Long LONG Train

I'll be honest: I love the Michael McDonald era of the Doobies. I only bought this box because it was $24.99 in the BMG Jazz Club. Since I didn't have any Doobies on CD, this seemed like a good buy for the money.

This box is your typical record company pitch to lure in new converts with back catalog and also rope in the faithful with a fourth disc of rarities. The booklet is very nice, with lots of vintage photos and a complete musical/personnel history of the band. It is interesting to note how the band developed from a "boogie-rock" outfit led by guitarist/main lead vocalist/main songwriter Tom Johnston, to a jazz-rock fusion ensemble led by former Steely Dan members Michael McDonald (keyboards/lead vocals/main songwriter) and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (lead guitar). After breaking up in the early 1980s, the band reconvened at the close of the decade once again as a boogie rock ensemble led by Tom Johnston.

Disc one, entitled "You Just Can't Stop It," covers the years 1970-1974, or the band's first four albums. The big hits, such as "Long Train Runnin," "Listen to the Music," "China Grove," etc. from their first wave of boogie rock success are all here, in clean, remastered sound. There are also several album tracks as well. I am not a big fan of this era, but some of the Johnston tracks are tolerable. There are too many tracks from this era for my taste.

One thing that I find incredible is that Johnston's glorious "Another Park, Another Sunday," was originally the first single released from "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits," the band's fourth album. The b-side of that tune was an obnoxious little country ditty called "Black Water" that was flipped by D.J.'s and became a huge smash. I HATE this song!

Disc two, "Wheels of Fortune," starts out with seven tracks from the band's "Stampede" album. Their cover of "Take Me in Your Arms" and Patrick Simmons "I Cheat the Hangman" are great, but the other five tracks can be flushed. However, there was a great improvement in lead guitar work, as this was the first full album with Jeff Baxter on board.

FINALLY, we get to the McDonald era with tracks from 'Takin' It To the Streets." Some of the choices from this period in the band's history are puzzling. Only FOUR tracks from this great album? Simmon's "Wheels of Fortune" is a great funk/fusion tune with great sax, keys and guitar solos, so why use the edited single version? Duh!

"Livin'On the Fault Line," the second McDonald era album, rates a meger six tracks. Where is the great Steely Dan-ish title cut? The disc closes with four tracks from the band's biggest album, "Minute By Minute." Again, why include Simmon's grating "Don't Stop To Watch the Wheels"?

Disc 3, "Keep This Train A-Rollin" leads off with "Minute's" great "What a Fool Believes" and (duh!) the edited version of "Here to Love You." McDonald heaven! After this album, Baxter quit and the great Cornie Bumpus, a present day member of Steely Dan's touring ensemble, joined on saxes, organ and occasional lead vocals. The one album he made with the band, the criminally under-rated "One Step Closer," one of my favorites (OK, I'm a sax player!), is well represented with seven tracks. More hits: "Real Love," "One Step CLoser," "Keep This Train a Rollin'." All great stuff, except for the usual (by this point in time)obnoxious Simmons outing, "No Stoppin' Us Now." I would have rather seen Cornie's "Thank You, Love" in it's place. Oh well.

After a throwaway rarity, "Winken, Bliken and Nod," we are into the Johnston boggie reunion stuff from 1989: the "Cycles " album. "The Doctor" is a "China Grove" rip off that somehow managed to be a hit single. Heaven knows why! The second hit single from that album, "Taste of Love," steals the riff from "Listen to the Music." Barf! Johnston's "South of the Border" and "Time is Here and Gone" are OK, but so is his voice, which keeps cracking! The disc is rounded out with bottom of the barrel garbage from 1991's horrible "Brotherhood," and a track from a yet-to-be-released album, "Little Bitty Pretty One," that also bites. Hopefully they won't release this album!

Disc four, "Abandoned Tracks", the rarities platter, should have stayed that way! There are a bunch of tunes from the band's abandoned self-produced second album that proves the old adage that a band that produces itself has a fool for a producer! There is a nice live version of "Jesus is just Alright" from 1982 and an unreleased track from the aborted follow up to "One Step Closer," "Olana," but nothing else to recommend it.

All in all, a VERY uneven package with a nice booklet and band history. If you love the Johnston eras, you will be in heaven. McDonald fans will feel somewhat ripped off.