It marked the band's reunion after breaking up in 1982. Instead of the later configurations with Michael McDonald at the helm, the band reverted to their 1972-4 lineup although Bobby LaKind who had played percussion with later configurations also rejoined. Tom Johnston, John Hartman and Michael Hossack returned to the lineup for the first time since 1977, 1979 and 1974 respectively.
The album was largely co-written with producers and sidesmen. Bobby LaKind collaborated with former Doobie members John McFee and Keith Knudsen on "Time is Here and Gone" and Michael McDonald on "Tonight I'm Coming Through (The Border)". Two cover versions were included in the form of the Four Tops' "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" and The Isley Brothers' "Need a Little Taste of Love."
The title of the album was taken from an unused song written by Tiran Porter. Porter later recorded the song for his 1995 solo album Playing To An Empty House.[5]
Lead track "The Doctor" was released as a single and stormed to No. 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. After this album, Bobby Lakind retired from the band because of terminal colorectal cancer, which claimed his life in 1992.
The album was reissued in 2002 by One Way Records with two bonus tracks.[6] The first was "Anything for Love", written by Bobby LaKind with Eddie Schwartz and Zeke Zirngiebel, which originally appeared on a CD single of "The Doctor". The second was an extended remix of "Need A Little Taste of Love," which had appeared on a CD single of "One Chain".
^Shannon Eigsti was a young pianist who met the Doobie Brothers when she was a patient at a children's hospital, dying of leukemia. According to Patrick Simmons, she would play along with the band when they played at the hospital, and even once joined them at a live date nearby. After she expressed a desire to play on a record, the band arranged for her to record the keyboard part on "Take Me to the Highway" in her hospital room. The album credits include a dedication to her, but she was mistakenly not credited for playing.[7] She died at age 17 in 1988, before the album was released.[8]
