The Doobie Brothers Album: “What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits”

Description :

The Doobie Brothers: Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston (vocals, guitar); Tiran Porter (vocals, bass instrument); John Hartman (drums). <p>Additional personnel: Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (pedal steel guitar); Arlo Guthrie (autoharp); Novi (viola); Andrew Love (saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); James Booker (piano); Bill Payne (keyboards); Milt Holland (marimba, pandeiro, tabla); Michael Hossack (drums); Eddie Guzman (congas, timbales). <p>Recording information: Wally Heider Studio, San Francisco, California; Warner Brothers Studios, Hollywood, CA; Burbank Studios, Burbank, California. <p>WHAT WERE ONCE VICES ARE NOW HABITS, the follow-up to the Doobies' massive commercial breakthrough, THE CAPTAIN AND ME, boasts one of the great album titles in rock history. The album also features a strong bunch of songs in the same stylistic vein as its immediate predecessors. The big hit here, of course, is "Black Water," an infectious piece of jazzy folk rock with a killer a cappella gospel-chorus section. "Song to See You Through" is the Doobies' version of a '60s soul ballad, with the Memphis Horns adding a deep, Southern-fried feel. <p>"Eyes of Silver" lopes along on a guitar-driven "Listen to the Music" groove, while "Down in the Track" is a straight-ahead, mid-tempo blues rocker with a cameo appearance by New Orleans piano legend James Booker. Best of all is the lovely "Another Park, Another Sunday," whose folk-style guitars and harmonies give country-rock contemporaries like the Eagles a good run for their money. Though not as consistent and essential as THE CAPTAIN AND ME, WHAT WERE ONCE VICES still has plenty to offer, capturing the band at the crest of their early-'70s peak.

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

The Doobie Brothers are one of the greatest American bands of all time. They are awesome-they have always been since their first album came out in 1971. They simply connected by combining elements of jazz, R&B, rock and even gospel into a unique, coherent, energizing musical synthesis with absolutely superb stylistic diversity.

Though not an easy decision, 1974's "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" is my favorite Doobies album. Every single track of this masterpiece - one of the most underrated albums of the 70's - is purely fantastic. They flat out rock with that great combination of excellent songwriting, uninhibited, raw power and sonic polish on gems such as the opener "Song To See You Through" hammering down the line through "Pursuit On 53rd Street", "Eyes Of Silver", "Road Angel", "Spirit", "Down The Track", "You Just Can't Stop It" along with the fine, softer "Tell Me What You Want (And I'll Give You What You Need)", sandwiched inbetween with their first #1 single, "Black Water" as well as simply one of the greatest songs personally of all-time to me, the smooth, gorgeous, breath of fresh air, "Another Park, Another Sunday". Ending this great set is the floating, dreamy combination of "Daughters Of The Sea" and "Flying Cloud". Simply amazing! This album is consistent on excellence. A must have..........

THIS is the Doobie Brothers. (The band should have been renamed when Michael McDonald was added to the line-up in 1976.) Johnston's swamp/blues vocals (even though he was a California biker) and the exquisite Johnston/Simmons/Porter harmonies are one of the defining sounds of the early 70s. This album encases the bands strengths in every way; lyrically and musically. Just because every cut wasn't a Top Ten Hit doesn't mean that the album should be overlooked. It cooks with rockin' guitars and with soul.

This album always bring back great memories for me; the cover photo was shot at Assembly Hall on the campus of Indiana University, where I attended college. My friends and I camped out for days to get front row tickets, and we ended up with seats in the first two rows and our faces on the album cover! I still have the album I bought 25 years ago, and play it every now and then for a little taste of nostalgia. A great concert band, a great example of their work.

Funny thing about this album. I mistook Another Park Another Sunday for Call On Me by Chicago and I asked for the album for Christmas of 1974. It is by far the BEST mistake I ever made. Even though "Another Park" was a totally different song by a totally different band, the entire album is good. I am really hard pressed to find a "filler" song or something mediocre. One of the rare albums where every song could be a hit.