As a jazz pianist and classical composer I was immediately struck with the wonderful rhythmic and harmonic concepts of this group. After all the years since the release of the original recording, my initial reaction to this music has proven valid--that this material would become classic and its contribution to future pop music would be substantial. Negative reviews to the Michael MacDonald-era Doobie Brothers material are certainly not conceived from a sophisticated musical concept--I know that most listeners don´t absorb music this way--but the complex texture of sound brought about by rich, beautiful harmonic changes and strong compound-meter rhythms-- as well as an exceptional emotional outpouring-- are wonderful elements presented in this CD and by this group in general. These qualities certainly appeal to a more artistically aware listener. Early Doobie material was more simplistic and less original than the later work. This does not mean that the prod