What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
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Album Summary
"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" came roaring out of the Warner Bros. Records stable in 1974, the fourth studio album from those hard-driving, harmony-drenched cats known as The Doobie Brothers. Produced by the masterful Ted Templeman, who had locked in as the band's sonic architect and trusted guide, this record captured a group that was firing on all cylinders — blending rock, soul, and country into something that felt both effortless and urgent. Recorded during a stretch when the Doobies were tightening their grip on the American rock landscape, the album stands as a testament to what happens when a band finds its groove and refuses to let go.
Reception
- The album climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the first time The Doobie Brothers had claimed the top spot on the album chart.
- "Black Water" emerged as the album's crown jewel single, rising to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the band's first and only chart-topper on that singles survey.
- The album was certified multi-platinum, standing as one of the most commercially triumphant releases in The Doobie Brothers' storied catalog.
Significance
- "Black Water" became an FM radio institution, its rolling rhythms and gorgeous vocal interplay embodying everything that made the Doobie Brothers one of the defining acts of 1970s American rock.
- The album represents a high-water mark in the band's ability to fuse rock muscle with soulful warmth and country tenderness — a balancing act few of their contemporaries could pull off with such natural authority.
- With this record, The Doobie Brothers proved themselves not just as hitmakers but as genuine craftsmen, delivering an album that held together as a full listening experience from the opening notes of "Song To See You Through" all the way through to "Flying Cloud."
Samples
- "Black Water" — one of the most recognized and referenced rock tracks of the 1970s, with a sampling and interpolation legacy that has extended well into hip-hop and contemporary music culture.
Tracklist
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A1 Song To See You Through 102
4:06
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A2 Spirit 120
3:15
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A3 Pursuit On 53rd St. 136
2:33
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A4 Black Water 172
4:17
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A5 Eyes Of Silver 112
2:57
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A6 Road Angel 123
4:49
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B1 You Just Can't Stop It 102
3:28
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B2 Tell Me What You Want And I'll Give You What You Need —
3:53
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B3 Down In The Track 129
4:15
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B4 Another Park Another Sunday —
4:27
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B5 Daughters Of The Sea 148
4:29
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B6 Flying Cloud 139
2:00
Artist Details
The Doobie Brothers are a rock and roll institution that came together in San Jose, California back in 1970, blending rock, R&B, and soul into a sound so smooth and funky it could slide right between the AM and FM dial without missing a beat. With classic grooves like Listen to the Music and What a Fool Believes, these cats proved that a band could have multiple lead singers, swap styles, and still keep the people on their feet through the entire decade. Their staying power and ability to evolve — especially when Michael McDonald joined and took that blue-eyed soul to another level — made the Doobie Brothers one of the defining acts of the 1970s and a living testament to American rock music at its most soulful and inventive.
