Freshly Dug [Import]

Darryl Read | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Lemon Records UK
• ASIN: B000AOGM7Q
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #653,963 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Set

2. The Serpent Mistress

3. Behind the Beat

4. Cup of Dark

5. Lake Lady

6. Tales from the Underground Kings

7. The Plumes of Fire

8. The Brazen Empress

9. Man O' Jazz

10. Azure Skies

11. Beneath the Ravens Wings

12. The High Bright Sun

13. The Magic Tavern

14. Preparation for Death and the True Found Self

15. Broken Highways

16. Last Poets Land

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential for the keyboard work - possibly Ray's best, September 12, 2004

By 

Steven Plambeck (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Freshly Dug (Audio CD)

In this collaboration with the British poet Darryl Read, Ray Manzarek's music and playing possibly surpasses his best previous work, both solo and with The Doors, and his lesser-known band Nite City. Which is rather a lot to say, but then this music is amazing.

One of the fascinating things about this album is how Manzarek came up with the music. He had the pages to each poem taped together, side-by-side, and then placed on the keyboard's music stand as if it were a musical score. Working from this, he played as the poet read from his own copy, and what you get on the cd is the music as it was actually created, for the first time, live. You might think creating and recording 16 pieces of new music in a row, from a cold start, and on the fly, would result in either a mess, or something that tended to sound formula-based and trite. What you get is the exact opposite: beautifully crafted sounding, unique, and entirely complete compositions captured in the moment of their creation, rendered in that profoundly haunting style that makes Manzarek one very special musician. This is why I feel the album is essential.

That being said, I found the recital voice of the poet, Darryl Read, less than pleasant. His over-done, highly affected readings are quite distracting, although less so after you get passed the opening track, "Set". If you thought you missed the voice of Jim Morrison before, you'll miss it even more after hearing these jarring readings against the backdrop of Manzarek's perfect music. I won't attempt to review the poems themselves, all of which might be quite good (and I'd assume so since Manzarek collaborated with him), but I find it too difficult to listen past his voice to hear what he's actually saying. (There is a lyric booklet included with the cd however, for those so interested.)

This made the album, taken as a whole, rather disappointing after Manzarek's earlier collaborations with the poet Michael McClure, preserved in the audio and video recordings "Love Lion", which I'd highly recommend to anyone. (I'd recommend the live shows too, if they ever revived their tours, as something special you shouldn't miss!)

So I'm afraid what we have in "Freshly Dug" is a flawed gem. It's some of the best keyboard work you'll ever hear, played by a true master, but you may have difficulty getting passed the vocals to properly enjoy it.