The Doors – Live in New York 6-CD Box Set
A mere 40 years ago, The Doors recorded this series of four concerts in New York City. The idea was to capture enough material to edit into a live album. The resulting record, disingenuously titled Absolutely Live, was ultimately drawn from a far wider selection of recordings. Now we get to hear something considerably more absolute. Every note of all four concerts, plus virtually all between-song banter and crowd chatter is included on this box. You might think this would be an overdose of reality. In fact it is a revelation to witness this spectacle in its entirety.
You see, besides being a professional band of hit-making stars, the Doors were also an outfit that played what they felt at each moment, results be damned. They could be jammy, tight, faithful to the hits, or downright dismissive of them. Most of this diversity can be credited to one Mr. Jim Morrison — that sometimes loved, sometimes loathed representative of rock music excess. Lots of people probably believe he simply thought of himself as some kind of Serious Rock God. This is clearly untrue once you hear these recordings. Morrison is by turns funny, maniacal, irreverent, menacing, contrite and nearly always entertaining. At the age of only 26, he is a master of leading the band and controlling the crowd, but he is also transparently human and therefore fallible. He is the flawed American front-man for the ages. Elvis was The King, but Jim was The Lizard King. Which would you rather be? Eddie Vedder knows the answer.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2010.