The first Doors album called The Doors is a groundbreaking,psychologically thrilling look at the sensual world of the West, eerie and haunting it challenges the listener to think,to do,to join the party. Although Jim Morrison was experimenting with LSD this album is brave and provides a look in to a brave new existential world,where LSD groups like The Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane where playing out there LSD adventures, Morrison and The Doors where moving past the influence of the drug in to the intellectual garden it provided.Break on Through was so potent a song it kept many of us up for days on end,it's message an invitation to eternity and a look at another way of living. The Doors slayed me with Alabama Song,Whiskey Bar, it solidified the old classic with a new more pronounced vision of the old,sepia version. Some of my friends didn't get the calliope organ and the all knowing voice but the ones that did moved on and embraced the music for ever and ever. The End is the culmination of the ceremony that the album truly was, The End was an anthem bellowed from another world,mystery and not knowing, personal yet embracing each listener with intellectual thoughts,conjuring images from empires past,deep in to the abyss. This album reverberates through time and space,chronicled in movies and any fan of rock music. I'm not sure any music recording will ever approach the Doors first album, it's a stand alone piece and a testament to existential thought and ideas of what can be.

I found it odd the Doors, with Jim, never played "Take it as it Comes" live. One of their best songs. It works like the opening track.

"Take it as it comes" is another lesson on living in the moment, not to anticipate to much and let it happen. You have a valid question and I wasn't aware they never performed it after the first album,lets find out what the forum knows.
I also miss songs like "Summer's Almost Gone" "Wintertime love" from what we hear on the radio today. I still believe in radio play,riding in your car and hearing great music while life whizzes by or you bash in to the back of another car.

They played "Take It As It Comes" live at the Fillmore (west) early in their career (Jan 67)....but you're right....that's about it concert wise other than of course at the Whisky. It's a great song with momentum, so I'm not sure why it wasn't played more often. The one song off that 1st album I can't find any documentation of ever having played in concert is "I Looked At You".

Agreed Jim,I remember being a teenager and we'd warm up our hormones on 'I looked at You",the poor girls had to live through our dour stares,but the song is fantastic,full of energy and angst. The first album is magic, a departure from the music of the day or any other era,lightning in a bottle.

It's an uncanny album in the fact you can listen to it over and over and over...and it doesn't get old. My own experience is certainly in the thousands.

I'm right up there with you on how many times I've listened to this album,a lot of times with a few friends before chasing women in our now long gone youth.
The interesting thing is I still play the album on vinyl and the cd does not come close to the fidelity,bass,depth and clarity of the vinyl album,are the Doors still pressing vinyl? I'm not sure you'd know but my album does have a few scratches mainly between song 1 and 2. Music editors I know swear by vinyl and curse the digital CD format,isn't it amazing how they make us consume the music even when it doesn't sound as good?It's cheaper to make a CD for sure.Don't sell your turntable and amp just yet.
Best
TS

The only album I have on vinyl is "The Soft Parade" (original album) its a collector item and I'm very proud of it and yes I do lisen to it....it would be a waist not to.

Thats a great album,lots of lush mad material, "The Soft Parade" is underated,fantastic, almost fun material,four guys enjoying and expanding musically.The actual song Soft Parade is incredible,the way the music sways and slows is abnormal,"Listen to the engines hum" back end of LSD for Jim and into the whack world of other drugs and drink,I can smell the drink on this album.Jim got to loose on to loose street,but I love every bit of that album,Wild Child,come on and like I said Soft Parade is a Morrison classic,echoes of acid and then the insistant whiskey blow's through,JDM's poetry is prominent in this song and it breaks the rules as far as music goes but the Doors pulled it off,they backed the beast and they all won.

They have pressed the remasters of the albums in the limited edition vinyl set they are selling. I've given it a listen and it's incredible. You are right about it just being a completely different "feel" than the CD's. I guess I would describe it as "warm water" vs. "glass" or something like that...you get the point. I've been noticing some music outlets are once again selling re-released albums...who would have thought?

I have the vinyl boxset. It sounds great! I have some of the albums on older vinyl. I don't know if it's the age of the older vinyl, but the vinyl boxset sounds better. The '99 remasters weren't pressed for the boxset. The first album in the boxset doesn't have the word "high" in Break On Through or Jim chanting "fuck" in The End.

I think The Soft Parade is my favorite Doors song. Second favorite would be Wishful Sinful but the live version...I love it but at the same time I hate it, I find it so painful to listen to, he looks so sad and unhappy.

I think Robbie wrote that one, but the lyrics at the time Jim sang the song was right on the money: "I know where I would like to be Right back where I came"

I’m sure if Jim was really well aware of the consequences of fame and being tied to a record deal he would have never embarked on this journey.

Would agree there is a lot of "forever and ever" in even the first album. The End is awesome, though "you will never look into my eyes again", I think it a bit too fatalistic. The end is what it is all about: and I mean everything.

And it is eternal.

As great as the first album is, I think all of the albums really have some eternal stuff to it.

And American Prayer. Wow.

Except could do without so much talk on his "c...".

If only iTunes would offer that.

But, what does, "it hurts to let you go, you will never follow me" really mean?


What a beautiful paradox.


Did it?

But, what does, "it hurts to let you go, you will never follow me" really mean?


Love some Jim wrote about Mary when they broke off.

Sacha.....SP is one of my favorite albums!!!!!!

Just remember////"you cannot petition the Lord with prayer". JDM/Poet

Jacky

Sacha/My fav song is 'Soul Kitchen' live....the last cut on Absolutely Live. Second to that 'Frieght Train' Detroit/1971 (Live concert).....Jacky

For me it means... some sort of painful relationship, where you teach someone - as Jim does - but let them go.

Fire them, as it were.


To me, while Jim is a brilliant light - really, the most brilliant light of his generation and who knows what else - I think
he did solidly also tend to say, "Don't follow me, be your own".

On end not following him... I view that as a message of hope. We usually think of the world in terms of beginnings and
endings...

Mary was not supportive of Jim's dream of rock superstardom. I believe he was acknowledging that by saying "you will never follow me." He got that right. She wouldn't. And that led to the final parting of the ways. They'd been together for a while, so of course it was hard to break up. Even Neil Sedaka knows that! LOL!

CZ,If there is a flaw in the Doors first album it's that it was just to good! When your first Album or book or movie is a hit the expectation of the next project obliterates what you've just done.Thus is the pressure The Doors started with,created by there own talents but challenging to say the least.Morrison lived his life out loud and what he gave in his few short years of recording music is just short of a miracle,let's not forget Morrison wanted this band to make it,he didn't become like every rock star today,Cobaine,Pearl Jam and countless others,I don't want to be a rock star anymore until the last 2 albums.Those albums are classics as all the albums are and it's not because Jim Morrison died,it's because Jim Morrison lived and expressed himself and remained focused.This is a great mind.best
TS

It's a real challenge, when you hit one out of the park your first time at bat. The industry watches the sophomore album intensely, the pressure to succeed again is stepped up, and it stays on. I think Ray made the right decision by asking Jim to stay on, instead of letting him walk away in 1968, at least as the decision did result in more great music. However, the toll on Jim was too much, obviously. And so he was gone at an early age.

The Eagles were subjected to the same pressure cooker, and it broke the band up. In fact, Bob Seger remarked, when asked what broke them up, "Hotel California." Fortunately, they all lived and are now back enjoying continued success on the concert trail, and a not bad album, Long Road Out Of Eden.

Same story with Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, and so on. Too much pressure.

By the time these guys went down, there was professional help at hand. When Jim was going through his crisis, there was really nothing.

Hi Mew's, Your right on track with these other bands,I'm not sure the straw Jim was snorting cocaine from in the early 70's would have helped him in his new adventures,those bands you mentioned barely survived cocaine.In the early 80's cocaine was hailed as a non addictive recreational drug,as we all know this is not true.Cocaine does help sober a drunk man up,so maybe Jim would have excelled,but I think he dug his boots in when he could with what he could and never wanted to rely on a drug,his concept of alcohol sold at the corner legal is a lame excuse for over drinking,Morrison knew better but his flesh felt different.
TS

I'm just glad that Joe Walsh and Jim Morrison never got to know each other. That would have been a scary couple of guys out there in the Los Angeles night!

Best live song for me would be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT6Xf-441HQ...feature=related

Makes my brain numb.

Yes Sacha,This is one of my favorites also,Morrisons voice is on and the Doors are playing in sync,Ray's organ is jumping and Robby's guitar weeps as Johns drums lead and pronounce,also Jim has no hesitation in his ad libs,it's pure magic.

Pure Magic it is.

Actually, very true, and also comments on the playability.

I have listened to that stuff over and over again over the years. Actually, been listening to it tonight quite a bit.

My favorite Doors song hands down is "The End" next to "When the Music's Over". (See a pattern there.)

On the first album:
the end
soul kitchen
I looked at you
take it as it comes
moonlight drive

Probably are my favorites. Moonlight Drive is supernatural.

(I have bizarre tastes in the music, however... )

... come to think of it, I think all of the music is supernatural. I see a lot of music that way, but with the Doors is was so much more pure.

Vivid.

It is like something straight out of this world.

I liked how Morrison and the crew just went with the flow and walked on the "unconscious", letting things come out.

No thinking - carlos castaneda style - just being.

And something awesome comes out of that.

"Out here beyond the stars we are stoned immaculate"... wow.


Unfortunately, they are ahead of the time -- still are to this day. Maybe the world will catch up soon.