Best Doobie Brothers stuff

Respectfully disagree strongly. But you certainly are entitled to that opinion. Sweet Maxine, Neils Fandango, I Cheat the Hangman(great concert song) Texas Lullaby, Take Me in Your Arms, Rainy Day Crossroad Blues. As I mentioned above, maybe their most diverse album.

 

"The Captain and Me" remains their finest hour. I saw them in July 1974 in Hilversum, on the same bill as Tim Buckley (short set, but terrific then) , the Mahavishnu Orchestra and headliners the Allman Brothers band. Van Morrison didn't show up and Tim Buckley took his place. Legendary Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on the left in below picture:

 

get the long train runnin boxset. pretty much everything you need by them

 

That is fine, many people liked the Johnson come back LP's. I bought Cycles and listened to Brotherhood and they did nothing for me. I actually listen to Stampede as much as any Doobies album, some great material there.

 

That is right. And like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
After that I could give Charlie Atlas AND Superman an ass kicking.....

 

I saw them live in the mid seventies, it was a good show
I remember the skunk sitting on a stool with headphones on and just kicking it on the guitar
Wow --- this thread brings back memories
Thanks

 

I think Cycles is similar to the Doobies original sound.
I like much of it.
Brotherhood is a bit too hair band sounding, too much guitar effects pedals and wankery.

 

Just in case you may not have this already...it brought back memories, of 40 years ago for me : http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Let-the-Music-Play-The-Story-of-the-Doobie-Brothers-Blu-ray/57557/

 

Those remixes are on the CD single I have for Long Train Running. Don't care for them much at all.

Pat

 

No worries.

Well...except Johnston WAS there on the recordings for "Stampede" and handed in some strong material despite his ongoing health issues. Simmons also stepped up his game with this album producing some of his best material and, perhaps, his best song with "I Cheat The Hangman". Baxter's guitar playing is terrific on the album.

Baxter was the one that introduced McDonald to the band bringing him on board when Johnston had to drop out of touring to support the album. Johnston remained a member of the band while he recovered and McDonald pitched in with material when they realized that Johnston only had one song for the album.

 

I didn't like "Brotherhood" because those synthesizer horn lines drive me nuts. Like they couldn't afford to bring in real horn players. And I was never a fan of anything that Rodney Mills ever produced.

 

The semi-classical "Précis" on the "Stampede" album is such a great transition song between the intensity of "I Cheat the Hangman" and the rootsy "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues." One of Baxter's finest moments on record out of so many great moments.

 

Indeed. I always thought of "Précis" as the perfect calming coda after the storm of horns at the conclusion of "I Cheat The Hangman".

 

I was very glad to see the link to the "Soundstage" show back on page 3. I'd been looking for that on YouTube but had previously only found bits of it.

I'm surprised there has been almost mention on this thread of their latest album World Gone Crazy. It is a nice piece of work. They brought Ted Templeman back as producer, and it features a great re-do of their song "Nobody" from the first album. They sound better on that record than on anything since Takin' It To The Streets,in my opinion (I never was a huge fan of the McDonald era music, except the Streets album is a masterpiece in my opinion).

I saw them in concert during their heyday twice, both in Missoula Montana, and was blown away both times. One cool part of the show I remember was when they turned all the spotlights onto a huge mirrorball at the beginning of the instrumental part of "I Cheat The Hangman," and that ball would start turning slowly and go faster and faster so the whole arena was a whirlwind of lights by the end of the song. Great show. This was just before McDonald joined the band.

I last saw them in Billings MT at a small arena where they were plagued by a crappy sound system. But they still got the place rockin'.

 

When Jeff Baxter left The Doobies in March 1979, they lost an incredibly versatile player...the dynamic and sound of the band really changed. There's nothing the guy couldn't play...for example:



I'm no guitar player, but I can watch the 9 part technique video and I get a kick out of his playing.

 

Well...Some shows circulate. January 16, 1972, recorded at KSAN in San Francisco. May 31, 1973, unknown location. 1975 in Memphis. All good stuff.

 

And in the most remarkable career change department, Doobie Brother Jeff Skunk Baxter became a Defense Industry consultant.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/skunk_baxter_former_doobie_brother_counterterror_advisor/

 

Perhaps a tad bass-shy but very sweet midrange, for sure. Agree about the DVD-A of Captain, I can recommend all the MoFi SACDs as well.

 

There are some FM shows in circulation. I have a whole lid...err..box of Doobies radio stuff

I recall the KSAN broadcast, along with Ultrasonic Studios from 1973. The multitrack stuff I know of for certain:

Memphis 1975
Philadelphia 1976
London 1977
Oakland 1978
Los Angeles 1978
Santa Barbara 1981
Los Angeles 1982
Berkeley 1982

Then there's the soundboard audio from many pro-filmed shows for TV:

San Francisco 1976
Houston 1977
Chicago (PBS Soundstage) 1977
Tokyo 1979
Alpine Valley (PBS Soundstage) 1979
Houston 1979
Houston 1980

 

I like the Doobies, but I like Michael McDonald more.

At any rate, does anybody else have MM's "Ultimate Collection"? I can't say I've undertaken a real comparison, but some of the tracks on this compilation (mastering by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot at DigiPrep) sound terrific. The bass on "Takin' It to the Streets" is so sweet.

 

Yes. Baxter plays some tasty pedal steel on the latter half of Rainy Day Crossroad Blues.

 

I saw them on television very early on. It was just 4 of them. I was amazed at how just the four of them could do the songs as well as they did and as close to the album.
Tom Johnston was of course the front man, he wrote all the hits early on. He was amazing, singing and playing those rather complex rhythm guitar patterns and little licks at the same time.

 

Thanks. I just got the Captain and Me DVD-A and it's fantastic. Good to know about the Mofi SACDs. I'll add them over time to the collection.

 

As others have mentioned, Hi-Rez has been very good to/for this band.

 

For me, Toulouse Street and The Captain And Me share the distinction of being my favorite DB album. Stampede ranks #2. Vices...Habits is also very good, but it took me a while to get into it.