Michael B. (Ichabod) reviewed Long Train Runnin': Our Story of The Doobie Brothers on + 112 more book reviews
It Keeps You Readin'...
The Doobie Brothers began as a great boogie band in the early 70's before song after song emerged to sweeten the airwaves... tunes that had you crank up the car radio and sing along. Fresh sounding cuts like "Listen to the Music", "Jesus is Just Alright", "China Grove", "Long Train Runnin'", and "Black Water" were served up in a steady flow. You'd see them on The Midnight Special or the Don Kirshner Rock Concert and they were still cool, even if their success was sometimes held against them. Then, just as the band was peaking, front man Tom Johnston was sidelined with some severe health issues. Enter Michael McDonald, known mostly as a background singer for Steely Dan. With McDonald the band's sound gravitated toward a more soulful range, culminating in the monstrously successful "What a Fool Believes" and "Minute by Minute" album.
Chapters are written by various band members, along with contributions by producer Ted Templeman and members of the crew. The emphasis is on the Doobie family and how everyone's contributions were valued. It feels like the history wants to steer clear of the confrontations and accentuate the brotherhood. While some of the tensions and bruised egos may be glossed over, the group has reunited a number of times. This never seemed to be the fatal animosity we saw poison peers like Creedence Clearwater or Pink Floyd.
The one thing that absolutely KILLS many rock music autobiographies is the bragging, self-congratulatory pomp that can rear its ugly head. Luckily, this is not an issue here, maybe because of the split narratives. Both Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons come off as very amiable guys who both navigated the rock star trip as well as could be expected. "Long Train Runnin'" is an enjoyable read, providing the background on a very visible group.
Disclaimer: Yes, God, if I could have anyone's voice in the world, it would be Michael McDonald's.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Doobie Brothers began as a great boogie band in the early 70's before song after song emerged to sweeten the airwaves... tunes that had you crank up the car radio and sing along. Fresh sounding cuts like "Listen to the Music", "Jesus is Just Alright", "China Grove", "Long Train Runnin'", and "Black Water" were served up in a steady flow. You'd see them on The Midnight Special or the Don Kirshner Rock Concert and they were still cool, even if their success was sometimes held against them. Then, just as the band was peaking, front man Tom Johnston was sidelined with some severe health issues. Enter Michael McDonald, known mostly as a background singer for Steely Dan. With McDonald the band's sound gravitated toward a more soulful range, culminating in the monstrously successful "What a Fool Believes" and "Minute by Minute" album.
Chapters are written by various band members, along with contributions by producer Ted Templeman and members of the crew. The emphasis is on the Doobie family and how everyone's contributions were valued. It feels like the history wants to steer clear of the confrontations and accentuate the brotherhood. While some of the tensions and bruised egos may be glossed over, the group has reunited a number of times. This never seemed to be the fatal animosity we saw poison peers like Creedence Clearwater or Pink Floyd.
The one thing that absolutely KILLS many rock music autobiographies is the bragging, self-congratulatory pomp that can rear its ugly head. Luckily, this is not an issue here, maybe because of the split narratives. Both Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons come off as very amiable guys who both navigated the rock star trip as well as could be expected. "Long Train Runnin'" is an enjoyable read, providing the background on a very visible group.
Disclaimer: Yes, God, if I could have anyone's voice in the world, it would be Michael McDonald's.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
