Customer Reviews

Minute By Minute

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Minute By Minute", originally released in December of 1978, was the third official studio album from the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald as a member of the band, and I think it's clear that the third time was the charm, both artistically and commercially--although the previous two albums certainly weren't without solid commercial success in the US, this one was a bonafide blockbuster, topping the US charts, having gone platinum within the first four months of its original release, and having gone triple-platinum by 1985.

I think the report of the band being dissatisfied with this album can be attributed to them feeling emotionally drained at the time of its recording/ release. The sessions weren't exactly smooth sailing--in the booklet for the Rhino "Greatest Hits" CD, Michael McDonald recalls how the band did countless takes just for "What A Fool Believes" alone and that they "almost gave up".

Without a doubt, the huge success of this album was deserved. It's really amazing how much better of an album "Minute By Minute" is compared to the first two Doobies' albums with McDonald--1976's "Takin' It To The Streets" and 1977's "Livin' On The Fault Line" respectively. Although respectable albums, the Doobies sound rather burnt out on "...Streets" and "...Fault Line" and often seem to be coasting on their (admittedly hugely respectable) instrumental chops to try and mask a lack of quality songwriting. With "Minute By Minute", energy and enthusiasm are back in a big way--it's like the band suddenly got a second wind.

Michael McDonald's gasping, soulful vocals here pack a major wallop and are simply infectious, and he handles the lead vocals on a handful of classic tracks from this album. And of course, McDonald was one damn impressive songwriter as well--his album opening solo composition, the heavily syncopated "Here To Love You", is one of his characteristic "soulful rants" as I like to call them, and it's an irresistible, uplifting feel-good tune. "What A Fool Believes" was a huge hit, and with its crisp beat, rich & soaring harmonies, clever and incisive love lyrics, the sly key change on the chorus, and the extreme melodic catchiness, it's a total classic--it's true that you've probably heard it a 'zillion' times, but there's no denying the brilliance of it. The jazzy, arrestingly hushed and moody title track is also classic hit. "Open Your Eyes", with its pleading minor-keyed verses and extreme catchiness, is also a gem, and don't forget about the grooving album closer "How Do The Fools Survive?".

The greatness doesn't stop there. On the previous album, it was as if the band was either afraid to rock out or had forgotten how to do so, but they come gloriously roaring back in that department with Patrick Simmons' enthusiastic bluesy rocker "Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels", an irresistible song with a super fun guitar line and cool atmospheric stuff going on as well.

I'll admit that not every song itself on the album is a classic, but still, "Dependin' On You" is a fun feel-good tune, and "Streamer Lane Breakdown" is a solid, country-flavored instrumental that adds a welcome diversity. The minor-keyed "You Never Change" is admittedly a bit slight, and yet it's still another piece of arrestingly catchy material. The quasi-ballad "Sweet Feelin'", with vocals from Nicolette Larson, is rather fluffish, but it's still catchy, under 3 minutes long, and nicely enjoyable.

So, despite some weaknesses, I have to admit I have a real weakness for this type of classy music, the kind of stuff that really holds up to repeated listening. Even "What A Fool Believes" is one of those songs that, despite its relentless airplay, has so much going on to make it one of those songs that's always 'worth one more listen', as the saying goes. On the whole, "Minute By Minute" is a great and timeless album.

"Love" being the predominant theme of the ten songs that make up this CD, Minute by Minute is a milestone work for the Doobie Brothers, and provides the listener with an audio snapshot of a rock band in a period of unsurpassed, creative excellence.

Beginning on the first track with an urgent, precission drum beat that commands attention, and ending on the tenth track with a never-to-be-equaled, 1-take, studio guitar solo, Minute by Minute is a masterpiece.

Winning Record Of The Year at the 22nd Annual GRAMMY awards in 1979, the Doobie Brothers/Minute by Minute also won GRAMMY awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocals (Michael McDonald: Arranging "What A Fool Believes"), Song Of The Year (Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins: "What A Fool Believes").

When Jazz guitar great Larry Carlton covered an instrumental version of the song Minute by Minute, on his album "Discovery", he thanked Michael McDonald in the liner notes for providing "the real thing." That is, he had access to the best keyboard players in the business, but no one could play it with as much soul and feeling as Michael does. And feeling, and emotion, and soul, and spirit, are all driving forces behind this CD.

This is the Doobie Brothers at their very best, and they'll never top this moment in their recording history. Singer/sonwriter Bob Seger expressed a similar situation, when referring to The Eagles trying to out-do "Hotel California", or when Seger, himself tried to top "Night Moves", you just have to accept the fact that you've reached such a high summit of achievement, and notoriety, and rising above that point, for the Doobie Brothers, is insurmountable.

The album features: Michael McDonald keyboards, synthesizers, vocals/ Patrick Simmons guitars, vocals/ Jeff Baxter guitars/ Tiran Porter bass, vocals/ Keith Knudsen drums, vocals/ John Hartman drums/ Bobby LaKind congas, vocals/ Tommy Johnston vocals.

Along with help from friends: Kenny Loggins, Nicolette Larson, Billy Payne, Carole Bayer Sager, Lester Abrams, Norton Buffalo, Rosemary Butler, etc.

This album ended up being a seminal pop recording, prefacing the pop/fusion of the 80's. Even so, Minute by Minute's quality, though tremendous, was even lost on the band members after the long hours spent recording it. Perhaps it was the unprecented length of time it took to record it, but the band thought it didn't work. Imagine their surprise at the phenomenon it turned into.

Anti-Mike McDonald Doobie fans like the one reviewer on this page don't stop to consider that each of the Tom Johnston Doobie albums each were an evolution themselves. Stampede, the last pre-McDonald recording, featured an eclectic blend of tunes that, while guitar-based, still had elements like the Condoli brothers playing jazz trumpet licks on Pat Simmons' "I Cheat the Hangman." And, if anyone wants to blame someone for Tom Johnston's departure, blame Tom: he got sick from hard living, and the band would have broken up without Skunk Baxter's idea to bring ex-Steely Dan mate McDonald aboard to save a big concert tour.

The best pre-McDonald Doobie work featured Bill Payne's (Little Feat) keyboard playing anyway, so McDonald's arrival on the scene was not that out of character. But they didn't know McDonald's awesome voice and musical ability would take over the band. Good thing it did: it gave the band new life, which extends to the present day.

I didn't think it was possible for this to happen, but it did. One of the Doobie Brothers best albums has gotten the 24kt treatment for superior sound quality and mastering. Lets face it if your still listening to the tinny, muffled version of the CD that came out years ago and only has so many tracks remastered for compilation discs and Best ofs, then this is the CD for you. I only got this disc for one reason, to get a clear, crisp and fabulous version of "How Does the Fool Survive?" and I was amazed at the rest of the disc as well. From every little clatter in the back to any minute horn or vocal, you can hear everything on this CD. It also just simply sounds the way it should. Sometimes in mastering everything just comes out sounding loud or extranious. Minute by Minute isn't a loud album, it's a soft groovy kind of one that doesn't need just a big volume, mixers and faders are used to put everything where they need to be. Whats also nice is you get the full booklet to slip in for the jewel case and everything is where it should be. There are no extended cuts or demos or anything, just the album that many people own and love. My only hope is that STAMPEDE the great fifth album is just around the corner. How awesome it will be to hear Neal's Fandango and I Cheat the Hangman in the same treatment as the band got here. I suspect that if it hasn't been done already CAPTAIN AND ME will be next, but that would be okay too. Definetly a buy.

One of the best pop albums of all time. And I never heard it this good.

I have the Nautilus NR 18 vinyl; I think I ran through two copies of the cassette. One of those albums you listen to so much that you have to take vacations from it.

But I never heard the bass drive the first track, Here to Love You, like it is here.

And the vocals on You Never Change, amazing. Outrageous. Reminds me of Red Streamliner, off Little Feat's Time Loves A Hero, first time Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald harmonized. The best.

This Audio Fidelity 24k Plus is great. Really superior soundstage. Everything really pops up at you in the best way, great individual tone, yet totally part of the whole. THE BEST!

Reviving the old DCC 24k concept, this is the first (along with The Faces "A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...")of hopefully many Audio Fidelity 24k Gold CD's. You've not heard "Minute By Minute" until you've heard Steve Hoffman's mastering of this classic. Remastered from the original master tapes(tm) - this is simply stunning!

4 stars for the album. 5 stars for the mastering.

As a jazz pianist and classical composer I was immediately struck with the wonderful rhythmic and harmonic concepts of this group. After all the years since the release of the original recording, my initial reaction to this music has proven valid--that this material would become classic and its contribution to future pop music would be substantial.
Negative reviews to the Michael MacDonald-era Doobie Brothers material are certainly not conceived from a sophisticated musical concept--I know that most listeners don't absorb music this way--but the complex texture of sound brought about by rich, beautiful harmonic changes and strong compound-meter rhythms-- as well as an exceptional emotional outpouring-- are wonderful elements presented in this CD and by this group in general. These qualities certainly appeal to a more artistically aware listener.
Early Doobie material was more simplistic and less original than the later work. This does not mean that the product was not worthy; it just means that the uniqueness of the more advanced musical elements mentioned above have given this music a lasting immortality that the earlier product will have a hard time matching.
As an artist with 40 years experience in writing and performance, I can enthusiastically recommend this record. It is packed with great melodic, lyrical, harmonic, and rhythmic content. It has the power to overwhelm a listener with beauty and emotion; pick up this record, and be moved!

Man, where should I start here? I've always loved this album. I had it on vinyl when it first came out and it's still one of my favorite albums by anyone.

It kicks off great with Here To Love You and ends great with How Do The Fools Survive. In between are classic hit songs like What A Fool Believes, Minute By Minute, and Depending On You. There are also great unknown songs like Sweet Feelin' and You Never Change. My least favorite song on here is Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels - and even that one is still a pretty decent song.

There's not a bad tune on here. The popularity and awards for this album were VERY well-deserved!

There had been a lot of great music in the 1970s (look up the top 40 lists of that era for proof), but the MINUTE BY MINUTE album by the Doobie Brothers remains as an enduring classic that never fails to take me back.
The original album cover, signed by Michael McDonald a couple years ago, is framed on my wall.

If I had to pick an all-time favorite song, I would have to settle on "What A Fool Believes." Truly a classic. Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins' finest moment in songwriting (and there have been a lot of fine moments). I still turn that song up if I catch it on the radio and the CD is still in my personal rotation as far as CDs go.
(Kenny Loggins does a great version with Michael on his LIVE FROM THE REDWOODS CD/DVD).

I know a lot of Doobie fans complain that this more like the Michael McDonald Band than a Doobie Brothers CD, but--if you've seen the excellent VH1 "Behind the Music" documentary about them--the band went through a head-spinning series of changes and evolutions throughout its history!
Just be thankful that they have such a diverse catalogue to listen to.

I'm still grateful to Michael and the Doobies for this album/CD. Thankful for giving me such deep music that articulated feelings in my youth, thankful for a sound that still resonates across the decades, thankful for such a cool, smooth album that sounds good at any time.

The Japanese imports of the Doobie catalog are remastered.

Warner Brothers here in the U.S. is still selling the old LP-EQ'd, terrible-sounding masters they released on CD in 1990.

If you love these albums, get a set of the Japanese editions. They cost more, but they're worth it.

Here is the link to the Japanese remaster of Minute By Minute.