The Doobie Brothers produce a tight brand of lite rock that utilizes horns and keyboards along with the most recognizable part of the band—Michael McDonald’s voice. People usually either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I have to admit that I find some of the music to be a little lightweight, but then there are other songs that are classics like “What a Fool Believes.”
It and “Minute by Minute” are the standouts on this record. “What a Fool Believes” won three Grammy awards in 1980 (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Vocal Arrangement). A fourth Grammy went to “Minute by Minute” for Best Pop Vocal Performance. The strength of these two songs makes the album worth considering. Luckily, there are a couple of other good tunes on here as well. Track 10? Track 6 or 7? You decide. Track 8 really diverges from the rest of the album and goes straight country. This is another wonderful mastering job by Steve Hoffman from original master tapes. Voice is very transparent, and percussion and keyboards aren’t bad either. Not to sound like an audiophile geek, but it is very “analog-like.” Warnings on this record have nothing to do with the quality of sound, but of the content. It’s a bit uneven, but if you delete a few tracks there is still a really good record left—especially tracks 2 and 3. Oh, and it’s gold! Songs included are: Here To Love You; What A Fool Believes; Minute By Minute; Dependin’ On You; Don’t Stop To Watch The Wheels; Open Your Eyes; Sweet Feelin’; Steamer Lane Breakdown; You Never Change; How Do The Fools Survive. -Brian Bloom
