Let the Music Play

Kickin' back with the Doobie's
To be fair I just got into the Doobie's in the last year. Saw my first concert of theirs last month (it rocked). So my knowledge on this band is some what limited. So this release could not come at a better time. The two hour plus Blu ray gives a great overview of a band that has gone thru a lot of changes over the years. It interveiws just about everyone who is still alive that has been thru the band or worked with them in a significant role (such as Ted Templemen the producer of some of their best records). The thing that struck me was how at peace the band is with their history. In most Band's members of one era would be trying to take credit over members from another. But here Michael MacDonald seems very comfterble saying his period of the Doobie's is not the true Doobie's sound. Don't worry he gets his credit for saving the band when the thought they couldn't go on after Tom Johnston had to leave for health reasons (bleeding ulcer). It also does not treat the reunion years as an...

Forty years and still making music and working together. A DB-produced documentary I found insightful as a DB novice.
In the essay by San Francisco Chronicle music journalist Joel Selvin which accompanies some great Doobie Brother memorabilia in the 8-page booklet inserted the BD case, Selvin refers to this 99-minute film as both a "sprawling documentary" and a "scrapbook", both terms that I think accurately describe the centerpiece of this DVD and Bluray package. When original DB member Pat Simmons discovered a trove of old videos spanning 40 years in his house, he - and the remaining DBs provided them to filmmaker Barry Ehrmann to create the film.

I'll admit up front that I have always liked the DBs but I was never a rabid fan and knew little about them other than what I heard on the radio. But, after watching this thoroughly enjoyable film, I know a lot more. And the snippets of songs I heard - there are no full performances in the film (how could there be? - they produced way too many hits) but nine are included as bonus tracks - brought back a lot of memories. All the important folks...

Wonderful!
Yes I am a member of the Doobies fan club and have met them on many of occasions. This just tops off what I already know about the boys. It is fantastic with great films and scenes I haven't seen before. You can't just watch it once and put it down the first time. Believe it or not I had to watch it twice because there is always something you miss.
If you think you know everything about them your wrong. I'm sure after seeing this we all still don't know everything, but this is really a great way to feel closer to understanding the truth behind them and what all happened throughout the years.

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