Best of Doobie Brothers 2

Doobie Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 1995)
• Original Release Date: 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000002KN0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,406 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #76 in Music > R&B > Soul > Blue-Eyed Soul

Editorial Reviews

The second volume of Doobie Brothers greatest hits arrived in 1981 -- five years after the first installment, which was enough time for the group to release three albums: 1977's Livin' on the Fault Line, 1978's Minute by Minute, and 1980's One Step Closer. This is the era when Tom Johnston slowly backed out of the group, leaving after Livin', and Michael McDonald became the Doobies' frontman, so this is when the band sounded softer and soulful, less concentrated on the boogie. Ironically, Best of the Doobies, Vol. 2 isn't quite packed with hits the way Best of the Doobies is; the ten tracks here are highlighted by "Real Love," "What a Fool Believes," and "Minute by Minute," the first two being Top Ten hits, but the rest of the record is filled up with lesser-known singles and worthy album tracks like "You Belong to Me" and "One on One." Given this low concentration of blockbusters, some fans may choose to bypass this 1981 LP and go for a more comprehensive CD like 2001's Greatest Hits or 2007's The Very Best of the Doobie Brothers, which balances this era with the first plus the group's turn-of-the-'90s comeback, but anybody looking for a good portrait of the band at its smooth-sailing yacht rock peak should turn here. -All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Classic Songs by Michael McDonald, February 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Best of Doobie Brothers 2 (Audio CD)

I have been a longtime Doobie Brothers fan, both of the earlier Doobies headed by Tom Johnston and the latter Doobies headed by Michael McDonald. This CD features classic songs by Michael McDonald which take on more of a jazz-oriented, R & B, soulful feel. Although I enjoy the guitar-heavy and rock-oriented songs of Best of Doobies, volume 1, I really love this second Best of set, because the songs covered and written by McDonald, although different in genre, are really outstanding; just listen to "Little Darlin' I Need You, Echoes of Love, What a Fool Believes, Minute by Minute, Real Love, One Step Closer, and Dependin' on You." I also prefer the versions on this disc more than on the Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits (Rhino label), because this disc contains the hit "Little Darlin' I Need You" and the full version of "Dependin' on You" with the complete guitar solo. The Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits does not have "Little Darlin' I Need You" and contains a shortened version of "Dependin' on You" (I always prefer the full versions!)

If you're a fan of Michael McDonald, you'll also love the CD "The Very Best of Michael McDonald," an excellent collection which contains many of his solo hits. This second Best of is a worthy sequel to Best of Doobies, Vol. 1. I highly recommend it!!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than Just Michael, February 27, 2005

By 

E. Voorhies (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best of Doobie Brothers 2 (Audio CD)

While Michael McDonald was with the Doobie Brothers they recorded some of the most well-written, well-produced and most heart touching songs that have ever been recorded. It was not all just Michael McDonald's influence either. Pat Simmons was going thru a very creative time, having more creative freedom with Tom Johnston gone I guess, and Jeff Baxter fit in perfectly with the new soul/jazz sound. As a result, the Doobie Brothers won the respect of a much broader listening audience, and deservedly so. the songs on this CD will stand the test of time and touch many more hearts in the future generations. The list of pop bands out there who can write, perform, and produce material at this level is very short. Ignore the evil-doers on here who say that this is not the "real" Doobies, and get this CD.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit on the Skimpy Side, July 12, 2001

By 

Mark B. Hodsdon "markymart" (Gorham, ME) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best of Doobie Brothers 2 (Audio CD)

What can you say about this music that hasn't been said many times before? Most of the songs on this CD have been staples of classic rock for decades. It's just too bad that there is less than 37 minutes of music on this album. Would it have killed the record company to dig up a couple of unreleased cuts to fill out the disc?