Doobie Brothers founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons are the primary storytellers for the group. There aren't stories of the 70's "rock and roll" lifestyle and debauchery readers might expect based on other rock band's books. Like their music, this book is pleasant, but not breaking any new ground.
I appreciate #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the opportunity to read the galley.

This is a well done book. Lots of great insider information. Not an overabundance of details about the partying and rock and roll lifestyle, but just enough. Great book about a great band.

I was thrilled to get the chance to read this book because I've been a fan of the Doobies as long as they have been around. You might say we grew up together. This book is a chronological look at the band from inception to the present. Particularly interesting was the backstory on Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston prior to their Doobie partnership. Primarily, the book is a back-and-forth dialogue between Simmons and Johnston talking about the creation of songs and albums, how the band evolved over the years, and their takes on songs. Both of these men come off as humble and respectful individuals who always placed the good of the band ahead of their own. I really enjoyed that because the world of rock and roll can be so egotistical at times.
Contributions from Michael McDonald, Tiran Porter, Ted Templeman, and others are included in the book which gives it even more depth. A few pictures of the band would have been a nice addition to the book, but none were included. Doobie Brothers' fans will love the book, even though it gets a little repetitive at times with the same stories being told twice or more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book ain't nothing fancy. A pretty straightforward retelling of the Doobies story told by two of its founding members (with a little help from their friends as well). The kind of meat and potatoes rock bio that I'd recommend for hardcore fans or newbies interested in learning the facts without too much gossip. Solid.

This is set up very much like an interview of the founding members/principles of the band Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons. There are other small interviews from various individuals: Michael McDonald, Ted Templeton, Tiran Porter, etc. but for the most part, it is Pat and Tom's show. Each give their memories/recollections and the ghost writer wisely kept in conflicting recollections. The overall theme is one of being very laid back and egalitarian - a true brotherhood where music, not egos, was the key trait of the band.

The book is set up chronologically and for the most part, is Tom and Pat (though it felt like more Tom than Pat in the beginning and then more Pat than Tom in the end). Their youth, meeting in Northern California, and starting up the band when so much was occurring in the San Francisco/Marin County area in the 1970s takes up a good chunk of the first half. After that it's about touring anecdotes and eventually Tom's health issues (that would cause him to leave the band).

The Michael McDonald years don't really come up until the last 1/4 of the book - and even then, are glossed over pretty quickly. McDonald has a few short pages where he debunks anyone saying that he was solely responsible for/took over the band's sound at the time. But it was honestly mystifying that the time when the band had the greatest success was glossed over very quickly (almost as a nod to Tom).

At its heart, this is a story of really nice, laid back guys who weren't into drama. As such, there is little in the way of troubles discussed and even when bandmates had to be let go because of personality issues, it was almost apologetic and quickly glossed over. As an example, Tiran's experiences being an African American in a hugely successful band are not discussed. As such, those looking for an insightful biography of the band likely won't find it here. It's more a collection of memories that time has greatly softened.

The read is easy and the authors friendly and approachable. You feel like you are siting in a room and they are telling you about themselves and the band directly. It'll leave you with a feel good impression though perhaps it can be a bit lacking in depth and drama. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Subtitled: Our Story of the Doobie Brothers

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

For me, the Doobie Brothers are one of those bands that at first glance I didn’t realize the sheer number of hits they created during their long and productive career. When I was in my teens, I had 45rpm records of ‘Black Water’ and ‘Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)’ that I practically wore out on the portable turntable we had way back then. Those are still my favorite Doobie Brothers songs, along with ‘Jesus Is Just Alright With Me.’ The book is the story of the band, told primarily from the point of view of founding members and lead singers during the band’s early years, Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons.


As lead singers for a major rock and roll band, I was surprised that I’d never heard of either of the these guys before, but in addition to their vocal skills both men had fantastic musical skills with styles that complemented each other while also providing a leadership style for the band that encouraged experimentation and adaptation to take full advantage of the skills the individual band members brought to the group.

The Doobie Brothers were formed out of the thriving 1960s San Francisco music scene and emerged as hit-makers in the early years of the 70s. While several band members left, in several instances they also returned later on, proving that the leadership approach of Johnston and Simmons inspired loyalty and appreciation among the musicians. This was never more true that when Johnston himself stepped aside during the later portion of the 1970s for health reasons and was replaced by Michael McDonald, who gave the band a different sound while continuing the band’s uninterrupted success.

After an early 1980s breakup, the Doobie Brothers had reformed by 1990 with Johnston and Simmons again providing lead vocals, and they continue touring (with a break due to Covid) and making albums to the day.

I gave Long Train Runnin’ five stars on Goodreads. I enjoy reading success stories, the the Doobie’s had a ton of success while producing a string of hit albums and singles through the years. I already had my favorite Doobie Brothers song in my digital collection, but this book reminded me of so many others that I need to get to work on adding.

Most autobiographies by major rock acts tend to focus on two things: sex and drugs. We’ve all come to know that this is a big part of that scene. Thankfully this autobiography chooses not to spend its time discussing only those two items. Sure, they’re there but this is about the formation of one of the greatest bands of all time and how they remained one of the best bands for decades.

Stories of how where they began, how they came together and how they have stayed together fill the pages of this book. Questions are answered that have been debated by fans, the most often heard one to my ears being if Michael McDonald stole the band and made it his own or if he joined the band and helped them expand their musical horizons. Read and find out.

The easy going style in which they choose to tell their story, back and forth between band members focusing mainly on Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons is reminiscent of their style of music, laid back and easy to take. It makes for an enjoyable read and one that every single fan needs to take the time to enjoy. Then afterword pull out an old LP, 8-Track, cassette, CD or mp3 collection and get turned on to the sound of the Doobie Brothers all over again.

This is the history of a popular band from the 1970's and 1980's with a deep look into the founding members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons with Tom growing up in Central California and Pat growing up in Washington state. What brought them to music, what type of music influence them. Tom with not much support from his parents as they thought professional musicians were all potheads and drunks. The way all this information is told is in the members and producers like Ted Templeton own words. If they had a hand in the situation, song, or record they told the story in the way they remember it. At a time in the 60's when everyone is trying to get a record deal Tom could, but he would have had to sign a thirteen-year contract, can you imagine. Obviously, their growth and popularity was at a time that the free love and Vietnam war were coming about along with a lot of experimenting with illegal substances. Two stories that really stuck out were when Pat takes acid for the first time gets kicked out of a club and wonders into the back of a police car and they ended up driving around until he came down. The other was how closes Tom was to be drafted in the conflict and a defect that resulted from playing to much guitar became his out. This also covers what led to the move were Michael Mcdonald became the leader of the Doobie Brothers . Can you believe that Ted Templeton did not believe that "What a fool believes was great song ?
And last but not least you learn how this band gained the reputation as a biker band. Even though this covers alot of great music in my opinion this was a decent book at best therefore I would rate this 3 1/2 out of five stars. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for a ARC for a fair and honest review.

I grew up listening to the Doobie Brothers, so this was a really enjoyable book to read. Gives great insight to the band and how things started. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the Doobies!

My favorite 70’s band. I followed the Doobie Brothers religiously and was thrilled they decided to share their no holds barred memoir and open the door wide. I found the early days of their discovery of music fascinating and how they connected with each other. I hope some day they will join our annual 70’s rock & romance cruise so I can meet them in person.

I've been a Doobie Brothers fan since the early 1970's. I have every one of their albums and have seen them live in both the 70's and the 2000's. Being the same age as the band member/authors, it was easy to identify with their experience with the "generation gap" between their teenage selves and their parents. i could also relate to their musical interests and influences. This book answered a lot of questions about the various personnel changes, the development of individual songs, and the relationship between the individual band members. I really enjoyed this book The only reason this isn't a five star review is because there was quite a bit of redundancy. Tom Johnston told the same story about leaving the band and just playing softball three different times. Michael McDonald repeated several different times that he did not take over the band when Tom Johnston got sick. The book suffers a little from lack of effective editing.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin Press for an advanced review copy.

I love to watch the series "The Big Interview with Dan Rather" and recently saw him interview the three primary members of The Doobie Brothers: Pat Simmons (wrote "Black Water") , Tom Johnston (wrote "Listen to the Music") and John McFee. It reminded me of how much I love this musical group. I was born in the sixties and became a music lover in the seventies, and this band was a big part of it. I never bought one of their albums, but loved listening to their hits on the radio. I know I have "Long Train Runnin'" on one of my many 70s compilation albums or CDs.

I think they decided to get this together during the Covid 19 pandemic because it interrupted their 50th Anniversary Tour. The two primary original band members, Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston trade off chapters throughout the Doobie Brothers entire history. It's written in a very natural and free-flowing style as if they are just talking to you. I really liked this personal touch of telling their story, almost like an oral history format. Here and there some other players in the story got chapters such as their longtime bassist Tiran Porter, keyboardist, songwriter and vocalist Michael McDonald, and record producer Ted Tempelman. Both Pat and Tom told a little about their childhoods at the beginning amounting to about the first 10% of the book. There is a lot of detail about how songs were written and recorded, including how the album cover photos were taken. There were also a lot of band personnel changes during the history of the band, the most interesting how the now famous (but back then obscure) Michael McDonald joined the band and wound up changing the Doobie Brothers' sound (think "What a Fool Believes", "Minute by Minute" and "Takin' it to the Streets"). And they got their first Grammy as a result!

This was a well-written, enjoyable memoir encompassing the entire Doobie Brothers' career- ever more special for being written by Pat and Tom.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Long Train Runnin': Our Story of The Doobie Brothers is scheduled to be published on May 10 of 2022. The publisher St. Martin's Press provided me an early galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of the Doobie Brothers for over forty years. I have all of their albums from their debut in 1971 through the 80's as well as their most recent release. I knew their musical legacy, but I have never known their background story until reading this book.

I really enjoyed the narrative style used here, which is mostly a back and forth between Pat and Tom as they tell the band's story (with the interjections of other key folks as needed). Their approach is comfortable, jovial and familiar - like old friends recalling memories over a few beers. Like the title, it takes this "narrative train" awhile to get us to the band's formation - about one fifth of the way through the book, but this is all about the journey. The background on getting to the formation is interesting as it explains to the reader all about the members' roots and musical influences. This gave me more classic bands (like Moby Grape) to look into.

Of course, I had to smile when I read how the band got its name as it was exactly what I always mused of where it came from. Also, as a 70's kid, I was super pleased to see a short chapter talking about the band's appearance on a two-part episode of the ABC sitcom What's Happening, a show I regularly watched. If someone smiles when I say "Which Doobie you be?", I know they are part of my tribe.

The book rolls through recording sessions and tours at a fairly steady rhythm. If you ever wanted to know details about a particular song in their catalog, there is almost a one hundred percent chance the guys talk about it in the book. Everything is in chronological order with chapters often taking their titles from songs in their discography.

This is a must-read for true fans, but it is also enjoyable for the more casual of followers of the group.

The Doobie Brothers are a legendary rock group from the 1970's. This book is an inside look at the group, written by two of the original members. The book gives insight to the origins of the Doobie Brothers, and relationships inside and outside the group. Boomers will like this book.

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's press for the chance to review this very enjoyable read.

This story is broken down into perspectives from the various band members, primarily from founding members Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston. You will see the time periods reflected in the beginning of each chapters, along with recollections of how the songs were written, the recording of the albums,how new band members were brought into the band,and various concerts. Some parts dragged a bit for me but all in all a very enjoyable read.

The Doobie Brothers began as a great boogie band in the early 70's before song after song emerged to sweeten the airwaves... tunes that had you crank up the car radio and sing along. Fresh sounding cuts like "Listen to the Music", "Jesus is Just Alright", "China Grove", "Long Train Runnin'", and "Black Water" were served up in a steady flow. You'd see them on The Midnight Special or the Don Kirshner Rock Concert and they were still cool, even if their success was sometimes held against them. Then, just as the band was peaking, front man Tom Johnston was sidelined with some severe health issues. Enter Michael McDonald, known mostly as a background singer for Steely Dan. With McDonald the band's sound gravitated toward a more soulful range, culminating in the monstrously successful "What a Fool Believes" and "Minute by Minute" album.

Chapters are written by various band members, along with contributions by producer Ted Templeman and members of the crew. The emphasis is on the Doobie family and how everyone's contributions were valued. It feels like the history wants to steer clear of the confrontations and accentuate the brotherhood. While some of the tensions and bruised egos may be glossed over, the group has reunited a number of times. This never seemed to be the fatal animosity we saw poison peers like Creedence Clearwater or Pink Floyd.

The one thing that absolutely KILLS many rock music autobiographies is the bragging, self-congratulatory pomp that can rear its ugly head. Luckily, this is not an issue here, maybe because of the split narratives. Both Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons come off as very amiable guys who both navigated the rock star trip as well as could be expected. "Long Train Runnin'" is an enjoyable read, providing the background on a very visible group.

Disclaimer: Yes, God, if I could have anyone's voice in the world, it would be Michael McDonald's.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Original Doobie Brother members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons deliver a no holds barred account of the bands five decades together.
The 1970’s saw the greatest success for this California band. Sold out arenas, best selling albums and Top 40 dominance with hits such as ‘Listen to the Music’, ‘Long Train Runnin’ and ‘China Grove’ to name a few, The Doobies easily crossed genres and became icons in the music industry.
By the mid-seventies, the band was at a crossroads with member departures and singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Johnston falling ill with stomach ulcers from the trials of a life on the road, yet Pat Simmons held firm and the band continued.
Enter Michael McDonald. The Doobie Brothers begin their next chapter taking the band in a radically different direction with the blue-eyed soul and distinctive voice of back-up singer McDonald. Simmons, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter and McDonald provided the tracks for ‘Takin It To The Streets’ bringing it into the Top Ten. The hits and awards continued and the band defied the odds of maintaining their chart status.
This is the story of an American band. One of perseverance and transition. One that survived the ever changing music industry and moved with it to great success. Told with honesty, candor and the excitement of stardom.
Thank you NetGalley, the authors and St.Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Recommended