Customer Reviews

Backstage and Dangerous: The Private Rehearsal

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not sure if the previous reviewer was looking for a greatest hits type cd. This live session is for REAL fans only. They don't play a single hit. It was recorded the day after the other two Aquarius shows (with no audience). The band sounds loose and is in a good mood. It is Jim that definitely does not want to be there. He really just says what he feels and sticks it to the record company that is paying for this session (there is a track called "there are 1000's of dollars riding on this day"). It is very funny and I just love it. Again, they don't play any of their hits... so if that is what you are looking for look elsewhere. If you are a die-hard fan looking for a unique recording of one of your favorite bands, buy this cd. Very good sound quality as well.

This is not for the casual fan, this is only for those of us who already own all official albums and more than a couple live bootlegs. This is the Doors, preety much rehearsing and a little bored at times, specially Jim. Is it tight? No. Does it rock? On a few moments it does. Am I happy I bought this? Yes; it is another missing link in discovering one of the greatest bands of all time, and one of the greatest talents in rock: jim morrison. I deducted one star, because it is a little pricey, and being now out of print, most likely will only continue to increase in price.

This 2-disc live performance is nothing more than the Doors during a rehearsal for the Aquarius Theatre (Hollywood, 1969). Without a doubt, this release is strictly FOR DIEHARD FANS ONLY. Having said that, the Doors put forth an electric performance of "Gloria" on Disc One. This version is one of the BEST ever recorded by the band! It completely smokes other live versions released in the past! You also get the benefit of some beautifully improvised vulgarities, which add to this version's jacked-up mojo!!

In addition, "I Will Never Be Untrue" is a live tune that never appeared on a studio release - it is a slow, bluesy number that is well-suited to Morrison's voice. "Build Me A Woman," another non-studio song, is, once again, pumped up with even more vulgarities - it has the feel of a band having fun while rehearsing, which is precisely the terrain this live release covers. It is NOT for the casual fan...Take it for what it is...

This doesn't do much for Jim Morrison's reputation as a poet that's for sure! This is like one step back for Jim. I'm not sure if this should have been released. These are blues and jazzy renditions of some released and un-released songs and some of these songs sound like the Doors had nothing to do one afternoon and decided to jam and let Jim ramble into a mike because that's exactly what he does. On top of that he is pretty well lit during most of these recordings. He sounds like he just stumbled into the studio from a long day at the bar, especially on "Build me a Woman". He is boisterous and he makes up lyrics as he goes along during the bluesy stuff, the words sometimes are absolutely laughable and they're hardly up to Jim Morrison standard. This definitely isn't poetry.

He revels in four-letter words and he delights in entertaining himself in "Mental Floss" as he goes through a less-than inspired scatter-brained monologue: "I'm tired of being a freaky musician, I want to be Napolean!" and "do you know women wear underpants? They do! How does a musician make the sound of a woman's underpants?" Meanwhile the band is playing free-form and are totally lost (Robby is playing slide licks which are going nowhere, and Ray is trying to come up with some solid chords to no avail) as they wait for Jim to get on with things. Continues "I wasn't doing a damn thing when I was standing there in front of a delicatessen and a bunch of rabbis and Indians came running up". This song is like the complete antithesis of the stanzas in "When the Music is Over" and "The End". It's an absolute embarrassment. During "Build me a Woman": "I don't know what I'm talking about and either do you. I'm a stupid m-f- and so are you! So take that little riddle and and stuff it up your a-!" and "this song makes me sick to my stomach and if it ever gets played you're all a bunch of dumb c-sckrs!" This almost sounds like a Jim Morrison impersonator, that's how off-the-wall it sounds. On Blue Sunday, Jim is so slow he sounds like he's falling asleep. I don't know how John Densmore sat through these sessions. Ray sings on "I'm your Doctor" and is quite vulgar: "you need a polish sausage". He also sings on "Close to You". "Car Hiss by my Window" ("Whiskey is like a woman-she's good when she's cheap") is not the same song which was recorded on LA Woman. "Gloria" is well done.

The quality of these recordings are fantastic and the songs are pretty tight (the instrumental parts). But most of the songs here are like the Doors getting caught doing mediocre to bad music. I'm sure some of their gigs were just like this if not worse. There's not much musically going on here but this will round out your Doors collection if you're a fan and Jim Morrison will give you an excellent laugh.

Im an old California guy who grew up with the Doors music , and along with Beach Boys & Beatles , were my favorites of that time .
This "backstage cd has but 1 actual "song" which is found on alotta other disc's ..... it is actually mainly talk , tuning , practice / rehearsal time before they did a set in LA somewhere . I know the cd title is
"the private rehearsal" ... but I had just expected more actual start to finish songs , and not quite so much talking . Kevin Garder

You hear the REAL Doors. A little rough. Perhaps, not for everyone; a "must' for dedicated Doors fans. Price was good, as was shipping and handling. Hope there are more of the live concerts coming. A+

This is an interesting and welcome Doors release, though not essential compared to other output from the Bright Midnight imprint. These are the stage rehearsal tapes from the Doors 1969 Aquarius Theater shows, and the band runs through their set list and include some improv, some on-the-spot arranging, and some plain fooling around. The version of Gloria from In Concert was taken from these tapes, though audience noise was added for that release. The 1997 box set featured an excerpt, the Mental Floss jam. Other than that, this is the first time this material has appeared.

This is the band playing 'live' to an empty theater, and we hear all the band chatter and riffing in the same quality as the excellent Aquarius shows. This was to be a pair of 'comeback' shows, since the band was returning to touring after several months of fallout from the earlier 'Miami incident'. The band is relaxed and very bluesy, and they preview some new material that would eventually appear on Morrison Hotel the following year. The track list looks tempting, because it looks like there are numerous unreleased songs...but for the most part, they've just given names to the various jams. Still, the band is in a good mood, and once again we can hear how good they sounded when they were 'on'.

Recommended for completists. More casual fans would be well advised to pick up another Bright Midnight live release, either the actual Aquarius shows (two double disc sets), the Philadelphia '70 show, or even the Felt Forum box set. This is definitely overpriced for what you get, which again, is not really essential. The sound quality is excellent, though, and I give kudos to the band for releasing the rare material.

This is one of the best Doors CDs. I love the randomness of Jim! He often rambles on other CDs, but this stuff is the best! You even get Ray Manzarek singing a good one, along with Jim throwing in comments. Do yourself a favor and buy this!

This cd was created for the diehard Doors fan, if you are causal Doors fan or wanting to hear the Doors at their peak as a live act, you are better off with Live In Detroit or any of the other Bright Midnight releases. This is actually as the title of the cd suggests, a private Rehearsal from the most enduring band from the 60's, this cd is not bad if you listen to it in the spirit it was released, it neither adds nor detracts from Jim Morrison's legend but it is weakest of the Bright Midnight releases and would recommend this cd only if are a completeist or a die hard Doors fans that has a desire to own everything that has been released offically, which is why I own it.

this set list was pretty good u can hear the doors practice and rehears there songs if u are a fan of the doors this is reallly good to have