Customer Reviews

The Golden Scarab

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Golden Scarab is Ray Manzarek's finest hour as a musician. Shamefully overlooked and vastly underappreciated (word is that it was just too deep for most music label execs)- this is a serious masterpiece that you need to hear.

Jazz fusion with the finest percussion you'll find this side of Sergio Mendes. What more can I say? Part Herbie Hancock Headhunters, part Santana Abraxas and 100% Ray Manzarek at the helm. You get total piano driven rockers like "Downbound Train" and incredible jazz numbers like "The Purpose of Existance Is" - a song that features Ray's finest solo, bar none.

Contrary to my thought going into this album- this is not an lp filled with 20 minute organ solos over a looped drum track. This is a brilliant concept album jam packed with the most creative music I've come across since discovering Frank Zappa's best work.

Ray's vocals are very well done- only stretching a little too far at a few points (never enough to ruin the music). I can only imagine the amount of fun Ray had constructing this album. It's 100% pure Ray as I like to say. It embodies all his beliefs as well as his favorite concepts in music. I loved his autobiography, but this 45 minute album reveals just as much about the legendary keyboard player of The Doors (as he will forever be known).

I've only scratched the surface of this miracle of an album. Buy it, but do track down the authentic, original cd release on Mercury Records. This "lemon records" print is nothing more than a bootleg. On the official Mercury release, you get three bonus tracks from Ray's second solo album (and trust me- they're song's you'll want to hear).

I have owned this album for 25 years.I bought the cd acouple years ago.the tunes have been playing in my head ever since my first listen.the album is close to brilliance.the jazzrock sound of this album/cd will never be matched.the great Larry Carlton's guitar work/the wild uncontroled yet precise/fantastic drumming of jazz great Tony Williams/Jerry Scheff on bass is just terrific.Ray is in top form,he plays all keyboards and a host of other mystical and exotic African rythem instrumets with his zen masters touch.His voice has never been better,I suspect trainning and practice got him there.This cd may need a few listens for some before its brilliance and message sinks in,after the initial shock you wont be able to get through a day without humming or replaying 1 or many of the tunes over and over again in your head. An underrated work if ever there was one.The mother of all underrated works.Congrats Ray on a job well done!

"The Golden Scarab" by Ray Manzarek was an artistic and musical triumph any way you care to measure it. As with his brilliant second album, "The Whole Thing Started With Rock'n'Roll..." we can only wish he'd done much more solo work. Perhaps after a stint with Riders? We can only hope!

Great CD by The Doors' Ray Manzarek however loads of noise I guess due to the transfer.

I had this album when it was released, so, you can probably determine my age. Aside from that, this is truely a masterpiece of music, a fusion of different styles and textures. His lyrics take you on a great ride thru the mind of eastern, mystical thought and philosophy...."I want to take you on a ride in the solar boat".....to the "purpose of existence is"....it is all great fun to follow his story line. The music just makes this album soar!! Ray's organ is just blazing thru out. Some great guitar work, along with just fantastic percussion. And if you find the bonus tracks, or you find Ray's other album, The Whole Thing Started With Rock and Roll, Now It's Out of Control ( what a great title! ), there is a great track called Love It or Leave It, with some vocals from Flo and Eddy, that has an organ line straight from Light My Fire near the end.

I highly endorse the purchase of this CD. Ray Manzarek at his finest hour in his great career.
JLMankin

Thats right the doors had someone else in it. Couple of others. Ray Manzarez was one of these. Though lost in all the hooplah that usually surrounded Jim, Ray was able to break out on his own after Jim died. The Golden Scarab is his best work from that era. Full of straight-ahead rock and roll and a booming voice that slightly harkens back to Jim's bellows. The keyboard work was, of course, exceptional. The Golden Scarab? A must-have for lovers of good rock and roll!

"The Golden Scarab is the story of a young man's journey into the consciousness." says Ray Manzarek; and I say he is a keyboard genius. It is different from The Doors' music but really good.

...but not great. The direction that The Doors were going in with their two excellent post-Morrison albums is almost gone, replaced by some cerebral and bizarre acid-jazz stylings. Sometimes it works, sometimes it goes horribly wrong, but the good moments far outweigh the bad, making Ray's album a very interesting and absorbing listen. The best cut by far in my opinion is 'The Purpose Of Existence Is?', a very "Full Circle"- like track with marvelous lyrical wordplay and top-notch playing and production. This track alone would make THE GOLDEN SCARAB a worthwhile purchase, but the cd offers many more fascinating moments as well.

First let me begin by saying that I've met Ray Manzarek not once but twice. I must say that he is a keyboard wizard. More prodigious keyboard playing I shall never see. This is a good CD. Not a GREAT CD but a good one. It's a conceptual album. Slightly pretentous. Best cut is "Downbound Train" complete with tack piano solo by Ray. Best bonus track is "Bicentenial Blues" from Ray's 2nd album. This cut has a WICKED organ solo by Ray a la "Light My Fire". Not Ray's BEST album. That was "The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control". This is probably 2nd best.

Fantastic, this album is a classic. I was so pleased when this came out on CD, and the bonus tracks from the other Cosmic Ray album is great. Makes you wonder why Ray didn't do more of this.