Livin' on the Fault Line
1977 studio album by the Doobie Brothers
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Livin' on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Doobie Brothers. The album was released on August 19, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records. It is one of the few Doobie Brothers albums of the 1970s which did not produce a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (although "You Belong to Me" was a hit as recorded by co-author Carly Simon). Tom Johnston (guitar, vocals) left the band early in the sessions. He is listed as part of the band (appearing in the inside group photo) but appears on little or none of the actual album. He wrote and sang five songs during the sessions for the album, but subsequently quit the band and withdrew his permission for the Doobie Brothers to use these songs.[1] The track "Little Darling (I Need You)" is a remake of the Marvin Gaye 1966 hit.
Western Recorders (Hollywood, CA)
Warner Bros. Recording Studios (North Hollywood, CA)
| Livin' on the Fault Line | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA) Western Recorders (Hollywood, CA) Warner Bros. Recording Studios (North Hollywood, CA) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:26 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Ted Templeman | |||
| The Doobie Brothers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Livin' on the Fault Line | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| The Great Rock Discography | 5/10[4] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
Rolling Stone said, "This half-effort lacks the energy of their previous albums. The Doobie Brothers continue to produce smooth, adult rock (more consistently than before, in fact), but without the threat of at least a little bite, their music slips too easily into the background."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You're Made That Way" | Michael McDonald, Jeff Baxter, Keith Knudsen | Michael McDonald | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Echoes of Love" | Patrick Simmons, Willie Mitchell, Earl Randle | Pat Simmons | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Little Darling (I Need You)" | Holland–Dozier–Holland | McDonald | 3:24 |
| 4. | "You Belong to Me" | Carly Simon, McDonald | McDonald | 3:04 |
| 5. | "Livin' on the Fault Line" | Simmons | Simmons, McDonald | 4:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Nothin' But a Heartache" | McDonald | McDonald | 3:05 |
| 7. | "Chinatown" | Simmons | Simmons, McDonald | 4:55 |
| 8. | "There's a Light" | McDonald | McDonald | 4:12 |
| 9. | "Need a Lady" | Tiran Porter | Tiran Porter (w/cameos by Simmons, McDonald) | 3:21 |
| 10. | "Larry the Logger Two-Step" | Simmons | None | 1:16 |
Personnel
The Doobie Brothers:
- Patrick Simmons – electric and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals
- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – electric and acoustic guitars
- Michael McDonald – acoustic and electric pianos, organ, clavinet, synthesizer, lead and backing vocals
- Tiran Porter – bass, lead and backing vocals
- Keith Knudsen – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Hartman – drums, percussion
Tom Johnston is listed as a band member in the credits but does not play on the album.
Additional players:
- Bobby LaKind – congas, backing vocals
- Dan Armstrong – electric sitar solo on "Need a Lady"
- Randy Brecker – trumpet solo on "You Belong to Me"
- Norton Buffalo – harmonica on "There's a Light"
- Victor Feldman – vibes on "Livin' on the Fault Line"
- Rosemary Butler – backing vocals on "Little Darling (I Need You)", "You Belong to Me" and "There's a Light"
- Maureen McDonald – backing vocals on "You're Made That Way"
- Ted Templeman – percussion
- David Paich – string and horn arrangements on "You're Made That Way", "Little Darling (I Need You)", "You Belong to Me" and "There's a Light", string arrangement on "Nothin' But a Heartache"
Production
- Producer – Ted Templeman
- Production coordination – Beth Naranjo
- Engineer – Donn Landee
- Second engineer – Kent Nebergall
- Cover photography and album design – Bruce Steinberg
- Inner sleeve photo – Michael Zagaris
- Aerial photo pilot – Roger Glenn
- Hand-tinting – Kristin Sundbom
Charts
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 16 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 12 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9] | 14 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 40 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[11] | 25 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 10 |