Walk This Road (album)
| Walk This Road | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 6, 2025[1] | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 38:48 | |||
| Label | Rhino[2] | |||
| Producer | John Shanks[1] | |||
| The Doobie Brothers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Walk This Road | ||||
Walk This Road is the sixteenth[5] studio album by the American rock band the Doobie Brothers. It was released on June 6, 2025, on Rhino Records.[1]
Songs
"Lahaina" is an ode to Lahaina, a town in Hawaii that was affected by the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.[6]
Promotion
The album was announced on December 30, 2024, on the band's social media profiles. The album was previewed by three tracks, the first being "Lahaina" in 2023.[7] The title track and "Call Me" were previewed in 2025.[8] The album will be followed by a tour that will run through summer 2025, starting on August 4, 2025, and ending September 19, 2025.[9] The band will be one of the support acts for Electric Light Orchestra during ELO's BST Hyde Park 2025 performance.[10]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [11] |
| Classic Rock | [12] |
Rolling Stone critic Sage Anderson states that the title track "embodies a sense of hope and togetherness, in terms of searching for the right path forward."[13]
Classic Rock magazine critic John Aizlewood stated that it "is an album as full of joy as it is of craft. Sixteen albums in, they're still not letting themselves down."[12] AllMusic critic Mark Deming called it an "album that honors the band's rocking spirit while making room for McDonald's soul-satisfying vocal style."[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walk This Road" (featuring Mavis Staples) | 3:37 | |
| 2. | "Angels & Mercy" |
| 3:49 |
| 3. | "Call Me" |
| 3:38 |
| 4. | "Learn to Let Go" |
| 4:19 |
| 5. | "State of Grace" |
| 4:00 |
| 6. | "Here to Stay" |
| 3:56 |
| 7. | "The Kind that Lasts" |
| 3:47 |
| 8. | "New Orleans" |
| 3:50 |
| 9. | "Speed of Pain" |
| 3:34 |
| 10. | "Lahaina" (featuring Mick Fleetwood, Jake Shimabukuro, and Henry Kapono) |
| 4:17 |
Personnel
The Doobie Brothers
- Tom Johnston – background vocals (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8), lead vocals (1, 3, 6, 8, 10), electric guitar (3, 6, 8), acoustic guitar (3, 6), guitars (10)
- Michael McDonald – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 8–10); lead vocals, keyboards (1, 4, 7, 9, 10); Hammond B3 organ (2, 4, 7, 9), piano (2, 4, 9), electric piano (7), accordion (8), acoustic guitar (9)
- John McFee – additional engineering (tracks 1–9), slide guitar (1), mandolin (2, 4–6); harmonica, resonator guitar, violin (2, 4, 6); cello, pedal steel guitar (5); guitars (10)
- Patrick Simmons – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9), lead vocals (1, 2, 5); Dobro, electric guitar (2, 4); acoustic guitar (2, 5); keyboards, mandolin (5); guitars (10)
Additional musicians
- John Shanks – electric guitar (tracks 1–9), acoustic guitar (2–6, 8, 9), background vocals (2, 4, 5), mandolin (2, 5), bass (2, 10), drum programming (3, 9), keyboards (5, 6, 8), banjo (5); Hammond B3 organ, piano (6); percussion (10)
- Victor Indrizzo – drums (tracks 1–9), percussion (1, 3–9)
- Jeff Babko – keyboards (tracks 1, 3); horns arrangement, trombone (1); piano (3, 8), Hammond B3 organ (8)
- Pino Palladino – bass (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9)
- Woody Mankowski – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (track 1)
- Dean Parks – electric guitar (track 1)
- Jamie Hovorka – trumpet (track 1)
- Mavis Staples – vocals (track 1)
- John Cowan – background vocals (tracks 2, 4, 6)
- Johnnie Bamont – baritone saxophone (track 3)
- Bob Glaub – bass (tracks 3, 8)
- Marc Russo – horns arrangement, tenor saxophone (track 3)
- Joel Jaffe – horns arrangement (track 3)
- Mike Rinta – trombone (track 3)
- Marvin McFadden – trumpet (track 3)
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards (tracks 4, 5)
- Sean Hurley – bass (track 4)
- Sharlotte Gibson – background vocals (track 8)
- Bradley Giroux – drum programming (track 9)
- Mick Fleetwood – drums (track 10)
- Jake Shimabukuro – ukulele (track 10)
- Henry Kapono – vocals (track 10)
Technical
- John Shanks – production
- Ted Jensen – mastering (tracks 1–9)
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (tracks 1–9)
- Bradley Giroux – engineering
- Kaleb Allen – engineering (tracks 1–8)
- Kyle Spicer – engineering (tracks 1–8)
- Lynn Peterson – additional engineering (tracks 1–9)
- Mat Lejeune – additional engineering (tracks 1–9)
- Michael Grande – additional engineering (tracks 1–9)
- Brian Judd – mixing assistance (tracks 1–9)
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[14] | 7 |
| French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[15] | 14 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[16] | 14 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[17] | 26 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] | 9 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] | 29 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[20] | 92 |
| US Billboard 200[21] | 76 |
| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[22] | 18 |
References
- ^ a b c Rapp, Allison (January 22, 2025). "Doobie Brothers Announce New Album, 'Walk This Road'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Jenke, Tyler (December 31, 2024). "The Doobie Brothers Detail New Album, 'Walk This Road'". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Lahaina: Single by The Doobie Brothers". Spotify. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
- ^ "Walk This Road: Single by the Doobie Brothers". open.spotify.com. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ Vaziri, Aidin. "Doobie Brothers announce first new original album with Michael McDonald in over 40 years". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ "Release Radar: Walk This Road". The Second Disc. January 29, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Friedlander, Matt (January 22, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers Announce Release Date for New Album 'Walk This Road'; Listen to Title Track Featuring Mavis Staples". American Songwriter. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Staff, Rock Cellar Magazine (January 27, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers Share New Songs; 'Walk This Road' LP June 6". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Friedlander, Matt (February 10, 2025). "Takin' It to the Road: Doobie Brothers Line Up North American Summer Tour with The Coral Reefer Band in Support of New Album". American Songwriter. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Dunworth, Liberty (February 4, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers announce 'Walk This Road' summer 2025 UK tour". NME. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ a b Deming, Mark. "Walk This Road: Album Review by Mark Demming". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Aizlewood, John. "The Doobie Brothers: Walk This Road album review | Louder". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Anderson, Sage (February 24, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers 2025 'Walk This Road' Tour: How to Get Tickets to North American Shows Online". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ^ "Lista prodaje (strano) 26. tjedan 2025. (23.06.2025. – 29.06.2025.)". Top lista (in Croatian). July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums du semaine 24, 2025" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 24. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2025-06-16/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ^ "The Doobie Brothers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2025.