20151025 Doobie Brothers Southbound 2014

Doobie Brothers

Southbound

2014

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Southbound is a 2014 album by The Doobie Brothers featuring collaborations with various artists in remakes of various hits by the band.
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Stephen Thomas Erlewine [Talks about this CD]
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A throwback to the golden age of star-studded tributes, the Doobie Brothers' 2014 Southbound essentially follows the same playbook as the Beach Boys' 1996 album Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1: team up a classic rock band with a bunch of contemporary country stars to sing the hits everybody knows and loves. Where Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 was an uneasy fit -- the Beach Boys are many things but a country band is not one of them -- Southbound feels smooth and natural, possibly because nobody involved dared to mess much with the original arrangements, a move that underscores how this is very much a record where singers are sitting in with the Doobies and not the other way around. 
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Whenever there's a flash of modernization, it is minimal, as on the light decorative rhythmic loops and mandolin samples on "Listen to the Music," where Blake Shelton takes co-lead with Tom Johnston as Hunter Hayes lays down some beefy guitar. 
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Johnston and Patrick Simmons dominate Southbound because their songs lend themselves better to country singers; they're either driving rockers or backwoods-inflected boogie, settings that are comfortable for neo-jam bands (Zac Brown Band, "Black Water"), swaggering cowboys (Toby Keith, "Long Train Runnin'" and Chris Young, "China Grove"), modern-day strummers (Jerrod Niemann, "South City Midnight Lady"), and arena country heroes (Brad 
Paisley, "Rockin' Down the Highway"). 
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That said, the three Michael McDonald tunes -- "What a Fool Believes" (Sara Evans), "Takin' It to the Streets" (Love and Theft), "You Belong to Me" (Amanda Sudano Ramirez, featuring Vince Gill on guitar) -- all feel at home because this is a Doobie Brothers album, after all, and they've long ago found a way to reconcile the two sides of their musical personality. 
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If there isn't much reinvention to be found on Southbound, that's fine: the record was meant as an open-hearted celebration of the Doobies' biggest hits and that's precisely what it delivers. 
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*** Tracks:
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01 Black water (04.20
Pat Simmons   feat. Zac Brown Band
02 Listen to the music (04.19
Tom Johnston   feat. Blake Shelton   Hunter Hayes
03 What a fool believes (04.02
Kenny Loggins   Michael McDonald   feat. Sara Evans
04 Long train runnin' (03.32
Tom Johnston feat Toby Keith   Huey Lewis
05 China grove (03.21
Tom Johnston feat Chris Young
06 Takin' it to the streets (04.41
Michael McDonald feat. Love and Theft
07 Jesus is just alright (04.07
Arthur Reynolds   feat. Casey James
08 Rockin' down the highway (03.34
Johnston Brad Paisley
09 Take me in your arms (rock me) (03.45
Lamont Dozier   Brian Holland   Eddie Holland   feat. Tyler Farr
10 South City Midnight Lady (04.48
Pat Simmons   feat. Jerrod Niemann
11 You belong to me (03.44
Michael McDonald   feat. Carly Simon/Amanda S. Ramirez/Vince Gill
12 Nobody (Intro 00.45
Pat Simmons   feat. Charlie Worsham
13 Nobody (04.20
Tom Johnston   feat. Charlie Worsham

Total length: 49:17 

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*** Letras:
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01 Black water (04.20
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Well, I built me a raft and she's ready for floatin'
Ol' Mississippi, she's callin' my name
Catfish are jumpin'
That paddle wheel thumpin'
Black water keeps rollin' on past just the same
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Yeah, keep on shinin' your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain't got no worries
'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I don't care
Don't make no difference to me
Just take that street car thats goin' up town
Yeah, I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
And dance a honky tonk
And I'll be buyin' ev'rybody drinks all 'roun'

Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me
Yeah, keep on shinin' your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain't got no worries
'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all

I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long
I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk
With you all night long
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02 Listen to the music (04.19
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Don't you feel it growin', day by day
People gettin' ready for the news
Some are happy, some are sad
Oh, we got to let the music play
What the people need
Is a way to make 'em smile
It ain't so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
Oh, now mama's go'n' to after 'while
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Well I know, you know better
Everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We'll be happy
And we'll dance
Oh, we're gonna dance our blues away
And if I'm feelin' good to you
And you're feelin' good to me
There ain't nothin' we can't do or say
Feelin' good, feeling fine
Oh, baby, let the music play

Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Like a lazy flowing river
Surrounding castles in the sky
And the crowd is growing bigger
List'nin' for the happy sounds
And I got to let them fly

Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time
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03 What a fool believes (04.02
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He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile
For his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him...

Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees...
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04 Long train runnin' (03.32
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Down around the corner
A half a mile from here
You see them old trains runnin'
And you watch them disappear
Without love
Where would you be now
Without love
You know I saw Miss Lucy
Down along the tracks
She lost her home and her family
And she won't be comin' back
Without love
Where would you be now
Without love

Well the Illinois Central
And the Southern Central Freight
Gotta keep on pushin' Mama
'Cause you know they're runnin' late
Without love
Where would you be now - now, now, now
Without love

Where pistons keep on churnin'
And the wheels go 'round and 'round
And the steel rails are cold and hard
For the miles that they go down
Without love
Where would you be right now
Without love
Where would you be now
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05 China grove (03.21
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When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town
Down around San Antone
And the folks are risin' for another day
'Round about their homes
The people of the town are strange
And they're proud of where they came
Well, you're talkin' 'bout China Grove
Oh, China Grove

Well, the preacher and the teacher
Lord, they're a caution
They are the talk of the town
When the gossip gets to flyin'
And they ain't lyin'
When the sun goes fallin' down

They say that the father's insane
And dear Missus Perkin's a game
We're talkin' 'bout the China Grove
Oh, China Grove

But every day there's a new thing comin'
The ways of an oriental view
The sheriff and his buddies
With their samurai swords
You can even hear the music at night

And though it's a part of the Lone Star State
People don't seem to care
They just keep on lookin' to the East

Talkin' 'bout the China Grove
Oh, China Grove
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06 Takin' it to the streets (04.41
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You don't know me but I'm your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don't know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see
Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets

Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty's despair
You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see

Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets
Takin' it to the streets
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07 Jesus is just alright (04.07
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Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright
I don't care what they may say
I don't care what they may do
I don't care what they may say
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright

Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright

I don't care what they may know
I don't care where they may go
I don't care what they may know
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah

Jesus, he's my friend; Jesus, he's my friend
He took me by the hand; Led me far from this land
Jesus, he's my friend

Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright

I don't care what they may say, I don't care what they may do
I don't care what they may say, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
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08 Rockin' down the highway (03.34
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Got those highway blues, can't you hear my motor runnin'
Flyin' down the road with my foot on the floor
All the way in town they can hear me comin'
Ford's about to drop, she won't do no more
And I smell my motor burnin'
Underneath the hood is smoke
Can't stop, and I can't stop
Got to keep on movin' or I'll lose my mind
Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway

The highway patrol got his eyes on me
I know what he's thinkin' and it ain't good
I'm movin' so fast he can barely see me
Gonna lose that man, I know I should
I gotta kick in my pedal
Make my Ford move a little bit faster
Can't stop, and I can't stop
Got to keep on movin' or I'll lose my mind

Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway
Oh, rockin' down the highway
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09 Take me in your arms (rock me) (03.45
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I know you're leavin' me behind
I'm seein' you darlin' for the very last time
Show a little tenderness before you go
Please let me feel your embrace once more
Take me in your arms and rock me, rock me a little while

We all must feel heartache sometimes
Right now, right now I'm feelin' mine
I've tried my best to be strong, but I'm not able
I'm like a helpless child left in a cradle
Before you leave me behind let me feel happy one more time

Take me in your arms and rock me, rock me a little while

I'm losin' you and my happiness
My life is so dark I must confess
I'll never, never see your smiling face no more
I'll never, never hear your knock upon my door
Before you leave me, leave me behind
Let me feel happy one more time

Take me in your arms and rock me, rock me a little while
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10 South City Midnight Lady (04.48
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Up all night I could not sleep
The whiskey that I drank was cheap
With shakin' hands I went and I lit up my last cigarette
Well the sun came, night had fled
And sleepy eyed I reached my bed
I saw you sleepy dreamin' there all covered and warm
South City midnight lady
I'm much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that sent out returned with you

When day has left the night behind
And shadows roll across my mind
I sometimes find myself alone out walkin' the street
Yes, and when I'm feelin' down and blue
Then all I do is think of you
And all my foolish problems seem to fade away

South City midnight lady
I'm much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that sent out returned with you
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11 You belong to me (03.44
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Why'd you tell me this
While you look for my reaction
What do you need to know
Don't you know I'll always be the one
You don't have to prove to me you're beautiful to strangers
I've got lovin' eyes of my own
You belong to me
In this life
Anyone could tell
Any fool can see who you need
I know you all too well
You don't have to prove to me you're beautiful to strangers
I've got lovin' eyes and I can tell

You belong to me
Tell him you were foolin'
You belong to me
You belong to me
Tell him he's a stranger
You belong to me
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12 Nobody (Intro 00.45
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*** Instrumental
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13 Nobody (04.20
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Evil ways of practice may surround you
Callin' on your inner core of life
But your father was just a complex man of bus'ness
And your mother merely portioned out your fright
But run the risk of a sudden loss
You got no mama to bear your cross beside you
Uh huh, uh huh
As midnight angels shine their wings
And time begins just bo build a wall around you
Nobody, nobody gonna take my love away from me
Nobody, nobody gonna take my love away from me

Settin' out on a voyage down to Jenner
I've given all I've got to help the cause
Need a place just to settle out my pressures
A place where you and I can sit and pause
So I can see the sky at night
Without a fear of hidden light to blind me
Mm, mm
And so you see the path is clear
And changes will be swayed around me

Nobody, nobody gonna take my love away from me
Nobody, nobody gonna take my love away from me

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