The Doors on the Road: complete live performances of the Doors [Paperback]

Greg Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1997

The bands The Doors played with, reviews of the shows, stage antics of the performers, gossip related to the events, and recording sessions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Omnibus Press (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0711965463
• ISBN-13: 978-0711965461
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #684,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reprinted w/ permission from The Doors Collectors Magazine, May 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Doors on the Road: complete live performances of the Doors (Paperback)

The Doors On The Road by Greg Shaw
by Tarn C. Stephanos

Ask anyone who has had the opportunity to see The Doors in concert and chances are they will refer to it as having been one of the most amazing experiences of their life. During the May 1969 Critique interview Robby Krieger recognized that people often attended Doors concerts for the "religious experience." I believe that Jim Morrison, the shaman at the helm of the Doors phenomenon, recognized that, as do most, if not all, Doors fans.

Like the impact of the medieval Crusaders who spread their words of wisdom to every unenlightened hamlet, village, and individual so too the impact of The Doors whose message of inner freedom created a concert experience akin to a pagan celebration. Seeing the Doors live was nothing short of a religious sacrament and the arena in which the band played was a house of prayer.

But until recently Doors fans have been without a chronicle of performance locations, dates, and set lists. For years Doors tape collectors could only guess at where and when The Doors played live and what sort of songs constituted their usual live repertoire. With the release of the book The Doors On The Road by Greg Shaw, Doors fans finally have a book that meticulously traces the live history of The Doors from their genesis in Rick and the Ravens to their solo projects. This book is a welcome addition to the library of every Doors fanatic and lover of rock 'n' roll.

The Doors On The Road logs not only the dates and locations of every Doors concert but also the set lists of most shows and the names of the opening acts. It includes contemporary reviews that indicated whether The Doors gave their all, whether they were plagued by equipment problems, or if Jim was drunk and hung upside down like a vampire bat for most of the show. The book is complete with dates of recording sessions, and album and single releases of Doors and solo projects.

Perhaps the most important revelation in the book, considering Morrison's aptitude for poetry, is the listing of poems he recited during various songs throughout the different venues. At the Singer Bowl gig in New York (August 2, 1968) Jim recited an extensive selection of poetry all of which is listed in the book. This, and hundreds of other fascinating insights about Doors appearances can be found within the pages of Shaw's The Doors On The Road.

Doors fans interested in the Miami concert and its consequences will be amazed by the book's inclusion of the complete transcript of Jim's conversation with the audience (drawn from the audience tape) as well as a listing of every canceled concert.

Not all bands are able to use the live forum as an arena to cultivate ideas and translate their inner visions into songs. For some bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys the live experience was nothing more than a distraction from the creative process. Their greatest creations came to life behind closed doors in the studio. Bands such as The Doors, the Grateful Dead, and Phish created their greatest masterpieces onstage. By the Doors' own admission, they preferred small, intimate clubs where they could mold their songs like clay in the hands of an artist, reshaping some songs, merging others. The Doors released stunning studio material but it was through the live forum they could break free either lyrically or musically. Only by performing live could they attain true freedom.

Doors concert tape collectors will find Greg Shaw's The Doors On The Road to be a priceless source of live Doors related information. One exciting revelation corrects the source of the tape thought to be the Doors' first show of their two shows January 17, 1970 at the Felt Forum in New York City. It turns out this first show was really the second show! The first show has never surfaced amongst tape collectors though it was officially taped for Absolutely Live. Doors tape collectors may also be surprised to learn that many of their most coveted live Doors tapes are incomplete, some missing the encores, others missing the opening acts. The number of times The Doors performed their legendary "The Celebration Of The Lizard" on stage is amazing. And for ages I thought one price of the Miami incident was the loss of the Soft Parade tour which meant that Soft Parade tunes were rarely performed live. Shaw's mention of a surprising number of live versions of "The Soft Parade" "Touch Me" and "Tell All The People" will wet the chops of every lover of the Soft Parade album.

The beauty and importance of Greg Shaw's book is that it will cater to the hardcore as well as casual Doors fan. There is, quite literally, something in its pages for everyone. Whether a fan wants to know when and where The Doors played the day they were born, or if they want to find out whether a certain Doors song was ever performed live, and if so where, this is the book to own. The set lists are as complete as possible considering the state of original documentation. Shaw's lists were drawn from concert tapes, media reviews, and the memories of those who lived it. There is detailed information regarding the disastrous Miami concert and the gigs lost, as well as a detailed bibliography listing scores of Doors books, videos and official and unofficial live Doors concert releases. Unlike other Doors books, this one doesn't just retell the story of The Doors, rather it is a historical document useful for in-depth research or casual reading.

My advice is to grab yourself a copy of Greg Shaw's The Doors On The Road, find yourself a hollow tree trunk, get out of the rainstorm, and have a brainstorm. This is one book no true Doors fan should be without.

My rating is A++. HIGHLY recommended

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy freakin' moly, March 3, 2005

By 

N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Doors on the Road: complete live performances of the Doors (Paperback)

The used prices on this book are scandalous. That said, this is easily one of the best books on The Doors, period.

This book is exactly what it says, a chronicle of every Doors show ever played, with information provided where available (and where people could remember). Obviously, many entries are more complete than others, particularly later on as concerts were better covered, etc. Where possible, entries includes the date, venue, attendance, set list(s), support acts, a brief synopsis with notes on the show (how they sounded, if Jim was wrecked, if they messed up a song), etc, etc.

Absolutely the Bible of Doors bootleg collectors, this book flew in the face of claims from the band members themselves that concert tapes didn't exist, when, in fact, author Greg Shaw obviously reviewed concert tapes for many of the entries here. The Doors responded by releasing a box set that disappointed Doors boot fanatics, then wound up slowly releasing some of these shows that we'd heard about for years (Cobo Hall, Detroit, Aquarius Theater, etc).

This book really should be back in print, it's much more valuable than another tell-all about the band or about Morrison. Excellent rock book. Not sure it's worth the ridiculous amounts that some are selling it for, but if you can find it for less, it's just a no-brainer.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what you want for information on The Doors concerts., January 20, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Oil City, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Doors on the Road: complete live performances of the Doors (Paperback)

The book gives dates of every show and a description of each - sometimes alot, sometimes none, depending on the show's significance. I was hoping for more pictures of the band matched up to it's respectful concert but this is where the book lacks for serious Doors collectors. I like using the book for chronological reasons and to set the story straight of when and where each concert actually took place. Some of the dates are approximations and are listed as such. Some shows not even the surviving band members can remember or place a date and time on. However the author has gone to extreme measures to provide the reader with the most accurate details as possible and, although the pictures are scattered and few, it does have many rare posters, handbills, and fliers of the bands concert dates. Overall it is a great book for to the point accurate and detailed accounts of the magical ride of The Doors from 1965 to their most recent appearances without the late Jim Morrison. I recommend this book and praise it for the amount of research that went into this book and the effort taken to stick to the actual, non-fictional information. If you are trying to figure out when The Doors played and where - Stop! This book does it for you and that's why it is a valuable book for all serious Doors fans. Enjoy!