THE VERY BEST OF THE DOORS

Well we all know about The Doors, but I felt compelled to write a review of this fine compilation. Obviously, The Doors' influence on the development of progressive rock is important, especially for the psychedelic side of early bands. I even find a lot of The Doors-influenced elements in classic 70's albums like Close to the Edge for instance.

So in 1967, what The Doors were doing was breaking all the rules and even if the song structures were not already as complex as, say, Genesis in the 70's, they were clearly experimenting with many things like movements, darker moods, weird time signatures for that time, longer instrumental segments and avoiding simple verse/chorus rock'n roll structures.

I am no fan of compliations since I enjoy the feeling of listening to music albums as whole works rather than as a series of separate singles. Yet, for someone like me who is no hardcore fan of The Doors but who does appreciate the originality and the 'chill out' aspects of their music, this is the perfect album to get. It contains almost all the tracks from their first (and most important) studio album and I can get through the whole thing a couple of times in a row without skipping a track. This is as good a compilation album can get, and this for a timeless band which has a lot to offer.

Review Nº 562

"The Very Best Of The Doors" is a compilation of The Doors that was released in 2007. It's a compilation with songs belonging to their six previous studio albums, the albums with Morrison. It has the same songs released on "The Best Of The Doors (1985)" with more 15 songs. The Wal-Mart edition, besides the two mentioned CD's, has also a DVD filmed during their European tour, in 1968. The DVD has five tracks: "Hello, I Love You" (it isn't a live version but a studio version played over footage), "Light My Fire", "Spanish Caravan", "Love Me Two Times" and "Unknown Soldier".

So, "The Very Best Of The Doors" has thirty four tracks. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" is one of the band's most popular songs. "Strange Days" is a dark song with great atmosphere. It has the use of a synthesizer, one of the earlier examples. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" is a song of "Hauspostille" of Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill. This is a great version. "Love Me Two Times" has a slight touch of blues, an usual thing in many of their songs. "Light My Fire" brought the fame and recognition, bringing The Doors as a symbol of the generation of the late 60's. "Spanish Caravan" is a flamenco song with the beginning riffs taken from "Asturias (Leyenda)" of Isaac Albeniz. The composition and arrangements are original and great. "The Crystal Ship" is a love song inspired by Morrison's first love. It has a mysterious and dark sound. "The Unknown Soldier" is Morrison's reaction to Vietnam War and the way the conflict was depicted in American's media. It's a classic protest song. "The End" was about the breaking with Morrison's girlfriend Mary Werbelow. It's one of their best and most progressive songs. "People Are Strange" is about the alienation, be an outsider and a loner person. It's a sad song with a dark atmosphere. It has ironic and sarcastic lyrics. "Back Door Man" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf. This version is a great cover. "Moonlight Drive" is one of the first songs written by Morrison. It's the song that Morrison sung to Manzarek in Venice Beach. It's a good song with a nice rhythm. "End Of The Night" is an obscure ballad with a dark atmosphere that makes of it a hypnotic song. "Five To One" is a heavy song, with energetic Morrison's vocals and the distorted guitar of Krieger. It's also memorable due to the lyrics. "When The Music's Over" grows in intensity, like "The End". It has a great climax and is one of their most progressive tracks. "Bird Of Prey" wasn't released in any studio album of the band. It was taken from "An American Prayer". "Love Her Madly" is a great rock song with nice lyrics and good performances. The guitar performance of Krieger is great. "Riders On The Storm" is a legendary track. It was their last song recorded, as well as Morrison's last recorded song. It was played live on their last live performance. "Orange County Suite" wasn't released in any studio album of the band. It was taken from "Essential Rarities". "Runnin' Blue" has a country style, with violin, brass and string instruments. Krieger shares the vocal duties with Morrison, a rarity in their career. "Hello, I Love You" is one of their most pop songs. It's a nice catchy song. I never understood the dislike of many fans. "The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)" is a great song, with good riffs, nice drumming and where Morrison recites lyrics. "Stoned Immaculate" wasn't released on any studio album of the band. It was taken from "An American Prayer". "Soul Kitchen" is a nice rock song performed with great energy. It's a tribute to restaurant "Olivia's" in Venice Beach, where Morrison and Manzarek met for the first time. "Peace Frog" has good lyrics and rhythm, nice guitar and good keyboard playing. "L.A. Woman" is a great song with a nice combination of the traditional rock with jazzy elements. It has a great vocal work by Morrison. "Waiting For The Sun" is a psychedelic song that changes from the quiet to heavy passages. It has a great work and a melodic vocal performance. "Touch Me" is notable for the extensive use of brass, string instruments and the saxophone solo by Curtis Amy. The orchestral arrangements accent Morrison's vocals. "The Changeling" is an obscure and strange song. It's a great song with good guitars by Krieger. The bass lines are great. "Wishful Sinful" is a good and nice ballad, one of the best ballads created by them. It has nice orchestral arrangements. "Love Street" is a nice and soft ballad with great piano and guitar arrangements, supported by the beautiful voice of Morrison. "The Ghost Song" wasn't released on any studio album of the band. It was taken from "An American Prayer". "Whiskey, Mystics And Men" wasn't released on any og their studio albums. It was taken from "The Doors: Box Set". "Roadhouse Blues" has lyrics about the lifestyle of many rock star musicians. It's a blues/rock song with great harmonica and piano works.

Conclusion: Of the so many compilations released by the band, "The Very Best Of The Doors" is really one of the best compilations of the band and the most complete of all compilations I know from them. Besides be well representative of the band, it has also some tracks that weren't released on any of their studio albums. It has also some iconic and progressive tracks, like "Light My Fire", "The End", "L.A. Woman" and "Riders On The Storm". So, if you don't know well The Doors career when Morrison was in the group, this compilation is probably the right place to start with them.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)