The Doobie Brothers-Takin´It to the Streets (1976)

In 1975, The Doobie Brothers were at the height of their popularity, having produced some of the best albums in American rock, such as "Toulouse Street" (1972), "Captain and Me" (1973), and "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" (1974), which had earned them five platinum records and sold several million albums. After this last album, they experienced their first setback with "Stampede" (1975), in which the band shifted their country and folk rock sound, with elements of rhythm and blues, towards a more soulful direction. After this last album, former Steely Dan member Michael McDonald joined the band. Along with guitarists Tom Johnstone, Patrick Simmons, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, bassist Tiran Porter, and drummers Keith Knudsen and John Hartman, they recorded their sixth album, “Takin’ It to the Streets,” which returned them to success. In this new release, the band continued to evolve towards soul, funk, and jazz, while subtly maintaining the country and blues-infused rock of their earlier work, a style that linked them to Steely Dan. Tracks like the irresistible “It Keeps You Runnin´”, the funk “Wheels of Fortune” and “8th Avenue Shuffle”, the soulful “Takin’ It To The Streets”, the jazzy “For Someone Special” or “Turn It Loose”, the latter with that characteristic American rock sound from their previous albums, make up a record that would be the starting point for the sound that would end up making them even bigger in the following years.