Rarities, band favorites, carry Doors ‘Box Set’
November 19, 1997
Editor’s Note: The following is the second part of a two-part review of The Doors’ much-anticipated “Box Set.” The first part ran in last Wednesday’s Daily.
“Box Set”
The Doors
One of the biggest problems with The Doors today is all of the hype the press and fans work up.
Of course, they only focus on lead singer Jim Morrison’s darkness — whether it be his poetical musings on politics, death or Freudian philosophy — the Lizard King, his untimely death or his public antics (most memorably, the infamous 1970 Miami incident in which he allegedly exposed his penis).
Now, the remaining living members — organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore — have joined together to deliver the truth about themselves, the band, the music and the myth with The Doors’ long-awaited “Box Set.”
Disc Three: “The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be”
This is the most varied disc in the entire set. The vast majority of it is live material from various phases of The Doors’ career.
There is a rather upbeat demo version of “Go Insane” (part of “Celebration of the Lizard”) that comes across as more of a disco song than anything else.
It was also recorded before Krieger joined the group, which explains the lack of a solid guitar melody.
There are also two fairly unremarkable demos, “Hello, I Love You” and “Summer’s Almost Gone.”
Both turned out to be decent songs, as evidenced by the previously released studio albums, but the demos aren’t particularly noteworthy or revealing.
But these are only small complaints when compared to the rest of the stellar material included.
There’s an excerpt from the group’s live performance on the Ed Sullivan Show (“Hello to the Cities”), a live Morrison joke (“Adolph Hitler”) and two songs performed with the legendary blues guitarist Albert King (Muddy Waters’ classic “Rock Me” and another live version of “Money”).
Also included is a live version of “Break on Through” from The Doors’ last recorded-live performance at the Isle of Wight Festival, which occurred during Morrison’s notorious Miami indecency trial.
“Mental Floss” is an excellent spontaneous improvisational piece full of vivid lyrical imagery that comes across as menacing and funny simultaneously.
“The Crystal Ship” and “I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind” are also really good and pretty rare live offerings.
But the best songs on this CD are the live versions of “Someday Soon” and “The Soft Parade.”
The former is an unreleased song that is best described by Manzarek as “a happy song about death.”
The lyrics are wonderful, although Morrison’s voice is rather fuzzy and the melody is very catchy.
The latter was recorded live for PBS television in ’70, following the Miami incident and the national ban of the group from almost every venue.
This is the only live performance of this song, and it is fantastic.
Morrison’s voice and Manzarek’s screaming organ riffs are particularly great.
Top this disc off with “Tightrope Ride” — a song written and recorded after Morrison’s death and released on “Other Voices,” which is one of the two albums the band made after his death, the other is “Full Circle.”
The song, unfortunately, was overshadowed by Morrison’s absence.
Add “Orange County Suite,” a song Morrison wrote for his wife, Pam, that was finished posthumously by the remaining members in the same spirit “An American Prayer” was recorded with, and you have another disc worth the price of admission by itself.
Disc Four: “Band Favorites”
There’s not much that can be said about this disc that hasn’t been said several thousand times before.
All of the material is culled from the band’s previously released studio albums.
The concept of the disc came from each surviving member picking five of their favorite Doors songs.
Included are such greatest-hits staples as “Light My Fire,” “L.A. Woman,” “Riders on the Storm,” “The Unknown Soldier,” “When the Music’s Over” and “Love Me Two Times.”
But the disc is great because lesser known gems are included — songs that people only familiar with “Greatest Hits” haven’t even heard of.
Including the songs listed above, the full song list is “Peace Frog,” “Wishful Sinful,” “Take it as it Comes,” “I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind,” “Land, Ho!,” “Yes, the River Knows,” “Shaman’s Blues,” “You’re Lost Little Girl” and “Wild Child.”
Overall, The Doors “Box Set” is a worthwhile addition to every die-hard Doors fan’s collection.
It is also accessible to those less familiar with the group’s music.
Combine its inspiration, accessibility and truthfulness, and “Box Set” deserves more stars than I can give. Five stars honestly do not do this boxed set justice.
5 stars out of five.