Dig is an album by the American musician Boz Scaggs, released in 2001.[1] It peaked at No. 146 on the Billboard 200.[2] Scaggs promoted the album with a North American tour and an appearance on the television show Ally McBeal.[3][4] A limited edition of the album included a disc containing a 5.1 channel DVD-Audio and Dolby Digital surround sound mix.[5]
| Dig | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2001 | |||
| Studio | ATS Studio (Molin, Austria)
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| Length | 51:00 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Boz Scaggs chronology | ||||
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Production
editScaggs began working on the album in early 2000 by recording and mailing music to David Paich.[6] Dig was produced by Scaggs, Paich, and Danny Kortchmar.[7] Scaggs employed sound effects and samples on some of its songs.[8] Scaggs was backed by several members of the band Toto.[9] Roy Hargrove played trumpet on some of the tracks.[10] "Vanishing Point" is about two vagrants making their way to Las Vegas.[11] Scaggs raps on "Get on the Natch".[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [14] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [15] |
The Guardian wrote that "Dig sounds convincingly 21st century, but at heart it's the latest chapter in Scaggs's long-standing enthusiasm for rhythm and blues."[6] The Independent determined that "Scaggs is the American equivalent of Robert Palmer, an elegant R&B stylist with consummate blues and soul chops, whose career has been occasionally wrong-footed by the vagaries of musical fashion, despite the abiding excellence of his recordings."[7] The Mail on Sunday deemed the album "slow, understated and soulful; a record for Sunday nights and long, solitary drives."[16]
The Observer concluded that "Scaggs is still the blue-eyed soul voice against which others should be measured."[17] The Morning Call opined that "Scaggs's lame, late-'60s urban hipster attitude is the final shovel on Dig's grave, but it provides unintended laughs on tracks such as the lifestyle lesson 'Get on the Natch'."[18] The Orlando Sentinel noted that, "although his voice remains as warm and intoxicating as a shot of whiskey, Scaggs rarely lifts these songs above the level of pleasant, generic diversions."[14]
Track listing
editAll lyrics composed by Boz Scaggs; except where indicated
- "Payday" (music: David Paich, Boz Scaggs) – 4:43
- "Sarah" (music: Danny Kortchmar, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) – 4:45
- "Miss Riddle" (music: Paich, Michael Rodriguez, Scaggs) – 6:27
- "I Just Go" (Scaggs) – 4:50
- "Get on the Natch" (music: Angelo Bond, General Johnson, Kortchmar, Greg Perry) – 4:50
- "Desire" (music: Paich, Greg Phillinganes, Scaggs) – 5:32
- "Call That Love" (music: Steve Jordan, Kortchmar, Paich, Scaggs; lyrics: Scaggs, Jack "Applejack" Walroth) – 4:18
- "King of El Paso" (Scaggs, Walroth) – 5:16
- "You're Not" (music: Kortchmar) – 4:19
- "Vanishing Point" (lyrics: Scaggs, Dominique Gioia; music: Paich, Scaggs) – 4:48
- "Thanks to You" (music: Paich, Scaggs)– 6:00
Personnel
edit- Boz Scaggs – vocals, guitars (1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11), arrangements
- John Jessel – keyboard programming
- David Paich – keyboards (1, 2, 4-11), synthesizers (1-3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11), backing vocals (9), arrangements
- Michael Rodriguez – synthesizer programming (1, 3, 6), keyboards (3)
- Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano (3)
- Danny Kortchmar – guitars (1-3, 5-11), synthesizer programming (2, 5, 9), arrangements
- Ray Parker Jr. – guitars (1)
- Steve Lukather – guitar solo (5), pedal steel guitar (11)
- Nathan East – bass (4)
- Steve Jordan – bass (7), drums (7)
- Robin DiMaggio – drums (1), percussion (4, 11)
- Joe Bonadio – percussion (2, 6)
- Roy Hargrove, Jr. – horns (1, 3, 7, 11)
- Martin Tillman – cello (10)
- Monet – backing vocals (2, 6-9)
Production
edit- Danny Kortchmar – producer, pre-production recording
- David Paich – producer
- Peter Dennenberg – engineer
- Steve MacMillan – engineer, post-production recording, Pro Tools management
- Jess Sutcliffe – engineer
- Bob Levy – additional recording
- Michael Rodriguez – additional tracking, pre-production recording
- Pablo Munguia – Pro Tools engineer
- Elliot Scheiner – mixing at Presence Studios (Weston, Connecticut)
- Joe Peccerillo – mix assistant
- Adam Ayan – digital editing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine)
- Mary Hogan – production coordinator
- Mary Fagot – art direction
- Carol Bobolts – design
- Ken Schels – photography
References
edit- ^ Flick, Larry (Aug 11, 2001). "Boz Scaggs Returns". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 32. pp. 1, 83.
- ^ "Boz Scaggs". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (20 Sep 2001). "What's New". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 5.
- ^ Goldenberg, Lindsay (Aug 30, 2001). "In Brief". Rolling Stone. No. 876. p. 36.
- ^ Takiff, Jonathan (11 Sep 2001). "Boz Scaggs, that most elegant of blue-eyed blues and soul singers...". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 45.
- ^ a b Sweeting, Adam (27 Aug 2001). "The Boz is Back". The Guardian. p. 2.12.
- ^ a b Gill, Andy (7 Sep 2001). "Pop: This Week's Album Releases". Features. The Independent. p. 13.
- ^ Morse, Steve (9 Sep 2001). "Scaggs Digs His New Sonic Twists". The Boston Globe. p. L17.
- ^ Cohen, Howard (28 Sep 2001). "Quick Spins". Go!. The Record. Bergen County. p. 16.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (26 Oct 2001). "Boz Scaggs 'Dig"". The Washington Post. p. WW8.
- ^ Hunter, James (Oct 11, 2001). "Dig". Rolling Stone. No. 879. p. 92.
- ^ Masley, Ed (24 Oct 2001). "Boz Scaggs Rejuvenated by Thinking Differently". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ a b Abbott, Jim (28 Sep 2001). "Scaggs Snagged by Trendy Put-Ons". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 11.
- ^ (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 719.
- ^ "Music Reviews". The Mail on Sunday. 9 Sep 2001. p. 61.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (9 Sep 2001). "Music: Pop". Review Pages. The Observer. p. 14.
- ^ Righi, Len (15 Sep 2001). "Boz Scaggs: Dig". The Morning Call. p. A42.