Classic Doobie Brothers Albums Get Audiophile Upgrade

Official Announcement | Published: May 26, 2026 4:21 PM EDT

(MoFi) Two Doobie Brothers classics albums are set for definitive audiophile editions from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi), the leader in high-fidelity audio reissues.

The album that made the group superstars, 1973's The Captain and Me, as well as 1974's soulful What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. The Numbered-Edition 180g 45RPM 2LP sets are available beginning with the release of The Captain and Me on May 29 (order here); What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits will follow on June 5 (pre-order here). The Hybrid SACD version of the latter is available for purchase now.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes (1/4" / 15 IPS Dolby A analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe), pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP sets benefit from extraordinary soundstages, ultra-quiet backgrounds, big dynamics, and spot-on imaging. Producer Ted Templeman's excellent production charms like never before.

Taking off on the commercial success of Toulouse Street, The Captain and Me propelled the Doobie Brothers to superstar status. Having spent an entire year on the charts after its March 1973 release, the band's third record features one classic after another.

It's no wonder why The Captain and Me stands as one of the feel-good California quintet's signature works. Balanced between Tom Johnston's harder-edged contributions and Patrick Simmons' rustic excursions, the album displays a stunning array of high harmonies and interlocking rhythms. Laidback yet engaged, the stylistic combination belies the Doobies' roots as a Northern California bar band that played at afternoon jam sessions for members of the Hells Angels and parallels its evolution into a more polished, confident collective on par with mainstream peers the Eagles and the Allman Brothers Band.

Such biker-meets-beach mentality informs the lead-off "Natural Thing" - a midtempo tune that feeds off the tension between the acoustic and electric guitars while showing off the band's then-new incorporation of ARP synthesizers - and on the skyward title track, which builds in energy as it moves towards a climax. And of course, there's the Top 15 smash "China Grove" and Top 10 hit "Long Train Runnin'."

By keeping their craft deceptively simple and thoroughly enjoyable, the Doobies understand music is supposed to be fun - and that it needs to groove. And groove and sway The Captain and Me does without fail. Another key reason for its ageless charm: The playing of pianist Bill Payne. The Little Feat member appears on five cuts, including the romantic "South City Midnight Lady" (along with Baxter), polyrhythmic "Without You," and blues corker "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman."

With more than two million copies in sales, two massive singles, and Top 10 chart status, The Captain and Me sent the band on its way to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stature and permanent standing as one of the great rock 'n' roll bands of its time.

The Captain and Me Track List:
Side One:
Natural Thing
Long Train Runnin'
China Grove
Side Two:
Dark Eyed Cajun Woman
Clear as the Driven Snow
Side Three:
Without You
South City Midnight Lady
Side Four:
Evil Woman
Busted Down Around O'Connelly Corners
Ukiah
The Captain and Me

"And I ain't got no worries/'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all." The capstone to the chorus of the Doobie Brothers' No. 1 hit "Black Water" sums up the feel-good emotions and Southern-styled charm of What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. As the group's most diverse and ambitious effort upon its release in 1974, the album finds the sextet expanding its stylistic parameters while holding firm on its signature blend of rock, country, and R&B. More than five decades later, it stands along with the band's other early and mid-70s records as an indispensable staple of a Hall of Fame career.

From the decision to run acoustic guitars through Leslie speakers on "Another Park, Another Sunday" to the naturalism of the shaded vocal harmonies that grace the memorable refrains to the famous a capella parts of "Black Water," the brilliance of Ted Templeman's production shines.

Just as important as the sound, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits pulls the listener in with one memorable tune after another. It's a collective effort, with the material reflecting the strengths of each member and their special guests. At every turn, the record defies easy categorization yet sparks with amiable vibes built for cruising down the highway, hanging out on a lazy afternoon, or throwing a few cold ones back on a hot day.

Having reached #4 on the Billboard Album charts, spawned three singles, and sold more than two million copies, it's safe to say the public wanted a piece of what the Doobie Brothers were slinging.

The band invited the Memphis Horns to inject brassy soul on three tracks. It secured Jeff "Skunk" Baxter to supply pedal-steel guitar on "Tell Me What You Want (And I'll Give You What You Need)" and recruited Arlo Guthrie to play autoharp on the same cut. The Doobie Brothers sat legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker at the 88s for "Down in the Track." They tapped Little Feat co-founder Bill Payne to lay down organ on two songs and clavinet on another. The instrumental expansion extends to Novi Novog bowing the viola, Eddie Guzman tapping congas, and Milt Holland tackling tabla, vibraphone, marimba, and pandeiro.

The fruits of those labors, as well as the sharp songwriting of band anchors Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, resonate amid a record without a dull moment over its nearly 45-minute length. The Doobie Brothers' loose boogies, swaggering strolls, country-leaning reflections, and let-your-hair-down romps buzz with magnetic riffs, swampy grooves, and seamless matrices of acoustic and electric guitar chords. They're in evidence on the back-and-forth grit of "Road Angel," swagger of "Pursuit on 53rd St.," rhythmic quick-step of "Eyes of Silver," and prog devices of "Daughters of the Sea."

What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits Track List:
Side One:
Song to See You Through
Spirit
Pursuit on 53rd St.
Side Two:
Black Water
Eyes of Silver
Road Angel
Side Three:
You Just Can't Stop It
Tell Me What You Want (And I'll Give You What You Need)
Down in the Track
Side Four:
Another Park, Another Sunday
Daughters of the Sea
Flying Cloud