The career of the Doobie Brothers, still ongoing although in significant decline, can be divided into three distinct phases: the first youthful phase from 1971 to 1976, in constant and rapid ascent, based on the duality of Tom Johnston/Pat Simmons, the two guitarists/singers/composers who share the spotlight, with a clear predominance of the former.
The second period is very rhythm & blues, with the exuberant but troubled Johnston replaced by the sly and highly individualistic talent of pianist, composer, and soul singer Michael McDonald. This part of the story spans from 1976 to 1982, the year of the temporary dissolution of the partnership.
The third and final phase, still ongoing, begins in 1989 after a seven-year break and sees the more or less restoration of the band's original lineup (and its consequent characteristic sound), with Johnston returning to the fold and again in the foreground. Being this last portion of their career the adult one, with the band having meanwhile slipped widely out of fashion, their record production is decidedly more sparse but still present: in the past twenty-six years, the Doobies have managed to release four albums of new songs, plus one of remakes and various duets on their youth classics.
The album in question, dated 1989, marks the start of the third phase mentioned above, enabled, as stated, by Johnston's return in good form and full of grit after the ulcer (?... well, in my opinion, the excess) that had sidelined him still in the mid-seventies. Here, the Doobies don't care about the eighties and prevailing trends or rather, they only partially embrace them, slightly hardening the sound, which certainly does not spill over into hard rock or melodic metal, if you will. Contrary to the trend, they become less commercial than the McDonald phase (the least interesting, to my ear) while remaining as accessible as ever. The album showcases the usual, lush merchandise of this multifaceted group, capable of mixing rock 'n' roll with funk, country with rhythm & blues, magnificent gospel choirs with instrumental virtuosity, melodic instinct with the great groove determined by a commendable cohesion and a natural instinct not to overdo it, to work as a team.
Unfortunately, their typically Californian offering is not merchandise capable of breaking through this side of the Atlantic. It's the fate of other great bands from those parts... I’ll mention a couple closely related to the Doobies, namely the Little Feat and Tom Petty with his Heartbreakers, all people with a broad stylistic spectrum, a commendable balance between simplicity, accessibility, and consistency, with remarkable and never flaunted musical ability (especially the Doobies) always immersed in a choral play that prioritizes the final result, the consistency, and the "drive." This bothers me because, as an Italian and therefore contrary to the trend, ever since I was a boy, I perceived these Californian musical realities as real mainstays in my personal taste for rock.
There are ten songs present in the album, and the best ones, apart from the single "The Doctor" that fires away with full force and charm that which is for us an obvious certainty, namely that music is like a doctor for many ailments, turn out to be the funky "South of the Border" with the usual raspy acoustic guitar riff that would make even my old mother move her hips, and also the lyrical "Tonight I’m Coming Through", with its beautiful chords marked by the guitars.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 The Doctor (03:48)
Johnston/Midnight/Schwartz
I'm a man who lives in the city
I'm a man who lives in the street
From F.L.A. to Frisco Bay
And everywhere in between
Coast to coast there's a question
Everybody's always askin' me
People want to know everywhere I go
What can the answer be
Music is the doctor
Makes you feel like you want to
Listen to the doctor
Just like you ought to
Music is the doctor of my soul
Well it seems that when I travel
And I'm out there on the road
The freedom I need is the freedom I leave
In my good time rock and roll
There's a healing in those guitars
And a spirit in the song
No matter what condition your rhythm is in
The message goes on and on
Music is the doctor
Makes you feel like you want to
Listen to the doctor
Just like you ought to
Music is the doctor of my soul
If you ever wonder
How to shake your blues
Just follow this prescription
And get the cure for what's ailin' you
Music is the doctor
Makes you feel like you want to
Listen to the doctor
Just like you ought to
Music is the doctor of my soul
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