The Doobie Brothers Album: “Stampede”

As I always say, I have a list of albums that I would have to have with me on a desert island should I become abandoned [not that *Survivor* will ever enlist me--I am from the Gilligan's Island Generation!]--this is one of the ones at the top of the list.

I have always loved the Doobs, but this album is one of their best. I am of the personal opinion that Michael McDonald, although he has a great voice, ruined the Doobs. It brought them into the *beebop* era....a place that is not theirs.

They have always been one of those bands that has it all and can play it all. You'll find it here in this album, pre Michael McDonald. They are adept at stirring up the country, latin, rock and blues side of music. They have an uncanny ability to tap into every classical area of music. STAMPEDE won't disappoint you. It is one of those albums that will remain in your CD player for years [off and on] as it has for me.

Another absolutely fantastic album is *The Captain & Me* [also pre Michael McDonald]. Talk about a wide range of music strains! Wonderful!

Anyway, Stampede is an album that is one of life's simple pleasures. Do yourself a favor, listen and enjoy it!

When this album came out in 1975, the Doobie Brother sound was beginning to wear a bit thin after several successes. Toulouse Street was a good album; The Captain and Me was their first great album and it truly carved out a place from them in rock. Then came What Were Vices are Now Habits, a steady, if not spectacular album. I would put Stampede in the same category.

A lot of us bought this album when it came out simply because it was the Doobie Brothers. But the album did not excite. There are obviously a handful of great songs here, including Sweet Maxine, Slat Key Soquel Rag, Take Me in Your Arms and the incredible I Cheat the Hangmen. But too many Doobie Brother songs started to sound strangely similar with this album. That might not seem the case when listening to the album today, but that's what I remember at the time. So I have never held Stampede in high regard, though I do think it has its highlights.

Of course, for those who disliked what would become of the Doobie sound, dominated by the hazy rock-jazz-funk feel of Michael McDonald, Stampede will forever stand as the last gasp of Tom Johnston...though Johnston did hang around for several albums in a lesser role. I think the Johnston-era Doobies were better than what came later, but I believe The Captain and Me is the masterpiece of that time. I would place Stampede on keel with Vices/Habits, a couple of clicks behind.

The Japanese imports of the Doobie catalog are remastered.

Warner Brothers here in the U.S. is still selling the old LP-EQ'd, terrible-sounding masters they released on CD in 1990.

If you love these albums, get a set of the Japanese editions. They cost more, but they're worth it.

Here is the link to the Japanese remaster of

.

Doobie Brothers' Stampede is my 4th favorite Doobie Brothers album next to Captain & Me, Toulouse Street and Takin' It To The Streets.

It contains some great tunes, especially the first half of the album with Neal's Fandango, Sweet Maxine (it sounds like they used this song as a blueprint for their big "reunion" single "The Doctor), and I Cheat The Hangman. The jam at the end of "Hangman" was featured in an episode of What's Happening - during a scene where the Doobies are playing a concert at the boys' alma mater where Rog and the gang go to school - along with some Doobies classics such as "Black Water", "Takin' It To The Streets" and "Echoes of Love".

Some great stuff on this CD - the last the feature Tom Johnston prominantly, even though he did appear on the following album for 1 track.

A++

One of the band's finest albums, "Stampede" features a loose concept tied into the old west. The last stand for Doobies founder Tom Johnston as the creative center of the band, "Stampede" sounds extremely good. If it has been remastered (and I haven't done an A/B comparison to the previous edition), it doesn't say so on the album packaging anywhere. It's possible these remasters were all done at the same time as the Doobies box set and the tracks on that set and this one do sound similar. Either way, the album sounds terrific (and contrary to other reviewers who bashed the first CD issue of this, that one sounded good as well with terrific dynamic range. A lot of music lovers confuse louder and compressed with sounding better. It isn't. The life is usually squeezed out of it and its usually "brickwalled" which means that the lows and highs are roughly the same because there's nowhere sonically for the music to climb to).

The songs by Johnston and Simmons are among their best. Patrick Simmons checks in with his stunning epic "I Cheat the Hangman" (inspired by the short story "An Occurence at Owl Creek" about a hanging)which has a brilliantly arranged coda featuring a haunting choir, a brilliant horn solo and string arrangement that makes this the band's "A Day in the Life". Simmons also has a number of other strong tracks (including "Neal's Fandango") but this is the stand out cut on the album for him. It's followed by the moody solo guitar piece "Precis" written by newest member Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (former member of Steely Dan)that provides a nice, quiet coda the intense closer. Simmons also provides a solo guitar piece "Slack Key Soquel Rag" (Simmons overdubbed all the guitars. The song was misprinted "Slat" on the original album cover)that's also a nice counterpoint to "Music Man" (and closed out the original first side of the album).

Johnston checks in with a handful of strong songs including the opening track "Sweet Maxine" (co-written with Simmons. Johnston supplied the lyrics and sings the song ably backed by Simmons)with the rollicking bar piano playing of Little Feat's Bill Payne front and center. Johnston's "Rainy Day Crossroads Blues" is equally impressive but "Music Man" with strings arranged by Curtis Mayfield provides us with a powerful example of why Johnston's soulful vocals make him one of the most underrated singers around. Incidently, the three guitar attack of Johnston, Simmons and Baxter gives this album a feeling that occasionally echoes The Allman Brothers but with that unique Doobies sound behind it.

The highlight aside from these tracks is Johnston's brilliant performance of the cover tune "Take Me In Your Arms" which the band makes its own. Johnston's soaring, soulful vocal helped carry this cover tune to #11 on the charts for the band as a single. Surprisingly while there were other singles (among them edited version of "Sweet Maxine")none of them cracked the top 20.

The plus sides of the equation for this reissue are many--the album is presented in nearly an exact replica of the original vinyl release from 1975 including the lyrics on the inner sleeve with the CD inside a thin plastic holder to protect it from scratches (ah if the U.S. would only do that...)and the packaging is a replica of the original gatefold sleeve. It's a terrific recreation. The label of also recreates the label that Warner used during the 70's. The Japanese edition of this also includes a booklet with the lyrics in English and Japanese (as well as notes on the album NOT translated). Some of the lyrics are mistranslated from what I can recall but it's not as bad as some I've seen.

As with all Doobie albums the playing is top notch throughout. Johnston would remain a member through "Takin' It To The Streets" (contributing one very good song to that album and trading vocals with Simmons on "Wheels of Fortune") and "Livin' On The Fault Line" but Johnston's health problems (he suffered from ulcers and other stomach ailments)made this his last album (before the reformed Doobie line up in the 80's)with the band as a major creative force. It's a brilliant album highly underrated (why The Allman Brothers receive all the praise they do, Eagles and the Doobies do not is beyond me).

This is a classic album that combines, rock, R&B and country rock in a potent mix. This is highly recommended.