The Doobie Brothers Album: “Best of The Doobies”

I wasn't even born when this album came out, but it's my favorite of all time. It has never left my cassette deck. You have Hard Rock with songs like China Grove, Without You and Jesus is Just Alright. You have catchy, acoustic rock with Long Train Runnin' and Listen to the Music. You've got fast driving rock with Rockin' Down The Highway, and Take Me In Your Arms And country/folk/rock classics in South City Midnight Lady, and the immortal #1 hit Black Water. Michael McDonald's tunes are so different, yet Takin' It To The Streets is a great boogie song as well as the emotional It Keeps You Runnin'. If you think you can find a better collection of songs to show off a band - any band, you must be living a dream. My only complaint is that Sweet Maxine, Another Park Another Sunday, and I Cheat The Hangman are not on here, but the Old LP's couldn't hold that many minutes of song. All I can say is that if you like classic rock, there's only one thing to do - "Listen to the Music" of The Best of The Doobies (one of the first albums in history to recieve the Diamond Award signifying 10 million copies sold).

1976's The Best Of The Doobies culls together the band's hits from their first era of 1971-76. Most of the tracks are from the Tom Johnston & Patrick Simmons led era including the classic "China Grove", the number one hit "Black Water", the rolling "Jesus Is Just Alright" and the pure AM Gold of "Listen To The Music". Michael McDonald joined the band in 1976 for the end of this first era and contributes two songs, the brilliant "Takin' It To The Streets" and "It Keeps You Running". If you are a fan of the more rocking version of the Doobies, then this album is for you.

This disc has been around since I was a kid and it helped form what was the best of AM/FM radio in the 70`s.Not too heavy,not too folky but good enough music to play at any time for any occasion.

Every song is great,sweet harmonies and great playing make this an absolute classic.If you ask me,South City Midnight Lady is one of the most beautiful songs they ever did.Buy it for someone you love or for the rock and roll fan in your life and pass those good times along.

Headbands, sunglasses, bellbottoms, "right on brother", this was cool music of the seventies. The music has an interesting combination of energy and spunk. Who can't listen to "Listen to the Music" and not smile or "Long Train Runnin" and not start tapping your feet.

No collection of 70's rock n roll music is complete without these wonderful songs. The older I get, the better this music sounds. I just love this stuff.

There isn't a single track on this 'Best of' that isn't a good song in its own way. At first, I bought this record for the recent hits with a lot of airplay (China Grove, Takin' it to the Streets, etc.), but I ended up liking the older tracks even more (South City Midnight Lady, Take Me in Your Arms) because they are so much more earnest, and seem so much more... down-to-earth and real.

It may take more than several listens to fully enjoy the breadth of the quality of the Doobies' music. I really like this CD, and what I ended up liking most about it were the 'mystery tracks' that I hadn't heard yet!

How often is it that you buy a CD and end up liking it more for the songs that you didn't know about yet than for those that you did??