Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Dedicate This Heart 4:07
-
writer
-
flugelhorn
-
backing vocals
-
writer
-
- A2 Real Love 4:18
-
writer
-
keyboards, writer
-
backing vocals
-
string arrangements
-
- A3 No Stoppin' Us Now 4:40
-
writer
-
writer
-
backing vocals, writer
-
- A4 Thank You Love 6:22
-
writer
-
- B1 One Step Closer 4:10
-
writer
-
writer
-
writer
-
- B2 Keep This Train A-Rollin' 3:29
-
writer
-
keyboards
-
horn arrangements
-
- B3 Just in Time 2:43
-
writer
-
backing vocals
-
- B4 South Bay Strut 4:05
-
writer
-
writer
-
trumpet
-
string arrangements
-
- B5 One by One 3:47
-
writer
-
writer
-
keyboards
-
- Total length: 37:41
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
To rate, slide your finger across the stars from left to right.
11 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
-
One Step Closer [p] 33 rpm
-
-
-
One Step Closer 33 rpm
-
-
One Step Closer 33 rpm
-
One Step Closer 33 rpm
-
One Step Closer CD Sized Album Replica, Limited Edition
-
One Step Closer CD Sized Album Replica, Limited Edition, Remastered, SHM2009 CD WPCR-13661
-
-
15 Reviews
Much Better Than The Lame Album Cover
The Doobie Brother's last album before they broke up is titled One Step Closer. Despite a lame album cover that looks like band members had been cruising for chicks at a stylish disco, the album is pretty good. But it's heavy on the McDonald jazz rock influence.The best songs on the album are:
- Dedicate This Heart
- Real Love (US Top 5 hit)
- One Step Closer (US Top 20 hit)
- Keep This Train A Rolling
- South Bay Strut (instrumental Grammy nominee)
- One By One
Add it up. Its a pretty good abum. Still its too smooth, too polished, too much jazz rock, too much Michael. They needed to mess up their hair or mud wrestle some biker chicks and get filthy dirty or something. It needs some grit.
Also, the album cover needs to go. People might think they are reaching for a record of Barry Manilow's backing band instead. Bring back photos of them riding horses, wearing sunglasses, or the earth quake sex toy. Anything but the band in disco outfits.
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
Why this 1980 Doobie Brothers record is received so poorly here compared to their previous several, I do not know. The grooves are there and the band is strengthened with the addition of a few new members, especially saxophonist/keyboardist/vocalist Cornelius Bumpus (great name). The days of Johnston and the southern rock sound are long gone by this point, and Jeff Baxter has left as well, but this is still a good entry into the Michael McDonald Doobies, which is the best era anyhow. Not quite as strong as the previous three, but probably the single most severely underrated album that I've reviewed.
Published
-
A1
Dedicate This Heart
-
A2
Real Love
-
A3
No Stoppin' Us Now
-
A4
Thank You Love
-
B1
One Step Closer
-
B2
Keep This Train A-Rollin'
-
B3
Just in Time
-
B4
South Bay Strut
-
B5
One by One
Doobies. Overall, not a bad album...just rather bland.
Published
May be the most predictable record I've ever heard. The Doobie Brothers straddle 70's disco and 80s pop confidently. Not the best time to master the craft. The audio engineering is impressive, and more interesting to me than the music. Those guys recorded well.
Published
Utter garbage, and totally unworthy of the name of a once great band.
Published
Michael McDonald. Doobie fans love him or hate him and far be it for me to say who's right...but I will anyway. It's a no-brainer really, McDonald raised this band up to heights it NEVER would have attained without him, not only because of his considerable songwriting talents but also his quintessential mumbled/chompin' on a microphone vocal delivery. When I was a kid, I remember watching an HBO Doobie's concert (the 'Farewell Tour' I believe) and was struck by McDonald's presence. You know, attired in his hip late 70's threads, eyes closed, singing in that unique smooth/mumbled manner of his, the mic above the piano seeming to emanate from his big ass beard. Iconic shit really, and I wanted to be that motherfucker. And face it, without McDonald, the late 70's/early 80's wouldn't have been nearly as groovin'. Without that signature voice, Steely Dan's "Peg" and "Bad Sneakers" or Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind" wouldn't have been nearly as great. More importantly though, the Doobie Brothers never would have risen above the league of a glorified bar band. McDonald brought an urbane, contemporary (for lack of a better word), edge to the band. "Takin' It To The Streets", "Minute By Minute", "What A Fool Believes" and "Real Love" from this set are classic examples of the era defining groove he defined and honed. He made listening to the radio tolerable.
The Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston camps of the Doobies seem to revel in bland barroom, blue collar biker odes and saccharine hippyisms (think 'Rockin' Down The Highway', 'Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels', 'Sweet Feelin'' and 'Black Water' for examples of same) that reek of rundown redneck bars and trailer parks. Sorry but Patrick Simmons doesn't have the voice or songwriting ability to mark him out as anything more than average (although I should add that I saw the revived Doobies 'Cycles' tour with Johnston/Simmons and they were a potent live act). Conversely, McDonald's songs put you in mind of hip, dimly lit urban nightclubs in New York or L.A. with sexy women in mini skirts undulating to the rhythm, just so, on the dancefloor and a good single malt scotch on the rocks in your hand instead of a Budweiser in a bottle.
It's night and day and as simple as that. With a singer with a voice like McDonald's I never knew why anyone else would even want to sing in the band. I'd think the other Doobies would be writing songs with his voice in mind. I suppose rock and roll egos prevented this from happening. Even though this album is much more unified in its overall feel and material (unlike the preceding 'Minute By Minute', which really felt like two very different band's forced together) it still doesn't give McDonald as much singing time as he deserved. That said, Cornelius Bumpus does a fine George Benson vocal thing on "Thank You Love", which at least feels like it comes from the same ballpark as "Real Love" or "Keep The Train A-Rollin'".
There is only one song on this set that Simmons wrote alone('Just In Time') and although lyrically its typically basic, it at least fits in with the rest of the album with its soulful groove. Credit to him for working for a more cohesive record this time around, as his contributions to "Minute By Minute" (the record) made for an uneven, even schizophrenic listen. The material here may be a bit more laid-back and sporadically less engaging than other McDonald era efforts, but let's face it, the band was near their first dissolution and all things considered, this is hip, smart, groovy nightclub music. I'll take a double scotch and a mini skirted nightclub hoppin' hottie. If you prefer a Bud and a bandana wearing biker on a barstool, that's your thing...
The Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston camps of the Doobies seem to revel in bland barroom, blue collar biker odes and saccharine hippyisms (think 'Rockin' Down The Highway', 'Don't Stop To Watch The Wheels', 'Sweet Feelin'' and 'Black Water' for examples of same) that reek of rundown redneck bars and trailer parks. Sorry but Patrick Simmons doesn't have the voice or songwriting ability to mark him out as anything more than average (although I should add that I saw the revived Doobies 'Cycles' tour with Johnston/Simmons and they were a potent live act). Conversely, McDonald's songs put you in mind of hip, dimly lit urban nightclubs in New York or L.A. with sexy women in mini skirts undulating to the rhythm, just so, on the dancefloor and a good single malt scotch on the rocks in your hand instead of a Budweiser in a bottle.
It's night and day and as simple as that. With a singer with a voice like McDonald's I never knew why anyone else would even want to sing in the band. I'd think the other Doobies would be writing songs with his voice in mind. I suppose rock and roll egos prevented this from happening. Even though this album is much more unified in its overall feel and material (unlike the preceding 'Minute By Minute', which really felt like two very different band's forced together) it still doesn't give McDonald as much singing time as he deserved. That said, Cornelius Bumpus does a fine George Benson vocal thing on "Thank You Love", which at least feels like it comes from the same ballpark as "Real Love" or "Keep The Train A-Rollin'".
There is only one song on this set that Simmons wrote alone('Just In Time') and although lyrically its typically basic, it at least fits in with the rest of the album with its soulful groove. Credit to him for working for a more cohesive record this time around, as his contributions to "Minute By Minute" (the record) made for an uneven, even schizophrenic listen. The material here may be a bit more laid-back and sporadically less engaging than other McDonald era efforts, but let's face it, the band was near their first dissolution and all things considered, this is hip, smart, groovy nightclub music. I'll take a double scotch and a mini skirted nightclub hoppin' hottie. If you prefer a Bud and a bandana wearing biker on a barstool, that's your thing...
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
One Step CloserOK, I lied
I own this album, but it's a cut out and was acquired in one of my "collection" moods. I never listen to it because it's crap.
I own this album, but it's a cut out and was acquired in one of my "collection" moods. I never listen to it because it's crap.
Published
Simply their worst album.
Published
Votes are used to help determine the most interesting content on RYM.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Catalog
5 May 2024
4 May 2024
18 Apr 2024
17 Apr 2024
16 Apr 2024
13 Apr 2024
13 Apr 2024
-
A1
Dedicate This Heart
-
A2
Real Love
-
A3
No Stoppin' Us Now
-
A4
Thank You Love
-
B1
One Step Closer
-
B2
Keep This Train A-Rollin'
-
B3
Just in Time
-
B4
South Bay Strut
-
B5
One by One
12 Apr 2024
-
A1
Dedicate This Heart
-
A2
Real Love
-
A3
No Stoppin' Us Now
-
A4
Thank You Love
-
B1
One Step Closer
-
B2
Keep This Train A-Rollin'
-
B3
Just in Time
-
B4 South Bay Strut
-
B5
One by One
4 Apr 2024
15 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024
8 Mar 2024
-
A1
Dedicate This Heart
-
A2
Real Love
-
A3 No Stoppin' Us Now
-
A4 Thank You Love
-
B1
One Step Closer
-
B2 Keep This Train A-Rollin'
-
B3 Just in Time
-
B4 South Bay Strut
-
B5 One by One
25 Feb 2024
17 Feb 2024
16 Feb 2024
Contributions
Log in to submit a correction or upload art for this release