RevieweDVD! The Doobie Brothers - Let the Music Play – the Story of the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
Let the Music Play –
the Story of the Doobie Brothers
Eagle Vision
While Let the Music
Play – the Story of the Doobie Brothers doesn’t really present all that
much dramatic flair, it is still a classic rock story worthy of being told, and
worthy of being seen. The documentary portion of the DVD offering is much like
what you’d expect, following a linear path from the bands inception and right
on down the line of their existence. Various members of the band are interviewed
along the way, and discuss things like the failure of the bands’ 1971 eponymous
debut as well as the bands’ breakthrough with their 1972 sophomore album Toulouse Street, but the most
interesting parts of Let the Music Play –
the Story of the Doobie Brothers comes as Michael McDonald enters the fold,
an addition that presented a seismic shift in the bands lore. It’s interesting to
see how McDonald shaped the legend of the Doobie’s by not only ushering in
timeless hits (“Takin’ It to the Streets,” “What A Fool Believes”), but also
how his sheer celebrity brought the band to a screeching halt in the early 80’s.
It’s there that the band truly became survivors as Let the Music Play – the Story of the Doobie Brothers then follows
through the bands various reunions. There’s only bonus feature here, but it’s
well worth your time – an undated collection of nine classic Doobie Brothers
performances. While it would have been nice to know where and when these clips
were taken from, they are still a sight to behold as performances of “Listen to
the Music,” “Black Water,” and “China Grove” act as sort of a time capsule.
Still, Let the Music Play – the Story of
the Doobie Brothers is an interesting look at the Doobie Brothers, a band
proof positive that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Grade: B-
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