HITS

Personnel: Boz Scaggs (vocals); David T. Walker, Dennis Coffee, Wah Wah Watson, Don Felder, Jimmie Johnson, Eddie Hinton, Pete Carr, Louie Shelton, Fred Tackett (guitars); Adrian Tapia (saxophone); Muscle Shoals Sound (horns); Don Grolnick (electric piano); Clarence McDonald, Barry Beckett, Clayton Ivey (keyboards); David Paich (keyboards, synthesizers); Steve Porcaro (synthesizers); Mike Porcaro, David Hungate, James Jamerson, John Pierce, David Hood (bass); James Gadson, Roger Hawkins, Rick Marotta (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion). Background vocals: Timothy B. Schmidt, Carolyn Willis, Marty McCall, Jim Gilstrap, Augie Johnson, Julia Tillmar, Myrna Matthews, Lorna Williard, Pat Henderson, Lisa Dal Bello, Venetta Fields, Paulette Brown, Bili Thedford, David Lasley, Sharon Redd, Charlotte Crossley, Donna Rhodes, Charles Chalmers, Sandra Chalmers. Producers: Bill Schnee, Joe Wissert, Johnny Bristol, David Foster, Roy Halee, Boz Scaggs. Engineers: Bill Schnee, Tom Perry, Greg Venable, Al Schmitt, Roy Halee. Recorded at Studio 55 and Davlen Sound Studio, Los Angeles, California; Devonshire Sound Studios, North Hollywood, California; Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield, Alabama. All songs written or co-written by Boz Scaggs. Some might dismiss the music of Boz Skaggs out of hand as insubstantial 1970s commercial fare, yet his blend of blue-eyed soul, easy grooves, jazzy textures, disco sheen, and keen pop instincts holds up surprisingly well. And the tracks on HITS! are a case in point. The original compilation, released in 1980, was expanded and re-released in 2006 to include 15 tracks, and represents the best from Skaggs's peak years at Columbia. "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jo Jo" are here, as are the smashes "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle," among others. Anyone who grew up within earshot of a radio in the '70s will recognize many of these tunes, but HITS! isn't just a nostalgia exercise--It provides an excellent overview of the artist's smooth, sophisticated pop-rock oeuvre.