Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers: "Takin' It to the Streets," "What a Fool Believes, "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Minute by Minute." Both McDonald and Skunk Baxter were Steely Dan alumni (and it shows).
I guess this makes as much sense to Brits as talking about Status Quo would make to Americans. And I'm embarrased to know this much about the Doobie Brothers (blame it on my Dad, who liked this sort of stuff) :-o
― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Michael McDonald is a powerful musical weapon, and it must be used judiciously. When used improperly ("Ya Mo Be There") there can only be disaster.
Remember the last gasp of the soft rock Doobies, with "Real Love" and "One Step Closer"?
― Chuck Tomlinson, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Kris, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Arthur, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― dave q, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I love this song. I've been breathing this song for 6 days straight for no apparent reason.
― Matt H, Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― matthew m., Monday, 30 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― dave q, Tuesday, 31 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Mike Hanle y, Tuesday, 31 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Andrew L, Tuesday, 31 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Kris, Tuesday, 31 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
i just "black water" and that song is...awful.
is "w.a.f.b." really a doobies song or a m. mcd. solo tune?
― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 23 May 2004 02:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 23 May 2004 03:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 23 May 2004 03:03 (nineteen years ago) link
Did I imagine this? I'm sure it was a big hit in the clubs. Does anyone else remember this?
― Keith Watson (kmw), Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― MarkH (MarkH), Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:19 (nineteen years ago) link
A month or two ago after a night out I was watching the telly with one eye and then fell asleep on the sofa. I woke up freezing in the morning thinking "weird, the Flirtations' Nothing but a Heartache is on a KFC advert" and then put it down to just a stupid dream but then a few weeks later saw it.
I think I'm having difficulty separating reality with fantasy these days.
― Keith Watson (kmw), Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 23 May 2004 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― stevie (stevie), Sunday, 23 May 2004 15:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 23 May 2004 19:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Sunday, 23 May 2004 19:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― briania (briania), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:40 (nineteen years ago) link
what is the bacharach song that mcdonald recorded again?
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 06:58 (seventeen years ago) link
Have we done a TS: "Take Me in Your Arms" (Doobies) vs. "How Sweet It Is" (James Taylor)?
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 07:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― Apocalypse '07: Rodney Strikes Back (R. J. Greene), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 14:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 18:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― rps, Friday, 30 March 2007 06:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― tipsy mothra, Friday, 30 March 2007 06:37 (seventeen years ago) link
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 30 March 2007 07:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Friday, 30 March 2007 14:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― 600, Sunday, 6 May 2007 09:51 (sixteen years ago) link
― t**t, Sunday, 13 May 2007 17:33 (sixteen years ago) link
― Dom Passantino, Sunday, 13 May 2007 17:41 (sixteen years ago) link
― t**t, Sunday, 13 May 2007 17:50 (sixteen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Sunday, 13 May 2007 22:58 (sixteen years ago) link
― Eisbaer, Sunday, 13 May 2007 23:19 (sixteen years ago) link
― Hurting 2, Sunday, 13 May 2007 23:32 (sixteen years ago) link
― The Reverend, Sunday, 13 May 2007 23:37 (sixteen years ago) link
― The Reverend, Sunday, 13 May 2007 23:40 (sixteen years ago) link
I've long been curious about MxM.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, November 14, 2011 5:08 PM Bookmark
perfect post for ILX taken out of context
― pass the duchy pon the left hand side (musical duke) (Hurting 2), Monday, 14 November 2011 22:14 (twelve years ago) link
and in my case a redundancy.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 14 November 2011 22:18 (twelve years ago) link
Stormy otm about the slept-on debut
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 02:18 (twelve years ago) link
duddudududdududududududududududududududdudududdudududdududududud
mcdonald has a hell of a voice, tho. he should permanently front grizzly-bear.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 16 November 2011 02:30 (twelve years ago) link
dave q otm upthread about minute by minute chord changes...incredible. and mcdonald one of the great harmony vocalists of the whole rock era
― unlistenable in philly (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 02:30 (twelve years ago) link
Doobie Bros had a rhythm section, dude.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 02:38 (twelve years ago) link
hm, true.
okay, mcdonald should be the singer, and chic should provide the rhythm section. the other grizzly-bears can sing backup vocals.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 16 November 2011 02:44 (twelve years ago) link
Just leave their mics off. They'll never know the difference.
― Melle Mel and the Coconuts (thewufs), Wednesday, 16 November 2011 04:22 (twelve years ago) link
*takes it to the streets*
― buzza, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 04:26 (twelve years ago) link
I'm really surprised how few people are sticking up for Tom Johnston and his stack of riff rock gems.
And their take on "Take Me in Your Arms" is fab. Love the string arrangement, especially the plucked breakdown.
― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 16 November 2011 05:39 (twelve years ago) link
This is a pretty crazy arrangement; first you start with some folky CSN arrangement that moves into a big orchestral piece then onto some krautrock Doc Severinsen ending. It's a pretty weird Doobie Brothers track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7EZv5GsGzs
― earlnash, Tuesday, 8 April 2014 05:11 (ten years ago) link
Been doing a deep dive in the pre-McDonald albums and the album cuts are full of some of the most wonderfully recorded, tastefully played acoustic guitar riffery in the whole 70s. (Some of the radio cuts were as well, but there is more of it beneath the surface.)
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 22 July 2017 17:06 (six years ago) link
Good examples?
― calstars, Saturday, 22 July 2017 18:35 (six years ago) link
The title track on Toulouse Street and "Spirit" from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits are the ones that really stood out to me the most, but it was just something I kept noticing continuously through my listening binge.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 22 July 2017 19:09 (six years ago) link
I think it's just that there's real "in the room" sound that was captured with the acoustic strings on a lot of things, more so than on a lot of other 70s recordings. Like, "shit, this guitar is right next to me!"
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 22 July 2017 19:12 (six years ago) link
their whole catalog thru at least Minute By Minute is richly worthy of close listening. Beautifully recorded, beautifully played records
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Saturday, 22 July 2017 23:14 (six years ago) link
Johnny, those are nice. As is Black Water as long as you stop it before it becomes acapella barber shop.
Thirteen by big star is the acoustic recording holy grail imho.
― calstars, Sunday, 23 July 2017 00:12 (six years ago) link
Ah, Michael McDonald.
― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 17 June 2019 01:27 (four years ago) link
I did a deep dive into the catalog last year, and I wound up nearly hating them. They can be a fine meat-and-potatoes band, but after 15 or 20 minutes, the vocals (at least before McDonald came on board), the lyrics and the musical clichés start to wear thin, and stretched beyond an hour, it wasn't so enjoyable anymore. It was much more palatable to string all of their singles together - I didn't like them all, but even at their worst (like "Listen to the Music" or "Takin' It to the Streets" as Alfred suggested) there were still parts of their music that could be enjoyed, usually a riff or a light groove to hang on to while letting the rest zip on by.
― birdistheword, Monday, 15 February 2021 08:54 (three years ago) link
I enjoy three songs apiece from their first two best-of collections (five sung by Mike McDonald), but get sufficiently annoyed by the ones I don't like that I'd never consider listening to an original album.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 15 February 2021 13:53 (three years ago) link
A lot of their music just sounds like nothing is at stake. There’s a bit of a blankly cherry, up with people kind of vibe to it.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 15 February 2021 17:07 (three years ago) link
*blankly cheery
For people who found the Eagles too intense.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 15 February 2021 17:16 (three years ago) link
LMAO
― birdistheword, Monday, 15 February 2021 20:19 (three years ago) link
A lot of their music just sounds like nothing is at stake.
Pretty damning when one of their signature tunes is "Takin' It to the Streets."
― birdistheword, Monday, 15 February 2021 20:25 (three years ago) link
Yeah but that song is just about getting a new remote-controlled car for Christmas
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 15 February 2021 23:08 (three years ago) link
Neil Young:Model Trains::Michael McDonald:Radio-Controlled Cars
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 15 February 2021 23:13 (three years ago) link
REMOTE-CONTROLLED
― "what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 15 February 2021 23:14 (three years ago) link
― calstars, Monday, 15 February 2021 23:17 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9URZfqYf2o
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Saturday, 11 September 2021 01:29 (two years ago) link
^ pretty funky jammed-out version w Cornelius Bumpus leading the band
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Saturday, 11 September 2021 03:06 (two years ago) link
full show is here, those live mcdonald vocals are ridiculous https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LCB_RdfdXc
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Saturday, 11 September 2021 08:58 (two years ago) link
Damn, that show is dope
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 12 September 2021 13:41 (two years ago) link
Started crying this morning listening to Here to Love You for the first time, what a song.
― lukas, Monday, 13 September 2021 05:34 (two years ago) link
that set is unbelievable
― I'm a sovereign jazz citizen (the table is the table), Monday, 13 September 2021 17:45 (two years ago) link
feel like this video disproves every old "Doobies pre-Mcdonald is real Doobies" douchebag so hard. This band only got classic when they went full funky r&b.
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 13 September 2021 19:56 (two years ago) link
Yass ^
― calstars, Monday, 13 September 2021 20:22 (two years ago) link
They can sit on the bench with the "Fleetwood Mac pre-Buckingham Nicks is real Fleetwood Mac" dorks imo
― Richard Marxist (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 13 September 2021 20:39 (two years ago) link
My dad insists everything post Peter Green stinks. xTRUEDADCHALLOPSx
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 13 September 2021 21:00 (two years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 13 September 2021 21:38 (two years ago) link
― calstars, Monday, 13 September 2021 21:51 (two years ago) link
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand By the hand (hand), take me by the hand pretty Mama Come and dance with your daddy all night long I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand I want to honky tonk (take me by the hand) Honky tonk (take me by the hand pretty Mama) Honky tonk (come and dance with your daddy all night long) with you all night longI'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand I want to honky tonk (take me by the hand) Honky tonk (take me by the hand pretty Mama) Honky tonk (come and dance with your daddy all night long) with you all night longI'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand C'mon baby, c'mon baby (I want to honky tonk) (take me by the hand) Honky tonk (take me by the hand pretty Mama) Honky tonk (come and dance with your daddy all night long) with you all night longI'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand C'mon baby, c'mon baby (I want to honky tonk) (take me by the hand) Honky tonk (take me by the hand pretty Mama) Honky tonk (come and dance with your daddy all night long) with you all night longI'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty Mama come and take me by the hand C'mon baby, c'mon baby (I want to honky tonk) (take me by the hand) Honky tonk (take me by the hand pretty Mama) Honky tonk (come and dance with your daddy all night long) with you all night longimo
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 8 July 2023 02:32 (nine months ago) link
I always think of that line in Romancing the Stone.
― Bittern Storm Over My Hammy (morrisp), Saturday, 8 July 2023 03:04 (nine months ago) link
LOL, he found out a couple of years too late
― birdistheword, Saturday, 8 July 2023 04:10 (nine months ago) link
Michael McDonald, Living Meme, strikes again
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 8 July 2023 19:01 (nine months ago) link
Yah Mo Zoom U
― pomplamoose and circumstance (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 8 July 2023 19:29 (nine months ago) link
Hope this story ends better than the little girl obsessed with Wire.
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 8 July 2023 19:38 (nine months ago) link
“Is your best friend Christopher Cross?” Hahaha
― calstars, Saturday, 8 July 2023 22:24 (nine months ago) link