Album Review – The Doors – Self Titled. 50th Anniversary Edition
Review by Geoff Jenke
The Doors line up of Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Desmore came together mid 1965 and their debut self titled album broke through 18 months later in January 1967. This album has often been rated as one of the greatest debut albums in rock history. In fact it made no.34 in Rolling Stone Magazine list of all time great debut albums.
To celebrate this landmark recording’s 50 th anniversary, the band has released The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. Packaged in a 12 x 12 hardcover book, it includes remastered versions of the album’s original stereo and mono mix and a third disc of live performances from newly found tapes of the 1967 Matrix, San Francisco concert. This is the first time the album has appeared on CD in mono. An LP-version of the mono mix is also included.
So how does the music hold up 50 years on? In a word – excellent. It showcases how powerful the band was, after just 18 months of formation. The songs are a mixture of blues, rock with just a little jazz thrown in. Ray Manzarek’s keyboards and Robbie Krieger’s guitar blend hypnotically while Jim Morrison’s self indulgent lyrics and vocal performance cements the sound together.
Opening song Break on Through (To the Other Side) was released as their first single but failed to make the U.S. Top 100. However it remained in their live set for most of their five year career.
Their second single Light My Fire became a number one hit worldwide for the band. To help get air play in 1967, the single was an edited three minute version of the seven minute album track. Although it did the job of propelling the band to stardom, it is the album track that needs to be heard with its long instrumental middle section. A timeless classic.
The album contains two cover songs in Willie Dixon’s Back Door Man (and we all know those old blues songs had double meanings) and the 1927 Brecht/Weill song Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar). Both songs are given the Doors “sound” with Morrison changing the lyrics slightly to Alabama Song to reflect the times.
Crystal Ship and End of the Night still sound hauntingly beautiful with Jim showing a tender side to his powerful voice. He sounds so much older and mature than the 23 years old he was when he recorded these songs.
In the end it is in fact The End that is the highlight of the album. A scary 12 minute Oedipal freak out that could only come from The Doors. It still gives me shivers when I listen to it today. Jim hasn’t yet reached his Lizard King status but is well on the way with this song. The song was recorded in only two takes and there is contention as to whether the second take was used or in fact a combination of both takes. Whichever is used, the band would never sound better than this again. It was used extensively in the film Apocalypse Now.
After 50 years The Doors (the album) still sounds as fresh and exciting as when it was first released in 1967. However enter at your own risk. You will be captivated.
The 1967 live album, recorded at the Matrix San Francisco consists of 8 songs from the debut album. Although this concert was released in 2008 as a double album, the tracks presented here are from a new, better source. Although still not perfect in quality, it is superior to the 2008 release. It shows a young band already at one with live performance and hungry for success. Break on Through, Crystal Ship, Light My Fire and Alabama Song get an airing but it is the 14 minute version of The End that is captivating and frightening.
At eight songs and only 45 minutes it is too short. Surely a few of the cover songs played at the concert could have been added to fill out the album. It is also unbelievable how polite sounding the audience is at the end of each track. Little did they appreciate what they were experiencing, a band on the rise to mega stardom and self destruction.
However, this is still an important album; in that it is one of the earliest know Doors live recordings.
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