Press kit, The Doobie Brothers · Press kit, official use
After reuniting with Michael McDonald for a celebrated 50th anniversary tour in 2021, the Doobie Brothers’ longtime members Pat Simmons, Tom Johnston, and John McFee were feeling the buzz. They decided to keep that momentum going. It was that vibe that they carried forward into working on new music, merging the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group’s different hitmaking eras together for the first time in decades with McDonald back in the mix on new music. “After the tour went so well, it made sense,” McDonald says. “I’m not a super-prolific songwriter, but I had some ideas that I felt like would work really well with the band.”Their reunion has resulted in a full-length album, Walk This Road. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer John Shanks, with whom Johnston and Simmons worked on 2021’s Liberté, expertly blends the distinctive voices and styles of its songwriters together. It’s an inspiring display of togetherness from a group that has been creating classic hits like “Black Water” and “What a Fool Believes” for half a century and the first time in their 54-year history that all three of its principal songwriters have contributed songs to an album. As with past Doobie Brothers albums, each singer-songwriter brought his own songs in, but this time they each worked with Shanks to come up with the finishing touches. They all played instrumental tracks and sang on one another’s songs, then Shanks wrangled session aces including Victor Indrizzo, Pino Palladino, John Cowan, and Bob Glaub to round out the productions.The idea of unity and coexistence is front and center on the album’s gospel-infused title track, which McDonald wrote with Shanks. McDonald, Johnston, and Simmons all take turns singing on the uplifting number, as does special guest Mavis Staples, offering an impassioned plea to seek understanding in times of great conflict—a message with a strong connection to the present.
