Doobie Brothers - The Long Runaway Train

I'd say Ray Charles is definitely the artist who influenced my singing the most. But also Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

(Michael McDonald)

It's hard to believe more than fifty years have passed since we first met, since this thing called the Doobie Brothers was born. We've been through a lot together, and the fact that we're still playing today is something we're deeply grateful for.

(Pat Simmons)

“We were all in the studio, we hadn't found the right song yet, and I said: set it on a train, since there's this story about Miss Lucy down the tracks. That's how 'Long Train Runnin'' came about.”

(Ted Templeman)

A Long Journey

The story of the Doobie Brothers is a long one, or rather one of those stories that seem long but actually speed by like a high-speed train. One of the starting stations for anyone wanting to rewind this musical tape is Visalia, in the central heartland of California. On the mother of all roads, Route 66, where John Ernst Steinbeck set his masterpiece, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

The Johnston family had just moved to Visalia, aboard a Ford packed to the brim, from chaotic Los Angeles in mid-1933. Before the birth of their third child, Charles Thomas, the Johnston family got by thanks to the father's engineering skills, after he left for the war as an aircraft mechanic for the Army Air Force. Born in 1948, Charles Thomas spent his teenage years among propellers, engines and other parts to repair, practically every damn sweltering summer in the family shop, in the Tulare suburb. The young Tom, as everyone calls him, is bored to death, he's no good with repairs: he kills time listening to the program “Happy Harold's House of Blues,” broadcast on a local radio station out of the Fresno area. Having rebuffed the pressing interference of the Methodist church, Tom develops a passion for rock'n'roll thanks to records brought home by his older brother, from Elvis Presley to Little Richard.

Between early rounds of beer and joyrides around town after getting his driver's license, Tom had been working on his guitar playing for several years, having learned tons of songs spanning blues, R&B and rock'n'roll. After his first amateur gigs with school friends, by the time he enrolled at the College of the Sequoias, young Johnston had already built up solid musical experience, now playing in the local soul band The Charade. Tom starts writing songs, struggling with chords and vocal harmonies, in a Black band for Black audiences. It's a genuine revelation at the roots of the devil's music, when the seminal "Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton" and "Born Under A Bad Sign" come out on the legendary Stax label.

Tom seriously considers moving to the electrifying Bay Area, while writing his first original songs with the Charades, the piano blues single "Sittin' In Prison" backed with the Hendrix-esque B-side "Burning". During his first trip to the West Coast, Johnston weighs a long-term contract offered by an unknown funk label, bravely turning it down before heading back to Visalia.

But the pull of a music scene in full ferment is too strong for the young man, who embraces the hippie movement, crashing in Los Angeles with his older sister. From Jefferson Airplane to Janis Joplin, the summer of 1967 is pure magic, fueled by constant weed consumption and a sound that pushes blues and R&B to break down the doors of perception.

The second starting point in the Doobie Brothers' long journey is Aberdeen, in the state of Washington, where Patrick Simmons was born in October 1948. Pat's parents are both teachers, who married after meeting at Eastern Washington State College near Spokane. During the exhausting rainy days, Pat spends his time reading comics, but above all learning to play piano at the home of Lucy Anderson, a school friend's grandmother. Mrs. Anderson teaches the boy the basics of the instrument, introducing him to reading sheet music, while on the radio plays the show of Liberace, the flamboyant Italian-Polish actor and singer, among the most famous and highest-paid entertainers of the time. The lessons end at the close of his first year of elementary school, when the Simmons family moves to California, first to Palo Alto and then to San Jose, following Pat's father's job relocations.

Not even ten years old, he's captivated by the energy of people like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers and of course Elvis, thanks to the vast record collection brought along by a friend of his father's who moved in with the Simmons family for a few months. Unlike Tom Johnston - who basically learns to play by ear - Patrick Simmons decides to take acoustic guitar lessons at the home of a school friend whose parents are both musicians in a country band. A regular viewer of the TV shows hosted by Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark, Pat reads authors like Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac, the foremost champions of the American counterculture. The fiery words of the Beat Generation burn in Simmons' soul, now determined to pursue a career as a musician. Without his parents' blessing - who want an academic career for him - Pat starts playing around town with his friends Owen Snyder and Joe Weed, scraping together a few dollars thanks to a part-time job at a gas station.

With his hair growing ever longer and a joint perpetually in his mouth, Pat Simmons decides at seventeen to move to a country estate near Los Gatos, where a school friend already lives. The owners ask no rent, as long as the tenants work the surrounding land, but the experience doesn't last long, since his parents call him back to order within a few weeks. A ban on playing in rock'n'roll bands is thus imposed, forcing Pat to join local groups following the so-called British Invasion, from the Beatles to the Zombies.

He runs away from home again, going to sleep practically in the tree at the center of another friend's garden in the Santa Cruz Mountains, meeting some members of the local band Chocolate Watchband. In 1966 their single "Sweet Young Thing" gets heavy rotation on countless Bay Area radio stations, leading the band to perform at the Fillmore in San Francisco. During the show, Pat takes his first dose of acid, which leads him to discover the sound of the Grateful Dead, but also to a brief stint behind bars.

Back home, he enrolls at San Jose State University under pressure from his parents, who hope to set him straight through his studies. Tom Johnston arrives at the same university, having finally moved full-time from Visalia to pursue studies in graphic design. Not entirely convinced of his actual chances of becoming a professional designer, Tom starts working at a cannery to avoid at all costs having to move back home, which allows him to afford about forty dollars a month for a small room near the San Jose State dorms. It's practically the perfect place to fully experience college life, amid rivers of beer, drugs and music blasting at full volume.

Pat also finds a new job, at a company that makes vending machines, spending the little money he earns on concert tickets, first and foremost Jimi Hendrix at Winterland in San Francisco. Now disowned by his parents, Patrick Simmons grows close to psychedelic guru Timothy Leary, starting to use cocaine while performing around town with his acoustic guitar, until the decisive encounter with new musician friend Dave Shogren, who often plays in various jam sessions at the Twelfth Street apartment where Tommy Johnston lives.

Getting closer every day

With the psychedelic glories of the Summer of Love behind him, Tom Johnston comes into contact with Skip Spence, co-founder with Matthew Katz of Moby Grape. A former drummer for Jefferson Airplane, Spence had put together his own band, switching to rhythm guitar, debuting live in San Francisco before making a splash at the Monterey Pop Festival. A heavy user of every kind of drug, Skip ended up spending a few months in a psychiatric hospital in New York, shown the door by his own bandmates due to increasingly erratic and violent behavior.

He's also at the Twelfth Street apartment, along with a young drummer from Falls Church, Virginia. John Hartman is a huge fan of Moby Grape's music, talked into moving to California by Spence himself to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician. Johnston strikes up a friendship with Hartman, and together with bassist friend Greg Murphy forms a trio called Pud, experimenting with hard rock, blues and R&B. During one concert, it's Skip Spence himself who introduces Pud to Patrick Simmons, instantly impressed by the trio's talent.

Tom invites Pat to play with them on a more regular basis, drawn to his fingerpicking technique and his deeper knowledge of older genres like folk and blues. Johnston's idea is to broaden his band's sonic palette, bringing in other voices and guitar styles, so Pat is invited to play with Pud, but at first Simmons turns it down, given his involvement in another band, Scratch. When he comes back to see them live, Pat is blown away by the horn section Johnston has decided to add, and so he starts joining the grueling jam sessions at the Twelfth Street apartment, with new bassist Dave Shogren in place of Greg Murphy.

The group is invited by Skip to try out some demos in a recording studio, before playing regularly at Chateau Liberté, until the mid-60s a family-run restaurant and resort in the Santa Cruz Mountains area. Turned into a freewheeling music club, Chateau Liberté draws all kinds of crowds, from bohemian intellectuals to bikers like the Hells Angels. Shortly before a show, while having breakfast on cereal and joints, Tom and Pat agree they need to find a new name for the band. "Let's smoke a doobie", someone suggests. "Hey guys", says a mutual friend, "you smoke so much of this stuff, you should call yourselves the Doobie Brothers!"

Still not entirely sold on the chosen name, the newly formed Doobie Brothers go back into the studio once again to record more demo tapes, sparking initial interest from major labels like A&M and Warner Bros. The latter is represented by A&R man Ted Templeman, who attends the show at Chateau Liberté while scouting for new talent in the Bay Area. Templeman experiences something like an epiphany among the rebels of the Santa Cruz Mountains, captivated by the raw power of Johnston's voice and the steadier, more measured talent of Simmons. He feels he's found a band of real value, potential stars to sign right away. After the inevitable internal discussions, Pat and Tom are more than happy to accept Templeman's courtship, since Warner Bros. has a strong reputation for the freedom and support it offers its artists.

At the dawn of the Seventies, the Doobie Brothers sign with the American label, each receiving nearly 3,000 dollars. Part of the money is immediately invested in new instruments and amplifiers, packed into the van that drives the band around California, all the way to Pacific Recorders, the studio Warner chooses for work on their debut album, The Doobie Brothers. Produced by Templeman himself alongside fellow producer Lenny Waronker, the band's debut comes out in late April 1971, in a mix of sonic approaches that combines live-wire energy with a cleaner, more acoustic style, largely pushed by Waronker.

Opening with the acoustic fingerpicking of "Nobody", The Doobie Brothers makes its intentions clear right away, letting lush vocal harmonies carry a high-pedigree country-rock. The first electric burst, on the track chosen as the lead single, is brief but elegant, quickly followed by the irresistible western–blues of "Slippery St. Paul". The first half of the record glides sinuously over the swamp harmonica of "Greenwood Creek", followed by the colorful upbeat "It Won't Be Right" and the country-folk melancholy of "Travelin' Man". The album reflects a gentle softness in clean, atmospheric arrangements, evoking the typical American landscape at the close of a sunny day. That clear, bright sky is painted in the funky "Feelin' Down Farther", which picks up the pace with Johnston's dazzling solo.

The start of the album's second half marks a greater electric verve, from the pop harmony of "The Master" to the honky-tonk rhythm of "Growin' A Little Each Day". With a distinctly southern-rock approach, "Beehive State" floors the accelerator to pay tribute to the theme of Randy Newman, while Pat Simmons's "Closer Every Day" shines with a medieval-folk touch, a captivating and intense ballad, surely among the best moments on a record that's perhaps still a bit green, but which shows the full potential of a group on the launch pad.

The single "Nobody" fails to climb the American charts, though it does enter the so-called Bubbling Under List – the secondary chart listing songs with the best potential – at number 122 on Billboard. It's not the only piece of bad news for the Doobie Brothers, since Tom Johnston falls victim to the infamous draft lottery that forces him to ship out to Vietnam. Warner Bros provides him with a Los Angeles lawyer to try to avoid the draft, but the attempt proves futile. Johnston manages to dodge it at the last moment when an army doctor deems him unfit to handle firearms due to nerve problems in his hands. In an absurd twist of fate, Tom will never have this kind of problem again, likely caused only temporarily by his extensive guitar playing.

The group can thus get back on track, welcomed triumphantly by its first fans at Chateau Liberté, mostly leather-jacketed bikers in big sunglasses. With the debut album out, Warner Bros sends the Doobie Brothers out on their first American tour with Mother Earth, a blues band formed in California in 1967 by singer Tracy Nelson.

Sales of The Doobie Brothers fail to take off, stalling at around ten thousand copies, but Pat and Tom are far from discouraged, reading positive reviews in trade magazines like Rolling Stone, which describes a "powerful rock-pop, lively and scorching, forceful yet also melodic". During a show at San Francisco's Bimbo's 365 Club, drummer John Hartman invites fellow drummer Michael Hossack to jam with the band, leading the Doobie Brothers to consider adding a second drummer, following the lead of groups like Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band. The major shift in the line-up also sees the departure of bassist Dave Shogren, who never fully fit in, replaced by Tiran Porter, already a veteran of Scratch, one of Patrick Simmons's earliest bands.

The new line-up gets Templeman's approval - though he's by no means pleased with the time the band has wasted in the studio, which has led to losses amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Given the first album's poor showing, the label considers dropping the contract, but the new demo material recorded during the tour with Mother Earth wins Templeman over. The new studio sessions take place between North Hollywood and Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, with the band ready to work on songs conceived mainly in New Orleans, in the heart of the French Quarter. Hence the title of what will become the Doobies' second album, Toulouse Street.

Listen to the music

Released in the summer of 1972, Toulouse Street is the group's first album to climb the Billboard chart, reaching number 21, with two singles released between July and November. The first hits the bullseye right away, getting heavy rotation on American radio with its relaxed, carefree guitar style. Conceived as a song about a utopia of global peace, "Listen To The Music" is a feel-good hit, the quintessence of the Doobie sound, poised between harmonic rock and Adult-contemporary. Compared to the debut, Toulouse Street expands the boundaries of The Eagles-style country-rock, adding new sonic pieces like the road-ready boogie-rock of "Rockin' Down The Highway", following paths already trodden by bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Templeman's production work leans into the Doobie Brothers' more southern-rock soul, though the band manages to coherently fold in the most disparate genres, from the driving Caribbean rhythm of "Mamaloi" to the fusion of gospel, blues and Hendrix-esque rock in "Jesus Is Just Alright" (Arthur Reid Reynolds). The whole record is like a gleaming gemstone, solid and captivating at once, set around the tender title-track ballad, a great showcase of Simmons's fingerpicking. The band glides smoothly from the R&B-tinged swamp-rock of "Cotton Mouth" to the delta-blues of "Don't Start Me Talkin'", a Sonny Boy Williamson II cover. Preceded by the folk interlude "White Sun", the nearly seven minutes of "Disciple" launch the Doobies into an electric blues closer to the Allman Brothers, with a small marathon of crisscrossing guitars and double drums, a true baptism by fire on an iconic album from the early Seventies in America.

Buoyed by radio play of the single "Listen To The Music", the Doobie Brothers head out on tour supporting T. Rex, fronted by Marc Bolan, on a supersonic rise following the release of the masterpiece "Electric Warrior". It's in some ways a striking choice by Warner, pairing a quintessentially American band with the flamboyant English frontman who had become the figurehead of the glitter-glam movement. The tour proves to be a valuable experience for the Doobies, however, who learn from Bolan the importance of showmanship for the audience. The band rushes to shop at the well-known clothing store Jumpin' Jack Flash, on Fifty-Ninth Street in New York, to revamp their look and embody the essence of rock'n'roll in their outfits as well. Riding alongside Bolan's magical aura, the group gets to perform in prestigious venues across the States, from the Warehouse in New Orleans to the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. On drummer John Hartman's suggestion, the band decides to incorporate smoke effects and explosions into their live shows, now fully committed to abandoning their early hippie-musician approach in favor of becoming international stars.

There's thus a growing certainty that they can prove "Listen To The Music" wasn't a one hit wonder, that the Doobie Brothers can carve out a place in music history. Recorded at Warner studios from mid-1972, The Captain And Me is the album that cements the band's definitive success, reaching number seven on the Billboard chart and earning double platinum status thanks to over 2 million copies sold. The genesis of the third album lies in some ideas brought by producer Ted Templeman to reshape the demo tapes the band presented, starting with a song called "South City Midnight Lady", a blend of country and jazz rhythms penned by Patrick Simmons. The producer suggests adding a string section, entrusting the task to arranger and conductor Nick DeCaro, and then brings in guitarist Jeff Baxter - about to found Steely Dan - on pedal steel. The result is an instant classic of American country-rock, a ballad of enormous emotional impact that falls in line with the same kind of global success achieved by the Eagles.

Inspired by Stevie Wonder's latest album, "Talking Book", the Doobie Brothers decide to introduce a new variant into their sonic mix, handing the synthesizer work to the duo of Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff. On tracks like the opener "Natural Thing", which puts the sweetest harmony at the service of a midtempo beat, the use of the synthesizer transforms the band's classic sound with a tone that sounds like it's coming out of a French horn.

At producer Ted Templeman's further urging, an instrumental jam titled "Osborn" is turned into a driving song about trains racing along the tracks, opened by an airy riff and carried by Johnston's soulful voice before the unforgettable harmonica solo. "Long Train Runnin'" is the group's first true hit, one of those songs that instantly fuses with a band's identity.

Caught between southern-rock and boogie, the fast and powerful "China Grove" puts the Doobies' tougher side on full display, while the more reflective "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" treads the purest paths of the blues with a guitar approach that pays homage to B.B. King. The album is a perfect balance between Johnston's verve and Simmons's romantic, elfin folk melodies, the latter showing off a masterclass of fingerpicking on "Clear As The Driven Snow". While the thunderous "Without You" is a blazing tribute to the Who, among drummer John Hartman's favorite bands, "Ukiah" veers into a country-rock streaked with an intriguing dose of jazz and synthesizers. "Evil Woman" has the lumbering, dark groove of the most refined hard-rock, the kind built to last.

The album's complex beauty is all distilled in its title track, kicked off by Simmons' fingerpicking in the harmonic style of Crosby, Stills & Nash, enriched by drowsy banjo in the more rock-driven middle section, and closed out by a rhythm section built on Latin percussion. The Captain And Me is the Doobie Brothers' masterpiece, the record that puts the band firmly on track toward lasting stardom.

You Can't Stop It Now

Riding the success of The Captain And Me, the Doobie Brothers acquire a plane, an old Martin 404 nicknamed the Doobie Liner, to get around quickly during their 1973 tour, which sees them headlining for the first time. While keeping a humble approach, the group suddenly finds itself wrapped in fame, and above all in the gushing flow of money pouring in from hundreds of shows a year. Their popularity grows thanks to several live appearances at special events, like Don Kirshner's Rock Concert at Madison Square Garden or slots on the hit TV formats In Concert and Midnight Special. The group tours all over North America, sharing bills with prestigious names like Frank Zappa, Chicago and the Beach Boys. Long stretches of touring alternate with new recording sessions at the Warner Bros. studios, which mark the final appearances with the band of second drummer Michael Hossack, who leaves at year's end to join Bonaroo. He's replaced by Keith Knudsen, an old acquaintance of the group, who frees himself from his professional commitments with multi-instrumentalist and singer Lee Michaels.

Work on the follow-up, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, released in February 1974, brings in the Memphis Horns' brass section and sees Bill Payne return to the piano from Little Feat. Another New Orleans pianist, James Booker, is also invited aboard, alongside Jeff "Skunk" Baxter back on pedal steel from Steely Dan. The Doobies enjoy expanding their musical family, steering clear of personal egos and rockstar demands, once again entrusting Templeman with a crucial role as an additional musician. The songwriting process mirrors the one that produced The Captain And Me, built on ideas brought to the table by Johnston and Simmons and then polished and rearranged collectively.

Among the first tracks recorded, "Another Park, Another Sunday" is one of the clearest examples of the band's remarkable chemistry at the time, pairing guitars run through a Leslie speaker with bittersweet harmonies straight out of a pastoral ballad. The song is chosen as the album's first single, with results less spectacular than "Long Train Runnin'," but still landing at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. A funky opening riff from Johnston gives birth to "Eyes Of Silver," which brings Stax Records-style sonic elements into the mix, lit up by the Memphis Horns' brass section, suggested by Templeman.

The first half of the album is an ode to energy, from the opening "Song To See You Through," in a style halfway between Otis Redding and Al Jackson, to the Hendrix-indebted "Road Angel," built around a distorted riff and a conga rhythm. While "Spirit" takes a surprise turn toward breezy, hillbilly-flavored acoustic country-western, "Pursuit On 53rd St." picks up the rock lesson learned from John Fogerty's playbook. The first single to hit No. 1, "Black Water" is a sunny acoustic ballad embellished by autoharp courtesy of Arlo Guthrie, another shining showcase for Simmons' guitar, which leads the a cappella vocal harmonies into the song's close.

The group shifts gears in the album's second half, moving from the funk-and-R&B blend of "You Just Can't Stop It" to the exotic, sinuous atmospheres of "Tell Me What You Want (And I'll Give You What You Need)," driven by tabla and pedal steel. The Doobies' blues soul erupts with force on the irresistible shuffle "Down In The Track," while on "Daughters Of The Sea" a searing electric guitar drives a rhythm caught between psychedelia and Latin jazz. The closing honors go to bassist Tiran Porter, who pens the brief space-rock instrumental "Flying Cloud," setting the final sonic piece into another great musical mosaic from the Doobie Brothers.

After the release of What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, the Doobie Brothers decide to bring Steely Dan guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter permanently into the fold; he chooses to join the Doobies after his own band decides to pull back from live performing, while Warner's promoters have already lined up a major tour that kicks off in the United States and, for the first time, lands in Europe as well. The band plays to 60,000 people at England's Knebworth Festival, alongside names like the Allman Brothers Band and Van Morrison. Riding the wave of success in the Old World, Warner decides to repeat the trick in the winter of 1975, sending the group out to play alongside homegrown artists like Little Feat, Tower of Power, Montrose and Graham Central Station.

Back home, the Doobie Brothers take the stage at the Snack Concert in San Francisco, organized by famed promoter Bill Graham at Kezar Stadium, to raise funds for public schools struggling after the latest government cuts. Shortly after, in April, their fifth album, Stampede, is released, recorded between California and Nashville in just under a month the previous autumn. It's the first record to see new member Jeff Baxter contribute more directly to the band's sound, which partly sheds its pop harmonies in favor of a roots-rock approach. The album is anchored by the single "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)," a long-standing favorite of Tom Johnston, who had wanted for years to record the Motown classic from the 1960s written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio. String arranger Paul Riser is brought in for the cover's recording, along with vocalists Sherlie Matthews and Venetta Fields, who had already worked on a famous Rolling Stones album, "Exile On Main St."

Opening with a funk-soul groove and inlaid with strings, the track turns into another hit, reaching No. 11 on the Billboard chart. The other single chosen to drive the album is the opening "Sweet Maxine," a Bolan-esque boogie-rock number led by Bill Payne's Little Feat-style piano, while the following "Neal's Fandango" recalls the early influences of Moby Grape, with dazzling instrumental flourishes from new member Jeff Baxter on pedal steel. "Texas Lullaby" returns to the country-ballad format with a touch of R&B in Johnston's warm voice; he also pens the polished soul-rock number "Music Man," featuring special guest Curtis Mayfield on horn arrangements.

The album wraps around you like a freshly fabric-softened blanket, a fine ensemble work from a band always open to outside contaminations and influences. Beyond what have by now become trademarks — Simmons' delicate fingerpicking on the short acoustic interlude "Slack Key Soquel Rag" — tracks like "I Cheat The Hangman" slot straight into the list of their collective-harmony masterpieces, moving from a hypnotic, ethereal opening to a crescendo of pastoral strings and jazz trumpets over the drums' apocalyptic march. On the acoustic blues rhythm of "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues," featuring Ry Cooder's fine slide guitar, the album touches on practically every corner of American tradition, rolling south down the path of Creedence Clearwater Revival on "I Been Workin' On You."

The closing southern-rock saraband of "Double Dealin' Four Flusher" brings an accomplished record to an aggressively confident close — the Doobie Brothers' most faithful tribute yet to American sonic traditions.

Yacht rock

It's April 9, 1975. The Doobie Brothers have a show scheduled at the Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the early stops on the American tour supporting the album Stampede. Just a few hours before showtime, the Doobies' road manager rushes into the dressing room to tell Pat Simmons: Tom Johnston has been rushed to Los Angeles, hospitalized for a worsening case of a nasty ulcer. Plagued by stomach trouble since his teens, Tom has suddenly started losing blood, worn down by long tours and eating habits well beyond the limits of moderation. The news hits Simmons hard, not so much over the Baton Rouge show, but over the very future of the band without its frontman. On the Assembly Center stage, Pat tells the crowd plainly that Tom won't be there, asking everyone's permission to play on without the Doobie Brothers' unmistakable voice. The show turns out to be a success anyway, but the band is shaken, frightened by the real possibility of grinding to a halt right at their peak.

The tour carries on with Simmons covering for Tom's absence, still honoring fans by offering them the option of a ticket refund, but it's a stopgap that clearly can't go on forever. Between dates, Jeff Baxter talks to Pat, suggesting he consider a young singer who had already worked with him in Steely Dan. "He's good," Baxter tells Simmons. "Sure, he's still young, like twenty-two, but he's really good. He plays keyboards too, who knows…"

A few days later, a shaggy-haired young man turns up in the lobby of the hotel where the band is staying, introduced by Baxter: “Pat, meet Michael McDonald.” Born in St. Louis in February 1952, Michael H. McDonald had played in various bands around the Ferguson area from a very young age, and was discovered at just eighteen in a nightclub by RCA producer Rick Jarrard, who immediately offered him a record deal and brought him to Los Angeles. Blessed with a voice marked by strong gospel and soul tones, McDonald joined Steely Dan during their 1973 tour, mainly because he was able to “sing like a girl.” Simmons is perfectly aware that Mike's singing style is less raw than Johnston's, but decides to give the kid a try as only a temporary replacement for Tom. Even McDonald doesn't seem too convinced, intimidated by the fans' reaction and by the Doobie Brothers' vast repertoire, which he barely manages to absorb in a couple of days. But when he takes the stage for the first time in Shreveport, things seem to click brilliantly, like a natural graft onto an already perfect mechanism.

Back in California after the Stampede tour, the Doobie Brothers have already booked the Warner studios to start work on the new album, beginning with several unreleased songs written by Pat Simmons. The band still doesn't know much about Tom Johnston's health, but he authorizes Pat to bring Mike McDonald into the studio as well. The first track recorded for Takin' It To The Streets is “Wheels Of Fortune,” opened by a new airy uptempo riff, weaving in sinuous jazzy movements along the lines of Steely Dan. Quite similar to “Spinning Wheel,” already recorded by Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968, the single works on the pairing of bass and keyboards, both played by McDonald himself, whose debut in the band marks a break from the Johnston era. Ted Templeman himself doesn't seem convinced at first of Mike's songwriting abilities, but the newcomer immediately writes the song that gives its title to the whole record, carried by his voice, more inclined toward a sensual pop-soul. The band thus veers toward a blue-eyed-soul sound that suits American listeners' tastes, who reward the track by pushing it to number thirteen on the charts.

Amid the congas played by Bobby LaKind and the horns of the Memphis Horns, “Takin' It To The Streets” has a charming, polished groove, obviously far removed from the rawer, more blues-oriented sound the Doobies had offered up to that point. “8th Avenue Shuffle,” for instance, recalls “Black Water” in structure, though marked by a new urban soul-jazz groove. The second track penned by McDonald, “Losin' End,” is a mellow jazz-pop march driven by synthesizer, strongly geared toward the band's rapid steely-dan-ification. The same goes for songs like “Rio,” built on carioca-style percussion, and “It Keeps You Runnin',” an elegant mix of jazz, R&B and gospel.

The record probably comes as a shock to the band's longtime fans, yet it shows the group handling the most disparate musical styles with real skill, from the soul of “For Someone Special” – a contribution from bassist Tiran Porter – to the funk of “Carry Me Away.” Old-school fans might shed a tear listening to the boogie-blues groove of “Turn It Loose” – perhaps the only genuinely Doobies-style track, fittingly written by Johnston – but Takin' It To The Streets is a record of rupture and renewal that launches the Doobie Brothers into the new decade.

You Belong To Me

In a moment of intense transition, Tom Johnston regains his strength after being hospitalized, ready to return to the stage in spring 1976 for the Takin' It To The Streets tour. The Memphis Horns join the band on the road as well, but the new star of the show is unmistakably Mike McDonald, who has by now replaced Tom not only as the group's frontman but also as chief architect of a new sound. Johnston realizes it, senses he's out of place, and announces to the band that he'll only work with them sporadically from now on, determined to focus on his solo career.

While Warner decides to cash in on the band's work with the compilation Best Of The Doobies, which will go on to sell more than ten million copies in America alone, Pat Simmons reflects on the new direction the band has taken, now convinced that, without Tom, the old Doobie Brothers are dead and buried. And so the fusion tide floods the following Livin' On The Fault Line, starting with the title track, which unfolds across several instrumental sections featuring conga, vibraphone and exotic vocal harmonies. The jazz framework lets the Doobies experiment freely, giving ever more room to Baxter's sophisticated guitar work. The other song Simmons brings into the studio is “Chinatown,” opened by an airy guitar-and-synthesizer pairing that glides lightly into a smooth fusion sound reminiscent of the latest work by Steely Dan and Little Feat. It's an even sharper break than the one made on Takin' It To The Streets, as the band's Afro-American-rooted sound inevitably softens further. McDonald's soft-pop-leaning voice thoroughly permeates the ballad “There's A Light,” as well as “You're Made That Way,” built on an uptempo verging on chamber funk.

The record is certainly among the least catchy the Doobie Brothers ever put together, as the band seems to care little about commercial ambitions, chasing continuous experimentation instead. The break with the past is almost total, aside from the brief acoustic ragtime of “Larry The Logger Two-Step,” featuring a fingerpicking solo by Simmons, as the band builds its new identity around intellectual soft-pop (“Echoes Of Love”) and jazz-fusion (“Nothin' But A Heartache”). The group once again draws from the pen of the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio on the softened R&B of “Little Darling (I Need You)” and leans on the collaboration between McDonald and Carly Simon for the blue-eyed-soul of “You Belong To Me.” The album, however, ends up losing some of the freshness of its predecessor – undeniably excellent in execution and technical skill, but slightly marred by a few filler tracks.

Livin' On The Fault Line has no singles that manage to crack the Billboard Top 40, though it can count on “You Belong To Me,” which became a hit thanks to Carly Simon. The band's management then arranges a guest appearance in January 1978 on the popular TV show What's Happening!!, despite reservations from some members who see it as a caricature of African-American people written by white screenwriters. During filming, it's Pat who first notices guitarist Jeff Baxter's increasingly erratic behavior, as he moves on from marijuana to harder drugs like cocaine.

With clear doubts hanging over the guitarist, and for the first time without any input from the now ex-member Tommy Johnston, the Doobie Brothers return to the studio in North Hollywood to record their new album Minute By Minute, released in December. The album achieves enormous commercial success, reaching number one on the North American charts and selling more than three million copies in total. The new single, written by McDonald with Kenny Loggins, is titled “What A Fool Believes,” built from a funky backbone over which an airy synthesizer melody is layered. The easygoing approach pairs perfectly with McDonald's warm voice, producing a chart-topping hit that thrills Warner executives, after the doubts initially voiced by Ted Templeman. Listening to tracks like “Here To Love You,” a slowed-down Motown-style shuffle, it's hard to believe this is the same band of hippies who had set American stages ablaze in the early 1970s. The old boogie-beat gets a soft-pop update on the Latin-tinged “Dependin' On You,” while southern-rock flourishes live on in a more commercial form on tracks like “Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels.”

Beyond its huge commercial success, the record proves to be superbly played, the result of a band of great instrumental talents to whom McDonald has added an extra gear – or taken one away, depending on taste – moving the group further from the stereotype of African-American music and up the American charts. “Here To Love You” blends soul and funk in a style that comes remarkably close to what would define the 1980s, while “Sweet Feelin'” warms hearts with its nostalgic strumming. Simmons himself writes the following “Steamer Lane Breakdown,” a bluegrass-style instrumental that pays tribute to the band's older sound. But the new direction is clearly evident in songs like “You Never Change,” which offer an intellectual soft-rock capable of satisfying both the most demanding listeners and those tuning in casually on the radio. Born under the wing of Moby Grape, the Doobie Brothers prove they've learned the lesson perfectly, folding in ever-changing styles and putting together a body of work worthy of a Grammy Award.

The huge commercial success of Minute By Minute opens a new chapter for the Doobie Brothers, especially after the departures of Jeff Baxter and drummer John Hartman. John McFee is brought in to replace the former Steely Dan man, having already worked with major artists such as Van Morrison, Steve Miller and Elvis Costello. Hailing from Santa Cruz, McFee is a pedal-steel virtuoso, practically the perfect fit in terms of talent and experience. Saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus is also permanently added to the lineup, while Hartman's spot is taken by Chester Eugene McCracken, an old acquaintance of McDonald's.

The Doobies don't want to waste any time after winning a Grammy for their latest album, so they head back to the studio at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood to record the follow-up, One Step Closer. Opened by the danceable funky groove of “Dedicate This Heart,” the album is conceived almost live in the studio, the result of a collaboration among all the band's members, old and new alike. In truth, apart from the uptempo soul of “No Stoppin' Us Now” and the fusion tangle of “Just In Time,” the album marks Pat Simmons' gradual retreat from leadership of the band, which is now closer than ever to being a brand rather than a project driven by strong leaders.

While the single “Real Love,” a blue-eyed-soul number built on synthesizers with a rubbery groove, still climbs the Billboard charts, One Step Closer is the first Doobies record to lack bite, like a once-thrilling lesson that's suddenly turned dull. The democratic approach that opens the floor to every member backfires when the overly long “Thank You Love” drags on through latin-jazz rhythms led by saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus. New guitarist McFee writes the breezy title track, swinging between soul twists and soft-funk, while McDonald lends his usual warm voice to the exotic “Keep This Train A-Rollin'.”

The instrumental “South Bay Strut” certainly highlights the band's skill, and the sax will surely prove an added asset for their live shows. But overall, One Step Closer is an album bordering on tedious, largely lacking in real inspiration after almost ten years of consistently top-tier work.

Farewell and Return

With One Step Closer released in early 1980, the Doobie Brothers replace departing bassist Tiran Porter with new bassist Willie Weeks, one of the most respected session men in the United States. Before heading out on tour, Pat Simmons proposes to the rest of the group that they buy a large house in the Montara area, with the aim of having a single place to rehearse and keep all the equipment. Management disagrees, though, wanting to move everyone to Los Angeles, which causes the guitarist considerable frustration. While at the hospital visiting his sick mother, McDonald gets a phone call from Simmons, who has no intention of turning the Doobie Brothers into an L.A. band. “That's not what I built, Mike,” Pat admits, “I think the time has come for me to leave.” The news catches McDonald completely off guard, forcing him to think hard about the future of a band that really can't carry on without its last remaining founding member.

A farewell tour is thus planned, a gesture of thanks to the fans who have supported the Doobies since the very beginning. Some shows at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles and the Greek Theatre in Berkeley are recorded by Templeman for a live album, which sees the welcome return of Tom Johnston and Tiran Porter. Farewell Tour comes out as a double album in June 1983, disappointing fans who were hoping for one last blast of the Doobies' fiery glory days. While the intro, lifted from “Slippery St. Paul,” seems like the perfect appetizer for the band's celebration, the version of “Takin' It To The Streets” immediately puts McDonald's vocals front and center, followed by Bumpus's sax, which is given the task of delivering a watered-down version of the gospel standard “Jesus Is Just Alright.” Old classics like “Listen To The Music” get a sound-bleaching treatment, salvaged on “Black Water” by Simmons's old-school fingerpicking.

The album features two new tracks, the soft-rock “Can't Let It Get Away” and the funky-soul “Olana,” the last song written by McDonald. But the most intense moments of Farewell Tour remain the hits “Long Train Runnin'” and “China Grove,” sung for the occasion by Tom Johnston, for a more faithful celebration of the Doobie Brothers' entire history.

Having left the Doobies, Pat Simmons lands a solo record deal with Elektra Records, bringing along his ever-trusted Ted Templeman. Together with bassist Willie Weeks, Pat records new songs, but is stunned when Templeman himself stops answering his calls, vanishing without a trace. In his place comes producer John Ryan, already known for his work with Santana, to restart work at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Simmons writes more songs with his friend Chris Thompson, releasing the album “Arcade” in 1983, with the single “So Wrong” climbing into the Top 40 in the United States.

The subsequent departure of Elektra Records president Joe Smith leads Simmons to put further solo plans on hold, convinced that the time has come to take a break for himself starting in 1984. Both Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston perform sporadically with various Bay Area bands, reuniting for a brief run of concerts starting at the Baton Rouge military base, sponsored by the United States Department of Defense in mid-1986. This is the prelude to the Doobie Brothers' return to the stage, kicking off on May 21, 1987 at the San Diego Sports Arena for a 12-date reunion mini-tour. At first it's purely a charity move, to raise money for Vietnam War veterans, but the audience response is overwhelming, so much so that the following date at the Hollywood Bowl sets the fastest sellout since the days of the Beatles. The enthusiastic warmth of American audiences nearly moves Tom and Pat to tears, leading them to decide to put the band back together in its original form. The tour reaches its peak at the Peace Concert in Moscow, a mega-event organized to celebrate Russia's historic opening known as Glasnost, alongside artists such as Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Santana.

The huge success of the reunion tour leads the Doobies back into the studio, at The Plant in Sausalito, with a new team of producers and, above all, a new label, Capitol Records. Mike McDonald is no longer in the lineup, with Tom Johnston back at the helm alongside former drummers John Hartman and Michael Hossack.

Released in May 1989, Cycles satisfies longtime fans, starting with the boogie-blues single “The Doctor,” which reaches number one on the Billboard chart. The enthusiasm is soon dampened by the album's broader tone, which, beyond the nostalgia factor, betrays a certain lack of ideas. Having cleverly overhauled their sound with McDonald's arrival, the Doobie Brothers certainly prove they're still comfortable with their old arrangements, but the work feels as if covered by a thin layer of dust accumulated over time. Funky tracks like “South Of The Border” and “Wrong Number” are carried by a Johnston probably weighed down by age, while the synthesized tropical rhythm of “I Can Read Your Mind” shows how Pat Simmons has lost his touch as a songwriter, aided by his friend Chris Thompson.

“Tonight I'm Coming Through (The Border)” is McDonald's final contribution, between soft-jazz horns and pop melody. The Doobies decide to record a cover of “One Chain Don't Make No Prison,” released in 1974 by the Four Tops, but the result is decidedly plasticky in its soul groove. “Take Me To The Highway” is a bland ballad, while the smooth blue-eyed-soul approach of “Time Is Here And Gone” borders on the simplistic. Better is the dark country-western groove of “Too High A Price,” but it's decidedly too little to enthusiastically celebrate the band's return to the studio.

Brotherhood

Encouraged by the solid commercial success of Cycles, the Doobie Brothers go back on the road full time, touring between the United States and Japan. In the spring of 1990 they start working on new studio material, supported by songwriter Jerry Williams, who already has several collaborations under his belt, the latest with Eric Clapton on his album “Journeyman.” Pat and Tom's idea is to push for a return to their musical past, even growing their hair back out to return to the leather-jacket biker look that defined the band's birth.

This renewed sense of shared purpose, however, collapses on the following album, Brotherhood, probably also due to Capitol Records' lack of promotional support. The album turns out to be a commercial flop, understandably hampered by a tracklist that doesn't lift a finger to attract new fans, content merely to ape the band's past. Tracks like “Divided Highway” and especially “This Train I'm On” are empty attempts to replicate the southern-boogie formula of old, probably well-suited to fans hoping for a return to the pre-McDonald era.

Capitol's hopes rest entirely on the romantic ballad “Our Love,” which fails spectacularly on the charts, while radio stations prefer the bluesy “Dangerous,” with its stadium-ready ZZ Top-style riff. The problem lies in an all-too-derivative approach, as in “Under The Spell,” which recalls the sound of Journey, or “Is Love Enough,” which practically lifts the central line of Stevie Wonder's “Superstition.” “Something You Said” and “Excited” carry the same sound Williams brought to “Journeyman,” proof that the Doobies are, without much inspiration, simply rehashing an already-stale blueprint.

Brotherhood's commercial flop leads Capitol to tear up its contract with the band, denying them the chance to record a third album. Bassist Tiran Porter, tired of the endless touring, leaves the Doobies, along with drummer John Hartman and Bobby LaKind, who is battling cancer. Yet another lineup overhaul brings in new bassist John Cowan, along with the return of Keith Knudsen and John McFee to the fold. The Brotherhood tour, however, is a disaster, ranking among the least profitable of 1991 according to the North American Concert Promoters Association.

In October 1992 the band performs at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California, for a benefit concert in aid of the family of now-former member Bobby LaKind, who is dying of cancer. The following year a short tour of Japan is organized, followed by further concerts in America with McDonald in 1995.

To raise funds for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Rockin' Down The Highway: The Wildlife Concert is staged in May 1996 in New York, recorded live for release as the new (and self-titled) live album. The record is especially beloved by fans because it offers the first chance to hear the band's three principal voices together, thanks to Mike McDonald's return for the occasion. From the acoustic blues intro of the new "Dangerous" to the evergreen "Listen To The Music", the double live album carries a zero-sum weight in the Doobies' history: a treat for the faithful, but hardly an essential entry point for new generations discovering the band.

The focus falls on old classics like "Jesus Is Just Alright", "Black Water" and "China Grove", performed without the fusion or soft-rock excursions of the McDonald years. There's a return to the taste of electric guitar, from the bittersweet "Takin' It To The Streets" to the southern riff of "The Doctor". The album still flows pleasantly, coming genuinely close to the Doobie Brothers of old, even if it lacks that incendiary bite that now seems gone for good.

In mid-1996 the lineup undergoes yet another shake-up, bringing in keyboardist Guy Allison (Moody Blues and Air Supply) and saxophonist Marc Russo (Yellowjackets). Three years later the group gets embroiled in a legal battle against former members McCracken, Bumpus and Shogren, securing a court injunction barring them from using the Doobie Brothers name for a tribute band.

At the turn of the new millennium, the Doobies return to the studio to record their first album since Brotherhood, with producer Guy Allison and the return of John McFee on guitar. Sibling Rivalry is released in October 2000 on Rhino Records, the band's new label after departing Capitol due to disappointing sales. The album opens with the carefree guitar jangle of "People Gotta Love Again", a finally welcome return to the band's denim aesthetic. Simmons shows off his trademark fingerpicking on the country uptempo "Leave My Heartache Behind", while tracks like "Ordinary Man" and "Angel Of Madness" suffer from the same plastic-coated romanticism found on the previous album.

In an unusually long work, "Jericho" veers toward a minimal funk-soul, followed by the more aggressive blues riff of "45th Floor". It's Tom Johnston who takes the reins on the songwriting side, from the gospel-rock of "Higher Ground" to "Rocking Horse", which again blends pop atmospheres with boogie. The Doobies don't let go of the fusion-flavored soft-rock of the McDonald era, in tracks like "Don't Be Afraid" that nonetheless sound completely out of place without Mike's deep voice. Sibling Rivalry still contains a few noteworthy, pleasant moments, but it's probably still not enough to speak of any real renewal, let alone a rebirth, for the American band.

End of the road?

Sibling Rivalry fails to set the American charts alight, sunk by listeners' shifting tastes, now far removed from Adult-oriented rock. On June 22, 2001, ahead of a concert at Caesars Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, drummer Mike Hossack is involved in a terrible car accident on Highway 88, suffering multiple fractures that require surgery. He's temporarily replaced by M. B. Gordy before returning in mid-2002. Gordy nonetheless stays on in the group as percussionist, while saxophonist Ed Wynne joins for the summer tour.

In 2004 comes the album Live At Wolf Trap, recorded in July at Wolf Trap National Park in Virginia, the last appearance by drummer and singer Keith Knudsen before his death from a severe case of pneumonia. Opened by the roar of engines, the album races off with the anthem "Rockin' Down The Highway", followed by a stirring version of the classic "Another Park, Another Sunday". From the instrumental bluegrass of "Steamer Lane" to the sparkling "South City Midnight Lady", the Doobies prove to be in top form, with Simmons cutting loose on banjo for "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues" and then on acoustic folk guitar for a very faithful rendition of the gem "Clear As The Driven Snow".

It's clearly a set designed to delight the more nostalgic listeners, but the concert restores some shine to the Doobie Brothers name, as the band rediscovers the pleasure of a blazing blues jam on "Don't Start Me Talkin'" and of pure rock'n'roll fun on their cover of the standard "Little Bitty Pretty One". The finale is, naturally, pyrotechnic, from the country-folk wonder "Black Water" to the electric distortion of "China Grove".

With drummer Ed Toth brought in from Vertical Horizon, the Doobie Brothers embark on a new tour with Chicago, while preparations are underway for a new studio album, closely watched by industry insiders given the return to the producer's chair of veteran Ted Templeman.

World Gone Crazy comes out at the end of 2010, the new fruit of the renewed songwriting partnership between Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons. From the exuberant tropical rhythms of "A Brighter Day", the album surprises with its freshness, as if Templeman's mere return to the producer's chair had managed to revitalize the band's sound. "Chateau" is an honest rock-blues number, while the title track veers toward an airy, almost liberating shuffle. Simmons pens his new ballad on "Far From Home", with Tom flooring it on the southern-blues of "Young Man's Game".

Likely seasoned by long tours together since the reunion, the Doobies sound perfectly at ease in a nostalgic modernity, even welcoming back McDonald's voice on the jazzy "Don't Say Goodbye". The barrelhouse rhythm of "My Baby" pays tribute to Bob Dylan, while "I Know We Won" features special guest Willie Nelson on a country-pop number with real punch. If "Law Dogs" digs into an urban Delta-blues, the acoustic romanticism of "Little Prayer" succeeds in sending a few shivers down the spine.

Overall, the nostalgia effect prevails, but at least World Gone Crazy is an album that has something to say.

In 2012 the band appears in the biographical documentary "Let the Music Play: The Story of the Doobie Brothers", while preparations continue for a new album, as agreed with Sony Music Nashville, the country branch of the record giant. The idea is an unusual one: to re-record several classics in the company of a large cast of genre musicians, from Zac Brown Band to Sara Evans. Southbound is released in 2014, reinterpreting the band's historic repertoire with a more modern country approach, from the relaxed banjo of "Black Water" to the pop splendor of "Listen To The Music".

Between an appearance on Jimmy Fallon's popular show and a tour with friends Journey, the Doobie Brothers sign a new deal with manager Irving Azoff, confirming Ed Toth as the band's sole drummer. In 2017 the shows keep coming one after another, alongside stars like the Eagles and Chicago, then with Santana in 2019, when it's announced that Mike McDonald will return for the 50th anniversary tour.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic slows down the Doobies' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as a number of shows scheduled in Las Vegas. The 50th anniversary tour is thus postponed to 2021, kicking off at the Iowa State Fair in August, after restrictions on live events are eased.

During the forced break caused by the virus, the foundations are laid for the new album Liberté, produced by John Shanks (Bon Jovi) and released in October 2021 by Island Records.

Opened by the tex-mex rhythm of "Oh Mexico", the album marks the definitive abandonment of any temptation towards sophistication in its sound, letting loose a wild, no-frills rock'n'roll. The poppier numbers like "Better Days" are of course present, but the record succeeds in modernizing the Doobies' approach thanks to Shanks' contribution, who virtually co-writes every track, from the southern-boogie of "Don't Ya Mess With Me" to the Appalachian rhythm of "Cannonball".

Tracks like "Wherever We Go" attempt to write new hits, while others ("The American Dream") simply aim to weigh in on the band's role after fifty years of activity. Listening to the delicate gospel-ballad "Shine Your Light" or the shuffle-blues "Easy", one can't help but congratulate the Doobies, who, against every pessimistic prediction, managed to overcome every obstacle along the way.

After the release of Liberté, Johnston and Simmons learn the news of the death of their old bandmate John Hartman, announcing the resumption of the tour to celebrate fifty years of career. In 2023, upon returning to the States after several dates in Australia and Japan, the band reveals that Tom Johnston will have to step aside for back surgery, replaced by Mike McDonald for the rest of the tour. The Doobie Brothers join the Eagles for their The Long Goodbye Tour, stepping in for Steely Dan due to serious health issues affecting Donald Fagen.

Back in shape, Tom Johnston rejoins his bandmates on stage, ahead of the release of the latest album Walk This Road (2025), again produced by Shanks for Rhino Records. The album sees McDonald's return as a permanent member, who writes the title track, a robust rock-blues featuring the legendary voice of Mavis Staples. "Angels & Mercy" is Pat Simmons' latest retro gem, an uptempo country–western number with a pop chorus, while "Call Me" veers towards horn-driven soul, penned by the fully recovered Tom Johnston.

The album is particularly lighthearted, as if driven purely by the desire to play together within the great Doobie Brothers family. "Learn To Let Go" returns to the ballad format with echoes of the 1980s, followed by the all-American on-the-road atmospheres of "State Of Grace". Shanks' production is sparkling and breathes new life into the Doobies' sound, on tracks like the classic radio rock-pop of "Here To Stay" or the bouncy latin-jazz groove of "The Kind That Lasts".

From the jingle-jangle guitars of "New Orleans" to the hypnotic keyboards of "Speed Of Pain", the album hits the mark, even unleashing a potential instant classic in the seventies-style beauty of "Lahaina", featuring a special appearance by Mick Fleetwood on percussion. A return to the more sophisticated style consistent with the Doobies' great history, as the train still runs at full steam.

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