Walk This Road (album)

Last updated

Walk This Road
Walk This Road (album).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 6, 2025 (2025-06-06)
Genre Folk rock
Length38:48
Label Rhino [1]
Producer John Shanks [2]
The Doobie Brothers chronology
Liberté
(2021)
Walk This Road
(2025)
Singles from Walk This Road
  1. "Lahaina"
    Released: November 17, 2023 [3]
  2. "Walk This Road"
    Released: January 22, 2025 [4]
  3. "Call Me"
    Released: January 22, 2025
  4. "Angels & Mercy"
    Released: May 15, 2025

Walk This Road is the sixteenth studio album by the American rock band the Doobie Brothers. [5] It was released on June 6, 2025, on Rhino Records. [2]

Contents

Composition and lyrics

The album's title track, which is also the first track on the album, sees the band reflecting on their long career, as the band has been together since 1970, albeit with a five year hiatus between 1982 and 1987. The track also features vocals from American gospel singer Mavis Staples. [6] The album's second track, "Angels & Mercy" is about a man who, according to Patrick Simmons, is "at the end of his rope [...] He's been running for a long time from one thing or another, and [he's] looking for redemption". [7] [8] "Call Me", the third track on the album, tells the story of a man who is having a long distance relationship, “It’s about a guy having a phone relationship, but it’s a positive thing" as Tom Johnston explained. [9] "Learn to Let Go", is the fourth track on the album, and complicates learning to accept something is over, "'Learn to Let Go' is a song about, more or less, one of the hardest lessons we learn in this life, especially where love is concerned, and probably the last decision we make on this earthly plane. The song is not all that serious, but we hope you enjoy it" Michael McDonald explained in a video explaining the track's meaning. [10] "State of Grace", the fifth track on the album talks about reconciliation, "There are a lot of references to recovery and enlightenment," stated Simmons on the track, "Not enlightenment in terms of being enlightened, but in terms of waking and seeing the important things that you’ve been missing". [11] "Here to Stay" is the sixth track on the album. It was written around 10 years before its release. [11] Inspired by the Meters and Professor Longhair in the early 1970s, "The Kind That Lasts", the seventh track, "explores the idea" of the phrase "putting your eggs in one basket", as McDonald explained, "Don’t find your meaning of life in someone else before you make sure that you believe in yourself, learn to love yourself first, and then you’ll find that maybe love is something different than you know". [11] "New Orleans", the eighth track, is an ode to the city of the same name, which was a "special place" to the band, "We’ve been to New Orleans 100 times. I know Tommy loves New Orleans, but we all do. We have friends there. We love the music. We love the food. It’s a culture all its own that we can’t get enough of it when we’re there, so that song has a little bit of a larger meaning to everyone in the band'", it features backing vocals from Sharlotte Gibson. [11] "Speed of Pain", talks about regrets and lessons learned. [11] The final track on the album, "Lahaina" is an ode to Lahaina, a town in Hawaii that was affected by the 2023 Hawaii wildfires. [12]

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. [13] The title track and "Call Me" were previewed in 2025. [14] The album will be followed by a tour that will run through summer 2025, starting on August 4, 2025, and ending September 19, 2025. [15] The band was supposed to be one of the support acts for Electric Light Orchestra during ELO's BST Hyde Park 2025 performance. [16] The performance was cancelled due to Jeff Lynne's health issues. [17]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 69/100 [18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Uncut 8/10 [21]

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." [22]

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." [6]

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." [19]

Track listing

Walk This Road track listing
No.TitleWriter(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"
  • McDonald
  • Shanks
4:19
5."State of Grace"
  • Simmons
  • Shanks
4:00
6."Here to Stay"
  • Johnston
  • Shanks
3:56
7."The Kind that Lasts"
  • McDonald
  • Shanks
3:47
8."New Orleans"
  • Johnston
  • Shanks
3:50
9."Speed of Pain"
  • McDonald
  • Shanks
3:34
10."Lahaina" (featuring Mick Fleetwood, Jake Shimabukuro, and Henry Kapono)
  • McDonald
  • Simmons
  • Shanks
4:17

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [23]

The Doobie Brothers

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Walk This Road
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [24] 6
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP) [25] 14
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [26] 14
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [27] 26
Scottish Albums (OCC) [28] 9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [29] 29
UK Albums (OCC) [30] 92
US Billboard 200 [31] 76
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [32] 16
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [33] 18
US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard) [34] 13
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [35] 13

References

  1. Jenke, Tyler (December 31, 2024). "The Doobie Brothers Detail New Album, 'Walk This Road'". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Rapp, Allison (January 22, 2025). "Doobie Brothers Announce New Album, 'Walk This Road'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  3. "Lahaina: Single by The Doobie Brothers". Spotify . Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  4. "Walk This Road: Single by the Doobie Brothers". open.spotify.com. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  5. 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.
  6. 1 2 3 Aizlewood, John. "The Doobie Brothers: Walk This Road album review | Louder". Classic Rock . Louder Sound . Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  7. Friedlander, Matt (May 16, 2025). "Check Out The Doobie Brothers' Latest Song, the Hard-Driving Country-Influenced Rock Tune "Angels & Mercy"". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  8. ""Angels & Mercy" from the forthcoming album, 'Walk This Road' releasing June 6, is out now". www.instagram.com. May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  9. Hudak, Joseph (June 6, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers Conjure That Old, Smooth Magic on Celebratory New Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 6, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  10. "'Learn to Let Go,' from the forthcoming album 'Walk This Road' releasing June 6, is out now". www.instagram.com. March 12, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Benitez-Eves, Tina (June 8, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers Celebrate 50 Years, Michael McDonald's Return, and Contemplate the Band's Next Phase After 'Walk This Road'". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  12. "Release Radar: Walk This Road". The Second Disc. January 29, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Dunworth, Liberty (February 4, 2025). "The Doobie Brothers announce 'Walk This Road' summer 2025 UK tour". NME. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  17. Peters, Mitchell (July 12, 2025). "BST Hyde Park Cancels Final Day After ELO Withdraws Due to Jeff Lynne's Health Issues". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  18. "Walk This Road by The Doobie Brothers" . Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Walk This Road: Album Review by Mark Demming". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  20. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (July 2025). "The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road". Mojo . No. 380. p. 86.
  21. Scoppa, Bud (June 2025). "The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road". Uncut . p. 36.
  22. 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.
  23. "Walk This Road / The Doobie Brothers / Credits". Tidal. June 6, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  24. "Lista prodaje (strano) 27. tjedan 2025. (30.06.2025. - 06.07.2025.)" (in Croatian). Top lista. July 15, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  25. "Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums du semaine 24, 2025" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique . Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  26. "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 24. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  27. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2025-06-16/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  28. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  29. "Swisscharts.com – The Doobie Brothers – Walk This Road". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  30. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  31. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  32. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  33. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard . Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  34. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  35. "The Doobie Brothers Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2025.