PERCEPTION

Hey you! Yeah you, right there. You look like the kind of person that hasn't seen or heard everything the Doors have ever recorded or performed! Well if you haven't, then this is the box set for you!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, that was comedy. This box set is probably the most complete thing I have ever seen roll of of any production line ever. Ever. And when I say that, I mean that it is filled with utterly useless stuff that will cost alot of money. Like any good box set, you get all of the classics. Ususally with box sets however, you get the classic songs. On this box set, you get all six classic Doors albums plus a DVD that goes with each one of them, and the DVD's contain alot of rare footage and outtakes and such. It would be virtually impossible to review all of this, because of the sheer size of the material here, so I think I won't. I can however, sum it all up in these words.

Save your money and don't buy this under any circumstances! This box set will set you back almost $200.00 U.S. dollars, and maybe more in other countries as an import. It just isn't worth it, if you want the music buy the "Big Six" studio albums instead. The DVD footage, once again, is not worth 200 dollars.

1 Star, avoid at all costs unless you are: a) Ray Manzarek's mother; or b) interested in knowing what happens when Jim Morrison was smoking marijuana and left the mic on, then it gets released in 2006.

Take It As It Comes

Here we have all studio albums from Morrison era and lots of rarities. Both on remastered CDs and, with multichannel mixes, on DVD-audio.

I tell only of this set features, without reviewing each album.

1. Bonus tracks. Most interesting for me are:

- ''Albinoni's Adagio'', one of Jim's favourite classical pieces;

- 17-minutes studio version of The Doors epic ''Celebration Of The Lizard'';

- ''Orange County Suite'';

- ''Who Scared You'' and ''(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further'' - not greatest band's songs, but, as far as I can tell, before this relase they were available only on ''Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine'' LP.

Though sometimes there are too many versions of the same song are 'packed' in one disc. For instance, ''Not To Touch The Earth'' is one of my favourite songs, but to listen to it 5 (!) times on one CD is too much even for me.

2. DVD-Audio (surround sound). In my opinion nothing special on first 2 albums and quite intriguing experience in case of ''The Soft Parade'' and ''L.A. Woman''. To be fair, I must add that ''Perception'' was produced in cooperation with John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and The Doors longtime engineer Bruce Botnick. Definitely these guys knew what they were doing and how! Thus my ''nothing special on first 2 albums'' is probably too subjective. Anyway a good feature.

For audiophiles classic stereo mix, but in hi-resolution 96kHz 24-bit audio, is also available.

Bonus video tracks were taken from previously released DVDs, if you are a fan, you probably already have them.

3. Price. Initially the price, recommended by Elektra records, was $149. As I know, first edition is sold out and the company released this set in slimmer box. Stores offer it for about 70 EUR, i.e. 11.7 EUR for each of 6 albums. It is usual price for single CD, but in case of this set you get DVD-Audio additionally. Not so bad I think!

Now to rating. Someone, reviewing Pink Floyd box set, asked a good question: How to rate a career? Similar case here. Great band, one of my favourites ever, 5 stars is what THE DOORS deserve.

Bought the slim version of this box set as it was on sale and I owned no Doors albums. (Actually it was 20% off all box sets, a marvellous sale to encounter, and I chose this from what the store was offering.)

The videos offer an incredible nostalgia experience, especially the likes of The End, and bear up to repeated watching. I own 5.1 and 2.1 systems and Ray Manzerak's bass keyboard work is beautifully augmented through these systems.

Even The Soft Parade holds its own in this box set, strings and all, and, as I now own them all, it is enjoyable visiting the less regarded albums and discovering the many marvels they actually possess as well. (My enjoyment of them has convinced me I really should consider those last two albums without Morrison.)

If you don't own any of their albums, consider this box set, sale or no sale.