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.

The Doobie Brothers-The Doobie Brothers (1971)

Formed in the early 1970s, The Doobie Brothers are one of the seminal bands of American rock. Throughout their long career, they have showcased a versatile range of styles, evolving from the Southern rock of their beginnings to the jazz, rock, country, soul, and blues sounds of their subsequent releases. In 1971, their lineup consisted of Tom Johnstone (electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, and vocals), Patrick Simmons (electric and acoustic guitars and vocals), John Hartman (drums and percussion), and Dave Shogren (bass, keyboards, and vocals). Produced by the renowned Ted Templeman, they released their self-titled debut album in mid-1971, already demonstrating their talent with a sound brimming with country rock, boogie rock, and rhythm and blues. Although still developing their style, this album features several of their legendary songs, such as the rhythmic "Nobody" and the country-rock anthem "Greenwood Creek". The dusty "The Master" and the beautiful vocal melodies of "Growin' a Little Each Day", "Closer Every Day", and "Travelin' Man" are other highlights of this seminal album, which received little of the media attention it deserved. A year later, the band achieved considerable success with their next release, "Toulouse Street", which incorporated other musical elements such as jazz and rural American sounds like bluegrass. These, combined with Southern country rock, became one of the defining styles of this magnificent band.

The Doobie Brothers-Minute By Minute (1978)

During their early career, The Doobie Brothers explored various styles and influences, including rock, R&B, southern rock, country, and folk, but above all, their sound was defined by powerful guitars, the common denominator of their unmistakable style. This was spearheaded by the duo of Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, two formidable guitarists distinguished by their impetuous style, backed by an effective rhythm section. During this initial period, they produced successful albums of tremendous rock, such as "The Captain and Me" (1973) and "Stampede" (1975). After the latter, one of their key figures, Johnston, began to lose prominence to the new singer, Michael McDonald, who became a fundamental part of the band's stylistic shift towards a more commercial direction. From their very first album with the new singer, the band moved towards more sophisticated sounds, closely aligned with jazz and soul, with touches of funk. By then, the band's lineup was very different from its original early days. In addition to McDonald, guitarist Jeff "Skink" Baxter had joined, accompanying Simmons and Johnston. Like the singer, both came from Steely Dan. The new rhythm section consisted of drummer John Hartman and bassist Keith Knudsen. This new lineup released the brilliant "Takin' It To The Streets" (1976), which already contained the elements that would later make them even more successful, and which continued with the even more jazz-influenced "Livin' On The Fault Line" a year later. But it wasn't until 1978 with the monumental "Minute By Minute", on which Tom Johnston no longer participated, that The Doobie Brothers radically changed their style, adopting a sound completely infused with soul, funk, and rhythm and blues, where keyboards took center stage at the expense of guitars, resulting in a truly spectacular sound. Rich vocal harmonies, witty and sharp lyrics, and catchy melodies dominate most of the tracks, as demonstrated by the melodic and irresistible "What A Fool Believes", a number one hit on the charts, the jazzy "Minute By Minute", and the infectious "Open Your Eyes" and "How Do The Fools Survive". However, they didn't abandon their rock roots with the glorious "Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels", while the remaining tracks maintained a high standard, such as the instrumental country song "Streamer Lane Breakdown" and the festive "Dependin' On You". 

This radical change in style earned The Doobie Brothers their first number one album, a triple platinum record for its enormous sales, and three Grammy Awards.