The Doobie Brothers Minute by Minute – Mofi Hybrid SACD

Sourced from the original master tapes and housed in mini-LP-style gatefold sleeve packaging, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD presents the 1978 effort on what is the definitive-sounding digital version of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ biggest-selling record. Produced by Ted Templeman the same year he helmed Van Halen’s breakthrough debut, Minute by Minute features non-congested openness, snappy rhythms, wonderful tonal balance, exceptionally clear vocals, and the right equilibrium of fine polish and bluesy grit.

All those facets emerge with superb definition, transparency, smoothness, and solidity on this audiophile reissue. The levels of separation, dynamics, and imaging help bring the Doobie Brothers onto a wide, depth, multi-dimensional soundstage located feet away from your listening position. Templeton’s knack for capturing the full frequency spectrum in a vibrant, realistic manner pays dividends throughout this collectible version. As for chief architect Michael McDonald’s elastic, sky-high falsetto? Experience its range like never before.

When the Doobie Brothers laid down the tracks at Warner Bros. Record Studios in Hollywood, CA, it was apparent they would continue to shift from the boogie-infused, country-referencing rock that helped define their successful run of albums from the early to the mid ‘70s. As he does on the ensemble’s prior studio outing, McDonald — still the newest recruit — again takes center stage. The Steely Dan collaborator uses his versatile baritone, perfectionist-oriented arrangement skills, and penchant for unusual chord stylings to give many songs rich, soulful, jazz-tinted foundations.

Nowhere is that strategy more apparent than on “What a Fool Believes,” the easygoing No. 1 smash that won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year — and which Rolling Stone named the 343rd Greatest Song of All Time. Perhaps the Doobie Brothers didn’t invent “yacht rock” with the warm, hook-laden favorite and the other similarly minded cuts on the radio-friendly Minute by Minute — look to the Top 20 title track, relaxed “Open Your Eyes,” and horn-accompanied “Dependin’ on You” for further evidence — but the band essentially created the template many others would follow.

Save for the pickin’ instrumental “Steamer Lane Breakdown,” they’re practically everywhere. Rising and falling above the twilight organ melody on “You Never Change.” Interwoven amid the catchy piano riffs and bass-guided rhythms of the opening “Here to Love You,” which establishes a romantic, mellow albeit adult-oriented mood that never lets up. Breezing through the feel-good emotions of “Sweet Feelin’,” a comforting collaboration with Nicolette Larson.

Everything happens naturally, and as a result of the Doobie Brothers wanting to rebound from the slightly disappointing reception of their preceding LP. Credit the band for trusting its instincts. Early feedback on the laidback, R&B-laced fare from friends and record executives wasn’t positive, and even a few band members liked the pop sound but wondered about the album and how it would be received.

The rest, as they say, is history.