The Doobie Brothers – Stampede

do the x's look like they were scrawled on by a 2yo on anyone else's?

This is probably the best record ever released,Sweet Maxine,I cheat the hangma,I could go on.If someone disagrees it’s their loss!

Great sounding pressing. Highly reccomended. Enjoyed sonically very much so.

Since I first heard my dad playing "Stampede" over his prized 'Quadrophonic' stereo system, I've always loved this killer album. Along with those early Santana, Zeppelin, The Who, Jethro Tull, and Elton John albums, the Doobie Brothers became a part of the soundtrack of my early childhood 1970s summers. Phukk the critics; this is a top-shelf 'Classic' rock album.

My pressing is quiet, clean, and sounds fantastic.

Excellent seller. CD arrived in pristine condition and fast. Many thanks!

Wherein the DB’s become one of America’s true supergroups – fine fusion of Americana country-folk, R&B & smoky swampy rock, three-pronged jaw dropping guitar attack, intermingled harmonies, shifting tempos, sonic diversity, elegant chord progressions & melodies.
There best effort IMHO.
A classic rocker laced with an abundance of charm.

UK cassette made in Germany not listed here which i have

One word - super/ Number 1/ Waiting for half speed or somehing else

When one considers how poorly Stampede was received, and that’s not to say that Stampede didn’t have its moments, it’s simply that those singles’ record moments can be trimmed down to one or two good songs, with that brilliant and emotional inspiration now infused with ringing guitar enlightenment, where “Take Me In Your Arms” the Motown classic rides as one of their all time best numbers, and still is. That being said, the Doobie’s only other song to chart from Stampede was “Sweet Maxine,” and that peaked at #40 on the charts, leaving fans wondering where this hit making machine had vanished to so quickly.

Now, that’s not to say Stampede isn’t a really fine album, because it is, with many suggesting that it’s under appreciated and far better than The Captain & Me. It’s an album filled with a mixture of smokey swampy rock, laced with an abundance of charm that can easily be traced right back to Toulouse Street, where here that fusion of sound, a mixture of folk, R&B and rock is still ever-present … it’s simply been revamped, repositioned, filled with shifting tempos, elegant chord progressions and melodies that stand as fresh and excitingly new, where the songs Simmons and Johnston wrote being more eclectic and filled with a sonic diversity. I would dearly love to say that Stampede was a culmination where the Doobie Brothers reached their creative peak, but that would be such a bold statement that even I dare not make it.

Here, the Doobies polish their sound in a different manner than ever before, bringing the best elements of that sound front and center, making this record totally unique in its own right. Add to that, Jeff Baxter, late of Steely Dan, was finally a full fledged member, where he was responsible for the addition of yet a third guitar, one that bestowed a heretofore unheard stylish steel jazz sound. This allowed several of the tracks, when all three guitars were working in unison, to bring out an unmatched quality that have been compared to the Allman Brothers and even The Eagles, making it an album that although reached number four on the charts, was dismissed and un- appreciated simply because it was not in line with previous releases. Some of the guitar work is actually beautiful, jaw dropping in its nature, which was also unexpected.

The album should have been headed to the top of the charts, which it was, but it should have been loved, not sold charted and forgotten, as the Doobies had developed into one of America’s true supergroups. The record is filled with good-time wanderlust with a distinctive sound that might have fit in during the latter years of the 60’s. For most fans the opus was the incredible “I Cheat The Hangman,” and as good as that song is, it’s totally revisionist, drawn from the past, which is no doubt why so many instantly gravitated toward it. Regardless, the record flows and flowers with great guitars and intermingled harmonies that are filled with genuine emotion and quality of structure. The band’s use of strings, horns and enchanting backup vocals all lend themselves effortlessly to the music, creating a defining moment at the high point of their career.

Why fans simply moved this record to the back of their record racks and forgot it is beyond me.

*** The Fun Facts: The haunting song “I Cheat The Hangman” was written after Pat Simmons read Ambrose Bierce’s classic ghost story “An Occurrence At Owl Creak Bridge”, regarding a Civil War soldier who did not realize he was dead.

Review by Jenell Kesler

...and no "RECORDS" banner across WB logo at top of label.

This information does not match the images displayed. I have 2 copies which do not seem to fit anywhere, there is always a minor difference. I assume that some people who create or add to a release just copy the images available.