私は１番はこれを、２番にはこの後の"Middle Man"だと思っております。
この"DOWN TWO THEN LEFT"のプロデュースは前作同様JOE WISSERTが手がけており、JAY GRAYDON、STEVE LUKATHER、MICHAEL OMARTIAN、JEFF PORCARO、RAY PARKER,JRなどL.A.の名うてのミュージシャンが顔を揃えており、ソウルフルなBOZのヴォーカルがたまらなくカッコ好く、１曲目の"STILL FALLING FOR YOU"から最後の曲の"TOMORROW NEVER CAME"まで一気に聴けてしまう。

Down Two Then Left (1977) (10 tracks) 42:33
01 Still Falling For You 03:53
02 Hard Times 04:28
03 A Clue 03:53
04 Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man 03:51
05 We're Waiting 06:20
06 Hollywood 03:09
07 Then She Walked Away 04:06
08 Gimme The Goods 04:12
09 1993 04:02
10 Tomorrow Never Came / Tomorrow Never Came (Reprise) 04:39

Arranged By [Strings, Horns], Conductor [Strings, Horns] – Michael Omartian
Backing Vocals – Boz* (tracks: A1, A5), Carolyn Willis (tracks: A1, A5 to B2), Jim Gilstrap (tracks: A2), James Haas* (tracks: B4), John Lehman (tracks: A2, A3), Julia Tillman Waters (tracks: B1), Myrna Matthews (tracks: B1, B2), Phyllis St. James (tracks: A3, B2), Roy Galloway (tracks: A3), Stan Farber (tracks: B4), Venetta Fields (tracks: A3), Zedric Turnbough (tracks: A2)
Bass – David Hungate (tracks: A1), Scott Edwards (2)
Bongos – Bobbye Hall (tracks: A1)
Chorus – Bobby King (tracks: A4), Eldridge King (tracks: A4), Terry Evans (tracks: A4)
Claves – Victor Feldman (tracks: A2)
Concertmaster – Sidney Sharp
Congas – Alan Estes (tracks: A4), Bobbye Hall (tracks: B3)
Design – Nancy Donald
Drums – Jeff Porcaro
Engineer – Tom Perry
Flugelhorn, Soloist – Chuck Findley (tracks: A5)
Guitar – Jay Graydon, Ray Parker Jr.
Guitar, Soloist – Boz* (tracks: A2, A4), Jay Graydon (tracks: B2), Steve Lukather (tracks: A3, B3)
Horns – Barbara Korn, Chuck Findley, Dana Hughes, David Duke, Don Menza, Ernie Watts, Fred Selden, Steve Madaio
Keyboards – Michael Omartian
Management [Action] – Irv Azoff*
Marimba, Accordion – Michael Omartian (tracks: A1)
Mastered By – Mike Reese
Photography By – Guy Bourdin
Piano [Acoustic] – Jai Winding (tracks: A4)
Producer – Joe Wissert
Timbales – Jeff Porcaro (tracks: B3)
Vibraphone – Victor Feldman (tracks: B1)
Vocals [Verses] – Carolyn Willis (tracks: A4)
Written-By – B. Scaggs*, J. Winding* (tracks: A4), M. Omartian* (tracks: A5 to B4)

このアルバムのFAVORITE NUMBERは、"THEN SHE WALKED AWAY"でメロディも最高だけど、JAY GRAYDONのギターソロがたまりません。
あと、６曲目の"HOLLYWOOD"と２曲目の"HARD TIMES"も気に入っているし、全曲とても良くできた曲です。
とにかく、お薦めの１枚です。