The Doobie Brothers have released ‘Walk This Road’, their first album since 1980’s ‘One Step Closer’ 45 years ago to feature Michael McDonald as a full member of the band.
‘Walk This Road’ is the first Doobies Brothers album since 1977 to feature Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston throughout. Johnston withdrew from The Doobies because of health issues in 1977. Although he is credited on 1977’s ‘Living On The Fault Line’ he wasn’t on the album. Johnston was missing for ‘Living On The Fault Line’ (1977), ‘Minute by Minute’ (1978) and ‘One Step Closer’ (1980). The Doobies broke up after ‘One Step Closer’. Johnston returned for the reunion album ‘Cycles’ in 1989 but McDonald did not.
Michael McDonald was on ‘Taking It To The Streets’ (1976) ’Living On The Fault Line’ (1977), ‘Minute by Minute’ (1978) and ‘One Step Closer’ (1980). In 2010 McDonald featured on the ‘World Gone Crazy’ album track ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ as a guest vocalist. While he was back as a full touring member of the band at the time of the release of 2021’s Liberté’ he did not appear on the album.
‘Walk This Road’ features five songs written by Michael McDonald, three by Tom Johnston and three by Patrick Simmons, all with co-writes to producer John Shanks.
A lyrics video was released for one of the Simmons/Shanks songs ‘Angels & Mercy’.
As well as Simmons, Johnston and McDonald ‘Walk The Road’ also features guitarist John McFee, who ‘Timothy B. Schmit’d’ into the band for the last album before the breakup ‘One Step Closer’. Eagles’ Schmit was only on ‘The Long Run’ before that band broke up.
The Doobie Brothers will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 12.
TRACKLISTING FOR WALK THIS ROAD:
1. “Walk this Road” Featuring Mavis Staples
2. “Angels & Mercy”
3. “Call Me”
4. “Learn to Let Go”
5. “State of Grace”
6. “Here to Stay”
7. “The Kind That Lasts”
8. “New Orleans”
9. “Speed of Pain”
10. “Lahaina”
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