The Doobie Brothers – Takin' It To The Streets (Sea Blue Vinyl)

Takin’ It To The Streets is one of those great transition records where a band changes shape without losing its identity. Released on March 19, 1976, it was the first Doobie Brothers album to feature Michael McDonald on lead vocals and keyboards, and you can hear the group opening itself up to a smoother, more soulful, more keyboard-led sound straight away. The title track and It Keeps You Runnin’ give the album its signature glow, but what really makes it work is how naturally the band folds McDonald’s style into their already strong musicianship.

What keeps the album so appealing is that it does not feel like a clean break so much as an expansion. There is still enough of the old Doobies’ looseness and groove here, but the songs are more urbane, melodic and reflective, which gives the record a distinctive mood within their catalogue. It is easy to hear why this album became such an important pivot point for the band: it has warmth, craft and a sense of possibility, capturing the moment when they moved from rugged California rock toward the blue-eyed soul and soft-rock sophistication that would define their next phase.

Reviews

“the album gave the Doobie Brothers the best of both worlds” – Ultimate Classic Rock

“the Doobies morphed into dextrous exponents of blue-eyed funk’n’soul” – Louder

“this has long been a favourite Doobies album here at Better Records” – Better Records