For Doors completists only, this shapeless gathering of rare film clips
of the band performing in Europe is hampered by the same old,
frustrating problems with attempting to convey, through lousy camera
work, the band's power as a live act. The packaging tells us the Doors
swept through London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam during a 1968
tour documented here, but there's no way to appreciate that save for a
random clip or two of Jim Morrison milling about outside concert
venues, talking with fans. Otherwise, we see the same sort of
obfuscating on-stage close-ups of Morrison you can see in any footage
of a Doors gig, stumbling around, crooning, and reciting poetry to
minimalist accompaniment by Ray Manzarek on keyboards, John Densmore on
drums, and Robby Krieger on guitar. Unless one can see, in the mind's
eye, what the band is up to from the point of view of a kid in the 30th
row, there's no way to really get the hypnotic, Dionysian effect for
which the Doors were justifiably famous. Thus, for anyone who can
imagine such a thing, or take it on faith, there's good reason to enjoy
performances of "Spanish Caravan," "Five to One," and two versions of
"Light My Fire." There's even a relic of pre-MTV, pop promotion: a
silly-looking performance of "Hello, I Love You" shot before a baffled
crowd on a London street. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
Filmed during their 1968
European tour, The Doors are captured in performances in London,
Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of
Jefferson Airplane, who shared the bill with The Doors on this tour,
narrate this compilation.
Track Listing:
1. Light My Fire
2. Love Me Two Times
3. Back Door Man
4. Spanish Caravan
5. Hello, I Love You
6. When the Music's Over
7. Unknown Soldier
8. Light My Fire (II)
9. Five To One
10. Alabama Song
