Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/22/2008
In this edition of the
Bob Smeaton-directed audiovisual
Classic Albums series, viewers are taken beyond the grooves of
the Doors' 1967 self-titled debut long-player. Joining us for the journey are the recollections of many of those who were intimately involved in the creation of the quartet's eponymous platter, namely the three surviving
Doors Ray Manzarek (keyboards/vocals),
Robbie Krieger (guitar), and
John Densmore (percussion). Plus, their manager
Bill Siddons, original engineer/producer
Bruce Botnick, and
Elektra Records' founder
Jac Holzman. Also on hand is beat era poet
Michael McClure -- who was an admitted influence on
Jim Morrison (vocals) and one of the earliest proponents of
Morrison's lyrics as pure poetry. Subsequent generations of Los Angeles-based rockers -- most notably
Perry Farrell and
Henry Rollins -- as well as famed L.A. disc jockey
Jim Ladd (aka "The Last DJ") offer up a view of choice insights on the Lizard King.
Farrell makes an astute comparison of
Morrison's musical guise as a crooner to the likes of
Frank Sinatra's world-weary, rode-hard-and-put-up-wet persona. That leads into
Botnick's retelling of
Morrison's first encounter with a Neumann U4 vocal microphone. A fair amount of screen time is dedicated to
Botnick's manipulation of the multitrack tapes as he emphasizes particular instruments such as
Densmore's unforgettable
samba lick commencing
"Break on Through," Morrison's
a cappella introduction to
"The Crystal Ship," or
Manzarek's performance on the Marxophone during
"Alabama Song." Additional fascinating insights uncover
Krieger's open-tuning, which was incorporated into the ethereal
"End of the Night." He also talks about his considerable background playing
flamenco-style guitar, which he had taught on a University level. He then launches into the beguiling and haunting introduction to
"Spanish Caravan." Other extras of note center around the retelling of how one of
Morrison's hallucination-informed incidents nearly sidelined the making of the first LP. Plus,
Manzarek's transcendent recollections as
"Ray Tells the Story of the Night They Played 'The End' at the Whisky-A-Go-Go." Remarkably revealing is the concluding
"John Tells His Tricks of the Trade," which -- despite being a fascinating aside -- might be of specific interest to percussionists rather than casual fans. Which brings up the double-edge that simultaneously blesses and plagues many of the entries in the
Classic Albums canon: that being the sheer exclusion of key deep album tracks, presumably by time restrictions. There is nary a mention of
"I Looked at You" -- which would have been great for dissection by
McClure as opposed to the lengthy supplementary
"Michael McClure Reads 'Break on Through (To the Other Side)." Similar dismissals are given to
"Take It as It Comes" and
"20th Century Fox." That said, one would certainly rather have it "as is" than not at all.
~Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
;)
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