Customer Reviews

Doors - Soundstage Performances

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Leave it to The Doors to release a new DVD with performances you can ALREADY get on the "Doors Collection" and "Live In Europe" DVDs but they make it tempting because there are a few "new" added songs and interviews with the band members and manager Danny Sugerman. This is still a pretty interesting document on how much of a great live band The Doors actually were. More influential than even the music is The Doors', and especially Jim Morrison's, stage presence. Morrison introduced theater into rock music, he brought the classic drama of the Greeks and writings of William Blake and Nietzsche to the rock stage. We need look no further than to their stunning performance of "The End" in this set to see that Morrison was the first rock performer to bring the elements of shamanistic ritual to the genre long before the likes of Godsmack's Sully Erna or Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Fans should especially get this new collection for "The End," it is a great, rare performance recorded for a television program before "Light My Fire" had even hit #1 and attained the band legendary status. Here we also find an example of how Morrison, clad in black leather, introduced darkness into the mainstream during the Summer Of Love (though the Velvet Underground is credited sometimes for bringing the darker corners of rock, it is The Doors who perfected it and made it influential and widespread). Here Morrison appears as the poet, he croons, screams and collapses. "When The Music's Over" is another moment of great effect, here the band comes alive with another of their long poetic invocations where Morrison chants "we want the world and we want it now." Ray Manzarek masterfully creates mood with his organ while Robby Krieger adds his guitar licks as energetic brushstrokes and drummer John Densmore accents it all with his expressionistic, highly influential work. Morrison again croons, invokes and chants like a shaman turned rock star come to liberate us from repetitive, popular music constraints. The most lacking segment is that of the PBS special the band did shortly after the infamous 1969 Miami concert where Morrison supposedly exposed himself. First, there is the bad video quality, it looks more blurry and shakey than in the original versions found in the "Doors Collection" DVD, where the images appeared crisp and clear. Second, well, let's be honest, "The Soft Parade" remains The Doors' weakest album and it shows here, if "The End" and "When The Music's Over" grab us, then "Tell All The People" and "Wishful, Sinful" play more like easy, digestable candy for the ears. The only noteworthy part is when the band breaks into their classic live medley of "Alabama Song" and "Backdoor Man" where they masterfully perform the selection from the classic German opera and a midnight blues crawler by Willie Dixon. "The Soundstage Performances" therefore is a nice addition to a Doors'fan collection, that is, the Doors fan who is willing to buy a new tape or DVD with performances he/she may already own for the sake of a few new additions such as the insightful interviews with the band members and manager found before the performances. Still, this is a good set that displays the live power of the greatest American rock band of all time.

For any Doors fan, this is a must have DVD.

The sound quality is exceptional, especially when one acknowledges the fact these performances were recorded over thirty years ago.

This isn't flashy. The Doors are just playing some exceptional music. Certainly, someone raised on contemporary pop music would find this utterly boring. This DVD is not for people who need semi-clad dancers and strobe lights to make a music performance entertaining.

Jim Morrison is captivating in a very subdued way. It's quite fortunate these performances were recorded. The Doors, mostly because of Morrison's drug use and unpredictability, were quite hit and miss in regards to their live shows. These moments show Morrison at his best.

This is a gem amongst a lot of crap.

The unique thing about this DVD is that you get to see the band change before your eyes. The first song recorded at a Canadian TV show type setting shows 'The Doors' doing probably the most outstanding version of "The End" ever put to audio/video ever. Even though the Oedipal section is eliminated it is absolutely mind blowing (To Say The Least). Morrison is steaming. This performance capture the bands pre 'Light My Fire' fame remarkably well.
The second set of songs was recorded in Europe (Sweden I believe) and Morrison is seen in his prime bellowing out classics such as 'The Unknown Soldier', 'When The Musics Over' and more in sizzling hypnotic form. I was completely mesmerized by this part of the DVD (Morrison has some type of hypnotic quality to him in this video along with the sound of the band thumping behind him).
The third set is from the post Miami days. Morrison grew the beard, began dressing like a bum, and seemed a little more subdued (If not shaken up) as a result of the Miami fiasco. Still, you won't find a complete performance on video anywhere of 'The Soft Parade' and despite the mediocre video quality the performance is titllating. Its what the Doors were all about.

This DVD is worth getting for early 67 performance of The End in Toronto (even if the Oedipal section was not performed) and the complete Copenhagen TV broadcast. The PBS interview and performances are also complete - it is great to see and hear Tell All The People live along with Back Door Man (the rest of the PBS video renditions have appeared before). BUT what source material did they use to make the PBS segment of the DVD? The picture quality is really poor; there are drop-outs, white lines, and the color is washed out. This wouldn't be so frustrating but portions of the segment appear on the Doors Soft Parade laser disc and The Doors Collection DVD set in really fine quality without all the video noise. The recent interview segments with the surviving Doors (do they look OLD!) are interesting but the video is jumpy and the sound sometimes out-of-synch. Poor DVD rendering. In the end I still recommend it for anyone who has a passion for the Doors.

What Bootleg source did they use for this.
I could have found a better copy in the Villege in NYC?
If u look at some of the same material on The Doors Collection (Collectors Edition) it is clear and perfect Video. What a shame.
I contacted the Video Company Eaglerock and they told me they are aware of the problem did not care as long as the DVD sold lots of copies.The DVD is worth purchase just for The END and the Danish TV Concert.

What there is of this is great--really fasinating--wish there was more footage of the European tour. The Denmark footage is spell-binding. These guys were good..really good. Its been said a million X's--million and one now--but the 60's were a magical time (musically speaking-can't say that for anything else going on at the time). If you like the Doors--get this!!

The Denmark soundstage recordings(30 min) are CD quality LIVE(no lip synch) and are truly amazing..worth the price of admission alone! This really amazed me---when I was a kid I saw the Doors in Hartford, CT. in '67 and memories flooded back.. The End is also chillingly intense.DO NOT MISS this!

When I first heard that The Doors Soundstage Performances was coming out in 02 I was really excited. At the time I hadn't seen a lot of footage of The Doors so it I eagerly awaited and anticipated it and when it came out I wasn't disappointed and I don't think you will be either.

The Soundstage Performances are kind of a mini retrospective of The Doors from the beginning of their performing career to towards the end. It has three different venues from 1967 right before Light My Fire became a number one record and up until the 69 Critique show on PBS. Each section is preceded with an introduction by Danny Sugerman and a few pithy remarks by the surviving Doors Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger.

Toronto May, 1967-This is a one song performance that was on Canadian National Television and they did The End! This is the early Doors at their burning best. There's an audience but you can tell they don't know what to expect from The Doors. Jim Morrison quivers like he's receiving raw voltage and the performance pulsates with the energy Morrison channels. You can feel the raw power of this performance and see why The Doors were about to make it big, and are still a legendary band.

Danish TV Show 1968- This is the whole half hour uncut, no commercial interrupted television show. It's more sedate than the Toronto footage and Morrison is visibly stoned and sits on a bar stool through the first couple of songs. But it's a more intimate look at The Doors, everything is up close, and the camera lingers on each member of the band. And Morrison is more aware of the camera, he's learned to play to it. He knows when to look right into the camera and when to back off. There is one funny moment where he loses the camera, he realizes the camera he's playing to isn't on and he turns suddenly to the right camera.

The PBS Critique Show, NY, 1969- The Doors played on this show in the aftermath of the Miami incident and this was the only place they could play live. The original show contained an interview with rock critic Richard Goldstein. A set of five songs The Doors performed live, and a panel discussion.

The performance on this show is another good intimate look at The Doors performing. You can see the interplay of Morrison with the rest of the band, and the Soft Parade, maybe one of the few times they performed it live is quite compelling and Morrison makes it a tour-de-force.

There are a couple things wrong with this section of the DVD. The biggest problem is the quality of the video transfer. There are glitches and dropouts, but by far the biggest shortcoming is, during The Doors performance it seems like the original video dragged as it was being transferred and the sound and picture lose speed, it happens a couple of times and brings down the enjoyment of watching. If it weren't for that technical problem I would have given this review 5 stars.

And then there's the panel discussion or rather the lack of it. While the interview with Goldstein has been widely released the panel discussion, so far, hasn't seen the light of day. I was at Doorsfest 02 where Danny Sugerman appeared and he asked the people there if the panel discussion should be included and the resounding answer was "yes!" But for whatever reason it isn't in there.

I don't know if this qualifies as a bonus features section but after it looks like the DVD is officially over, there are more interviews with Ray, Robby and John as they discuss a little something about each of the songs performed on the DVD.

For most fans I would say this is an essential addition to your collection, and you'll find yourself watching the performances again and again.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would not be the person I am today had it not been for this band. Therefore, one can rest assured I am an authority when it comes to a review of this material. I discovered some type of meaning and naked truth in the music, and I can tell you right now it is catured live in this dvd. It is absolutely fantastic. If you buy any DVD about this band, buy this and "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" to capture how they were in concert.

Enjoy the words. The words, Man.

Dave L.

Although all of the concert footage can be seen on other DVD's, the insight from the surviving members of the band make this film worth buying. The band members speak about individual songs and also build up each preformance with behind the scenes stories concerning each show. An excellent Doors video.