The Doobie Brothers Albums (16)
What The Critics Say
Living once again in the carefree boogie days that are Michael McDonald-less, the Doobie Brothers are doing just fine touring the world and playing the tunes that have everyone lightly grooving. Live at Wolf Trap captures a July 2004 show, but it's really just the soundtrack to a DVD that's much longer. Unless you're a hardcore fan who needs to see how veteran members like Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons are looking, you're probably better off with the audio version, since "Rockin' Down the Highway" -- along with everything else here -- is best for doing just that. The DVD's longer playing time doesn't sound like a great deal for the non-diehard either, since Live at Wolf Trap could be tighter, especially if it dropped the latter-day "Dangerous," which tries way too hard to generate excitement. An especially bright horn section complements this edition of the Doobies well, since a bit of early Chicago suits them now more than ever. Be it overdubbing or not, the harmonies and powerful exuberance of the Doobies' voices are still spectacular, and Wolf Trap's crystal-clear recording does a mind-blowing job of capturing them. The emotion pulled out of "Another Park, Another Sunday" shows this band still puts genuine heart into its playing, and the last five tracks are a dizzying whirlwind of what the Doobies do best. While they've slipped a little too comfortably into their B-list role -- and putting lesser new songs next to the classics just points it out -- Wolf Trap is still 80 percent feel-good boogie music played by musicians who remember why they were so beloved, 100 percent. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With an impressive string of Top Ten hits from the early to mid-'70s, the Tom Johnston-era Doobie Brothers worked a good-natured, if vapid, country boogie groove to popular advantage over the course of four albums, before the group evolved into keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald's more urbane, occasionally brilliant, white-soul pop unit. On Sibling Rivalry, the first release since the tepid reception afforded 1990's Brotherhood, founding members Johnston, Patrick Simmons, and Keith Knudsen do a lushly produced retread of the denim-friendly, early-'70s SoCal of "The Captain and Me" and "Toulouse Street." There is plenty of up-with-life lyrics, spacey sound effects, and some truly lovely harmonizing on the lead single "People Gotta Love Again" and "Leave My Heartache Behind." The more relaxed "Jericho" takes a page from Lowell George's book of plaintive, southwestern funk, while "Don't be Afraid" was so tailor-made for McDonald's incomparable, faux-tortured soprano that to listen to Simmon's muted vocals pick through it is like watching a man struggle with an oversized coat. It's all been done before, of course, but the whole thing is so lovingly crafted and gee-whiz positive that you can't help coming away from a couple of listens snapping your fingers. ~ Andrew Vance, All Music Guide
'Rockin' Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 24
Label Sony
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In the spring of 1996, the Doobie Brothers performed a benefit concert for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which was captured on the double-disc live album, Rockin' Down the Highway. During the show, all three of the group's lead vocalists -- Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and Patrick Simmons -- performed with the group, which was a first in the band's history. Fittingly, the Doobies used the concert to celebrate their past, playing hits like "Black Water," "China Grove," and "What a Fool Believes," but they also decided to showcase two new songs, which were never released on any previous album. Unsurprisingly, these songs pale in comparison to the hits, which the band play with affection, if not overwhelming energy. And since the group is laidback and nostalgic throughout Rocking' Down the Highway, the album is best-suited for fans who are also nostalgic for the band's glory days. In other words, it's pleasant, but entirely unnecessary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The original lineup of the Doobie Brothers reunited in 1989, releasing Cycles. Thanks to a successful tour and single ("The Doctor"), the album went gold, but the music was just a rehashed version of the bluesy boogie of their early albums, only stiffer and less inspired. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With the benefit of hindsight, the name of this album should more accurately be Farewell Tour:The Michael McDonald/Warner Brothers Years. That's because the Doobie Brothers made a relatively successful comeback in 1989 (without McDonald) on a different label and have continued to tour sporadically through the 90s and 00s. Oddly, there are no songs from the outfit's final Warner studio album, One Step Closer, included here. As a live rendition of greatest hits, this doesn't measure up since so many classics such as "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Another Park, Another Sunday," and "Rockin' Down the Highway" are MIA. Only co-founder Patrick Simmons remains from the original line-up, although Tom Johnston, who wasn't touring with the act at the time, makes a guest appearance for the final two tracks, "China Grove" and "Long Train Runnin'." Why he doesn't contribute vocals to "Listen to the Music," a tune tied to his distinctive tenor, is unclear, but McDonald's husky voice doesn't do the peppy tune justice. The rest is a professional, unmemorable trawl through the McDonald blue-eyed soul hits, most of them nearly indistinguishable from the studio versions. Simmons brings some much needed rootsy folk blues to the mix with spirited if somewhat rote renditions of "Black Water" and a nod to the band's bluesy past with an Allman Brothers-styled take on Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talkin'." It seems that McDonald leaves the stage for these performances, since his contributions are inaudible. One new track is included in the form of McDonald's forgettable "Olana," a studio version of which ultimately showed up on the Doobie Brothers' four disc box. The only energy or spontaneity exhibited here is on the jaunty six minute take of "Long Train Runnin'" where the group opens up for some jamming. Otherwise, this is a contract fulfilling double album (boiled down to a single CD) that was not surprisingly removed from print and finally resuscitated for hardcore fans, the only ones that would be interested, as a digital only release in 2009. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This album shows the difference between highly competent musicianship and true inspiration, and what they can deliver. The group's weakest album to date, One Step Closer is only a failure in relative terms -- at the outset of the group's shift toward a more soulful, it might have gotten by, in much the same way that, say, the Bee Gees' Mr Natural failed commercially but was given a "pass" by critics, their record label, and, perhaps most importantly, the band itself; but coming off of the multi-Grammy winning Minute By Minute, One Step Closer was a serious letdown, despite the presence of a modest hit in "Real Love" and Platimun Record Award-level sales. The band seemed to lack sufficient new inspiration for a whole album, a fact emphasized by the near-complete withdrawal of Patrick Simmons as a songwriter -- his "No Stoppin' Us Now", co-authored with Michael McDonald and Christopher Thompson, is one of the better tracks and it's not remotely as strong as the output on earlier records. The title song, co-authored by Keith Knudson and John McFee, is similarly a relatively uninspired successor to earlier compositions. Michael McDonald is able to pick up some of the slack, along with saxman (and new member) Cornelius Bumpus, but overall the songs and the performances just don't measure up. It's more the quality of a set of demos in progress, and it was clear to all concerned that they were out of ideas. The Doobies spent the next two years touring and capitalizing on a decade's brilliant music making before announcing their split. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Doobie Brothers' third long-player was the charm, their most substantial and consistent album to date, and one that rode the charts for a year. It was also a study in contrasts, Tom Johnston's harder-edged, bolder rocking numbers balanced by Patrick Simmons' more laid-back country-rock ballad style. The leadoff track, Johnston's "Natural Thing," melded the two, opening with interlocking guitars and showcasing the band's exquisite soaring harmonies around a beautiful melody, all wrapped up in a midtempo beat -- the result was somewhere midway between Allman Brothers-style virtuosity and Eagles/Crosby & Nash-type lyricism, which defined this period in the Doobies' history and gave them a well-deserved lock on the top of the charts. Next up was the punchy, catchy "Long Train Runnin'," a piece they'd been playing for years as an instrumental -- a reluctant Johnston was persuaded by producer Ted Templeman to write lyrics to it and record the song, and the resulting track became the group's next hit. The slashing, fast-tempo "China Grove" and "Without You" represented the harder side of the Doobies' sound, and were juxtaposed with Simmons' romantic country-rock ballads "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman," "Clear as the Driven Snow," and "South City Midnight Lady." Simmons also showed off his louder side with "Evil Woman," while Johnston showed his more reflective side with "Ukiah" and "The Captain and Me" -- the latter, a soaring rocker clocking in at nearly five minutes, features radiant guitars and harmonies, soaring ever higher and faster to a triumphant finish. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'Minute by Minute'
Release Date 1/1/1978
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With Tom Johnston gone from the lineup because of health problems, this is where the "new" Doobie Brothers really make their debut, with a richly soulful sound throughout and emphasis on horns and Michael McDonald's piano more than on Patrick Simmons' or Jeff Baxter's guitars. Not that they were absent entirely, or weren't sometimes right up front in the mix, as the rocking, slashing "Don't Stop to Watch the Wheels" and the bluegrass-influenced "Steamer Lane Breakdown" demonstrate. But given the keyboards, the funky rhythms, and McDonald's soaring tenor (showcased best on "What a Fool Believes"), it's almost difficult to believe that this is the hippie bar band that came out of California in 1970. There's less virtuosity here than on the group's first half-dozen albums, but overall a more commercial sound steeped in white funk. It's still all pretty compelling even if its appeal couldn't be more different from the group's earlier work (i.e., The Captain and Me, etc.). The public loved it, buying something like three million copies, and the recording establishment gave Minute by Minute four Grammy Awards, propelling the group to its biggest success ever. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
