Album of the Day

The arrival of singer Michael McDonald may have kicked The Doobie Brothers into commercial overdrive, but only a fool would believe that the band was just a blue-eyed soul act. Case in point: THE CAPTAIN AND ME, the NorCal quintet's third album for Warner Bros. Released this month in 1973, the Ted Templeman-produced set reached the Top 10 and eventually went double-Platinum, thanks to such singles as “Long Train Running” and “China Grove.” But the bench is pretty deep on this album; principle songwriters Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons crafted an engaging mix of biker bar boogie and country-rock harmonizing on all 11 tracks. THE CAPTAIN AND ME stands among the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ very best.