Record Reviews

DOORS ~ LIVE AT LONDON FOG 1966 RHINO 081227942151 (Barcode: 081227942151) ~ USA ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2019 This is an archival release presenting the earliest known live recording by the legendary American Rock group The DoorsFind albums by this artist comprising of vocalist Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist, organist Ray ManzarekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist and drummer John DensmoreFind albums by this artist captured at the LA London Fog night club in May of 1966, before the release of their debut album. The album presents seven songs, only two of which are originals and the rest are Blues standards. Sadly this release does not include the entire collection of songs that were captured on tape during this concert. This edition is the stripped down to the basics version of the lavish, but completely redundant (and hellishly expensive) 50 Anniversary Deluxe Edition, released in 2016, and offers identical musical contents. The attempts by the record labels to squeeze out the last penny out of the old material are really sickening. This version is finally worth its price. The music is mostly Blues based and proves that The Doors always were, for the entire relatively brief period of their existence, a Blues band in one form or another. All the elements that made the band one of the most important and artistically most ambitious American Rock band are already present in this virgin recording and in fact it encapsulates their entire id: the magnetic and charismatic vocals by Morrison, which were the focus of their act, the Jazz oriented organ layer by Manzarek which offered a tinge of Psychedelia, the Bluesy guitar parts by Krieger and the solid, rather basic but always right on the money drumming by Densmore. Although this album offers nothing new as far at The Doors contribution to American Rock is concerned, it is a nice piece of history and definitely a worthwhile addition to the group´s discography for completists. The sound quality, although primitive, is authentic and as such has its charm. I´ve had a good time listening to the music, but I am probably the least objective person on earth as far as the music of that period and everything about it is concerned.

Updated: 27/09/2019Posted: 27/09/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

DOORS ~ LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 1970 EAGLE 5051300209124 (Barcode: 5051300209124) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2017 This is an archival album by the iconic American Rock group The DoorsFind albums by this artist, which presents the group´s performance at the Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (August 26th to 31st) on August 30th as a combo CD/DVD set. The CD and DVD contain identical set list of seven tracks, the last of which is a four song medley, and the DVD offers also a bonus interview video piece called "This Is The End". The audio and video material was meticulously remastered. Slightly less than a year after the Woodstock Festival (August 15th to 18th 1969) the Isle Of Wight had a monstrous, estimated as over 600,000 strong attendance and was the biggest gathering of Rock enthusiasts, freaks and dreamers of the period, with an impressive list of performing artists. As far as The Doors are concerned, this is the last video footage of the group performing live. Less than a year after this concert Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist would be dead and the brief career of one of the most important Rock groups ever would be tragically over. The Doors´ concert at the Isle Of Wight was definitely not their most impressive, moving or spectacular live performance. The group was already suffering from many problems linked to Morrison´s legal, drug related and mental problems and their career was rapidly deteriorating. Nevertheless everything The Doors played was still among the best Rock music ever made on this planet, and they were always completely different from any other Rock group that ever walked the earth. Morrison was a poet, a dreamer and an extrovert extremist, while keyboardist Ray ManzarekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist and drummer John DensmoreFind albums by this artist collectively were one of the most solid and virtually unlimitedly talented instrumental trios in Rock history. As a result every one of the many live recordings by the Doors is completely unique and worth being heard, as is this one. The video material shows Morrison almost completely motionless and paralyzed in comparison to his earlier on stage theatrics, which to people who saw him live (in person or on film) is truly tragic. But in spite of the obvious somber atmosphere, the music is still very much biting and kicking, as always, and the fire is still there. Overall this album is primarily interesting for the video footage, since musically it offers quite a "standard" Doors set, close to a "best of" selection. The extended instrumental performances on "Light My Fire" are always a great showcase of Manzarek´s and Krieger´s chops, and being basically improvised differ significantly from one performance to another. For the many Doors followers this is as essential as any other live recorded performance by the group and an important piece of the puzzle of their musical legacy. For casual listeners this is perhaps somewhat less impressive than their other live offerings, which are numerous.

Updated: 01/07/2018Posted: 01/07/2018

DVD+CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

DOORS ~ LIVE AT THE MATRIX `67 RHINO 081227988487 (Barcode: 081227988487) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2008 This is finally the formal release of the legendary Matrix tapes capturing the DoorsFind albums by this artist live at the very early days of their career. Just a few months after their first album was released and before "Light My Fire" fired up the charts, they were just one more band playing the California coastal cities. But of course they were definitely not just "one more band" as these, far from perfect tapes, prove instantly. The Doors were the best American Rock band ever, and although they were still perfecting their act then and experimenting with it (something they never stopped to do) the visionary qualities are already there if you listen well enough. Including material from their first album, a few new songs from the second album (still not recorded at the time), and a lot of Blues, which all Doors members loved, to fill the blanks, this show is a time capsule preserving everything the Summer Of Love (although it was only early spring) was all about – intellectual freedom, total devotion to one´s art and complete disregard of authority, establishment and commerciality. i.e. the American Way Of Life. Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist is the actor and the poet, with music serving as the catalyst for his introvert sufferings, Ray ManzarekFind albums by this artist, with his miserable thin-sounding organ, manages to make magic with the keys on his keyboard, Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist plays the Blues, always, regardless what the tune is and John DensmoreFind albums by this artist keeps the whole lame wheelbarrow moving forward – towards Nirvana. This is, as said earlier, a time capsule, which proves that at that time even a seemingly uneventful gig at a dinky San Francisco club by a struggling young band was infinitely better that anything played in the 21st Century. Go figure?

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

DOORS ~ LIVE AT THE MATRIX, 1967 RHINO 603497835911 (Barcode: 603497835911) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 Released: 2023 This is an archival album by the legendary American Rock group The DoorsFind albums by this artist, which presents the entire material recorded during the group’s five-night residence in March 1967 at the San Francisco Marina District nightclub, called The Matrix. The 3CD album presents thirty-seven live tracks, all remastered from the original master tapes recorded at the time by the club’s co-owner Peter AbramFind albums by this artist. The material was recorded just a few weeks following the band’s debut album release and a few weeks before their iconic “Light My Fire” single changed American Rock forever. These poorly attended live performances were more “paid rehearsals” than gigs, as far as the group members were concerned, and present the group at the embryonic stage, before fame and glory engulfed and eventually destroyed them. Part of this material was released on the 2CD album “Live At The Matrix `67Find albums with this title” in 2008, which suffered from poor sound quality and bad editing, and definitely was not taken from the original master tapes, but rather from bootleg releases. This new release offers eight previously unreleased tracks and fourteen tracks taken for the first time from the original master tapes, all new to this release. These recordings prove that The Doors were a unique combination of superbly talented individuals. Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist was a prophet, a poet and a charismatic frontman, Ray ManzarekFind albums by this artist was a sublime keyboardist, who could make his primitive organ sound lie a Symphony Orchestra, and who was a Jazz player deep inside, Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist was a superb Blues guitarist with a completely unique sound and John DensmoreFind albums by this artist was a versatile and highly sensitive drummer, who hold this completely unsubordinated band together. Bloody geniuses all of them. Overall, this is a superb historic document and an essential piece of The Doors puzzle, which proves they were great from day one and didn’t really change much over time, since they could never surpass themselves. Thy always were the ultimate American Rock band in all time, existed briefly for just four years, recorded six Godly albums and disappeared – a career perfectly suitable to what they stood for and lived for – like a comet crossing the sky.

Updated: 18/11/2023Posted: 18/11/2023

CD 3 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

DOORS ~ OTHER VOICES / FULL CIRCLE RHINO 081227955403 (Barcode: 081227955403) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2015 This is the CD reissue of the two albums recorded by the three remaining members of The DoorsFind albums by this artist: keyboardist Ray ManzarekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist and drummer John DensmoreFind albums by this artist, following the death of vocalist Jim MorrisonFind albums by this artist on July 3, 1971. The trio, realizing that the iconic group was gone, made a heroic effort to continue creating music together, even though the odds were all against them. Morrison was of course irreplaceable, and therefore the trio took the vocal duties upon themselves, which of course meant that this was a completely different group than the original quartet. Obviously it was a common mistake to see The Doors as a one man band with Morrison receiving all the attention and the credit. Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore were exceptional musicians, full of original ideas, superb instrumentalists and excellent songwriters. Their vocal abilities were questionable indeed, but in view of the circumstances they simply had no choice. These two albums comprise of original songs written by the three remaining group members with just one song being a cover. Manzarek and Krieger share the vocal duties, and although nothing like Morrison´s, they are not too bad after all. The instrumental work is of course excellent, with a much bigger versatility and an opportunity to feature longer solos and even try Jazzy improvisation on occasion. Unfortunately the trio run out of steam after these two albums and never recorded together again, although they did meet on occasion playing on various reunion / tribute concerts. In retrospect these two albums have certainly been neglected over time and it is great to see them available again, both as a tribute to the overall musical legacy of The Doors and as a "missing link" in their discography. Remastered and with one bonus track this reissue is definitely worth being checked out!

Updated: 11/01/2016Posted: 11/01/2016

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend