# The Strange Magic of: The Doobie Brothers



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

As a former student of geology, I find each of the geological eras has its own ambiance about it. When one reads about the Mesozoic, the age of the dinosaurs and giant flying and marine reptiles, one encounters a world of warm, shallow seas teeming with life. During the Jurassic, The Sundance Sea ( love that name) occupied much of western North America, as did successor seas during the Cretaceous. It conjured in my mind a rich, long, golden, fruitful late afternoon. The musical 1970s evoke that same atmosphere of abundance and variety, and The Doobies exemplify the easy, laid-back music typifying much of the decade, a Golden Decade bearing little hint of changes to come. Let's listen again to the sound of that _Long Train Runnin'_......


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

For me a band I like for isolated songs rather than albums. Love this one: China grove.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Loved the _Toulouse Street_ album, and their output in general from then on up until and including _Stampede_. After that they drifted ever further into soft rock/blue-eyed soul territory which bored the hell of me, quite frankly.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

elgars ghost said:


> Loved the _Toulouse Street_ album, and their output in general from then on up until and including _Stampede_. After that they drifted ever further into soft rock/blue-eyed soul territory which bored the hell of me, quite frankly.


I agree. The coming of Michael McDonald marked the end of my interest in the Doobies also.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Perhaps you'd be interested in the band, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic? http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/birdsongs.html

As for the Doobies, Black Water is my favorite tune of theirs. I don't mind Michael McDonald, because I'm a soul music fan. I've always liked Takin' It To The Streets, It Keeps You Runnin', and Minute By Minute. But I never bought their records. They've been on the radio plenty enough to satisfy my marginal interest.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

starthrower said:


> Perhaps you'd be interested in the band, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic? .


Hmmm, maybe the Mesozoic angle gave rise to my interest in Dinosaur Jr. I like T. Rex also.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Let's all just _Listen to the Music_ and recall that Golden Era of 1970s sound. Some rock/pop writers talk of "the Long Sixties", as the period running through both decades and maybe ending with the last regularly released Led Zep album, as both Disco and Punk were gathering strength and showing (some of) the path ahead. But the Doobies exemplified the mellowness of that late summer......


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I still think Steve Rodway (or Motiv8, to give him his dumb showbiz alias) deserves a year in jail for coming up with the idea of doing dance remixes of _Listen to the Music_ and _Long Train Runnin'_.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

elgars ghost said:


> I still think Steve Rodway (or Motiv8, to give him his dumb showbiz alias) deserves a year in jail for coming up with the idea of doing dance remixes of _Listen to the Music_ and _Long Train Runnin'_.


Agreed. Remixes of anything are almost always a terrible idea.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

They may be dinosaur rock now, but believe me, from a guitarist point of view in 1973-75, they were pretty hot stuff. Saw them in 74 before Johnston started to get ill due to touring. The lineup included Baxter who had already left Steely Dan. Simmons' fingerstyle guitar work was impressive for that era. When it comes to acoustic guitar playing its the creation of tone that separates the players from the also rans and Simmons was/is a player. Their 15 minute jam leading into _China Grove_ that night was compositional in nature and worth the price of admission alone. Still love _Natural Thing _ and _Ukiah._


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