Customer Reviews

Legacy: Absolute Best

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

There's a lot of kvetching going on among my fellow reviewers. Most of the 1- to 3-star reviews complain about yet another repackaging of Doors material, but that shouldn't detract from the contents. The thirty-four tracks [which are all full-length album versions] are presented chronologically from their six studio albums, plus "Gloria" from 1983's ALIVE SHE CRIED and the previously unissued 17-minute studio version of "Celebration of the Lizard." In short, this is a terrific compilation--and finally, a "best of" which features the ENTIRE band on the cover! [Running time: disc one, 79:24; disc two, 76:25] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I don't know about "definitive", but this is the most comprehensive "unboxed" Doors collection to date. (The original "Doors Box Set", in my opinion, contains much filler and substandard performances, and is for diehards and completists only.) This 2-disc collection contains all their chart hits (seven top 40 singles, including two #1's) and most of their better album tracks, including the two epics, "The End" and "When the Music's Over". Generally, the track choices are on the money, although I would have liked to see the title track of "The Soft Parade" included. Also, I have mixed feelings about "Celebration of the Lizard", a lengthy unreleased work which contains the original version of "Not to Touch the Earth", and has more archival than musical value. If you have no Doors in your CD library yet, however, this is the best collection out there.

I have no idea how many Doors "greatest hits" collections have been issued over the years, but this is as good as it's likely to get without simply buying all six albums.

The previous "Best of the Doors" was 2-cd set but was a transfer from a two-LP set and didn't take advantage of the longer CD running time, each disc running under 45 mins. This set not only includes all the Doors' most popular songs but puts them in chronological order, and adds the live track "Gloria" and the previously unissued studio version of "The Celebration of the Lizard."

"Lizard" is a curio item that seems to have been tacked on to force people like me (who already own all the Doors albums) to buy this one too. While "Lizard" is a great poem, the line about "a different steeple" being a notable exception, most of the music doesn't work that well, except for "Not to Touch the Earth." The live versions of "Lizard" are equally frustrating, running hot and cold but never having quite the impact the Doors were shooting for. This is clearly still a work in progress; perhaps if the Doors had continued to perform it they would have found a solid groove for it. (Ray Manzarek has said that he was never competely satisfied with live performances of "The End", either; but at least they nailed the studio version.)

IMPORTANT: Both "The End" and "Break on Through" include minor alterations from their original versions. There is some different vocalization by Jim on both songs, some of which you hear on the version of "The End" that was used in the film "Apocalypse Now." There's nothing inherently wrong with offering these alternative mixes but it does detract from the collection's claim to be definitive.

*This compilation has been deleted and replaced by yet another two-disc set, with some different songs.*

I have been a Doors fan for many, many years. I love this CD to pieces. I keep hearing people complain 'well they put out a dozen greatest hits cds'. Yes this is true, but when you hear this CD you HEAR it. The sound is almost flawless. Every song was fixed to be heard on even the most powerful stero systems. Sure, this cd does miss out on a few essentials, but if you're like me and own every single cd that has came out then there shouldn't be a problem. This cd is excellent for fans who have just tuned into The Doors. Some of The Doors greatest stuff is on here including Break On Through, Back Door Man, Light My Fire, Alabama Song (on of my personal favorites), The End, Soul Kitchen, Love Me Two Times, People Are Strange, When The Musics Over and Riders On The Storm. A beautiful cd, worthy of the twenty and some odd dollars. If you're a Doors fan, you probably have all their cds, but believe me, this cd just sounds so much more crisp. Take a newly recorded cd and test it with this. I'll tell you this, it's just like that Doors are right here with you! Jim Morrison will not be forgotten, he will be forever remembered for what he did on this earth. He will be forever remembered in our hearts and our prayers.

"There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are The Doors" --- Jim Morrison

James Douglas Morrison
1943-1971

I can't think of a better way for people to be introduced to the Doors or baby boomers that never got around to buying the Doors on CD, or people who've scratched up their other "best-ofs".

Over the past few years, more 2 CD "greatest hits" sets have been coming out in a slimmer package and for lower prices as well.

I thought "Very Best of the Doors" was pretty good, but where that one has 19 songs,"Legacy" has a staggering 34(!), which is half of EVERYTHING they put out on their 6 studio albums.

Unlike "Very Best", this one is in chronological order.

Considering that their debut is their most popular, 8 tracks are pulled from it, "End of the Night", "I Looked at You", and "End of the Night" left off (which I didn't really miss to begin with). The really cool part in this is that "Break on Through" no longer has "She gets...she gets" but "she gets high" (which most radio stations now play, if you were wondering where this version was, now you know..although "The Doors" CD might have also been restored in the newer remastering as well...) and "The End" have been restored the "Mother, I want to..." part. They didn't make a fuss about restoring it, but it's really a shock to the senses when you first hear it after being used to hearing it the same way for years.

Tracks 9-14 is from "Strange Days", which were more or less the songs left off the debut, released later in the year. The strongest tracks made it, although I missed "You're Lost Little Girl". But "Moonlight Drive" made it on here where it didn't make it on "Very Best Of".

Tracks 15-19 from "Waiting For The Sun" are next, again containing the stronger tracks of that album, although I think "Love Street" or "Summer's Almost Gone" should've been on instead of "Not To Touch the Earth" because it winds up being redundant. It's a very "ballady" album, but "Unknown Soldier" and "Five To One" are the most political the Doors have ever been.

Tracks 20-23 are pulled off of "Soft Parade"... "Tell All The People" I felt could've been left off of there to make room for "The Soft Parade" or "Shaman's Blues". But "Touch Me", "Wild Child" and "Wishful Sinful" make it worthwhile nonetheless.

Tracks 24-27 are from "Morrison Hotel", a strong album in itself, and "Roadhouse Blues", "Waiting for the Sun", and "Peace Frog" are included. The whole thing is good though..

Tracks 28-32 are from the final studio album Jim did with them, "L.A. Woman". Outside of the obvious hits, they included "WASP" and "Changeling". Again, a strong album from beginning to end that could've included just about anything from there like "L'America" or the John Lee Hooker cover "Crawling King Snake". Definitely a far more "blues" sounding album than they were in the beginning.

Pretty exhausting collection overall, but they didn't stop there. As if the remastered sound and restoring the songs to the original way they were supposed to be, you also get a couple of "extras".

Van Morrison's "Gloria" from "Alive She Cried" could be seen as the bridge between rock and punk... also included is the never before released studio version "Celebration of the Lizard". They could've gone with "I Will Never Be Untrue" or "Orange County Suite" or any number of rare tracks, but because "Celebration" loomed large in their concerts and hadn't been released, it makes sense to put it in their "Legacy", but the length alone was reason enough that they never put it out back then (although "Absolutely Live" had it on there).

If this one gets repeated listens and you want to get more, I'd suggest buying the following:

"The Doors Collection" on DVD. It's an excellent video companion to "Legacy" on CD, between the promo videos, TV appearances, and concerts included as well as commentary by the band members.

Get "In Concert" as the live companion to "Legacy". What "Legacy" captures in the studio, "In Concert" captures them out on the road. The band have also put out their own "bootlegs" they sell online that might be worth checking out if you're looking for more.

Either get the original 6 CDs individually plus the "Essential Rarities" CD or get the "Complete Studio Recordings", which contain some rare tracks as well as the 6 studio CDs plus "Essential Rarities". It's probably cheaper to get the box set...

The next step would be to buy the "No One Here Gets Out Alive" book written by the late Danny Sugerman (I'd also recommend getting his "Wonderland Avenue" which talks about the excesses of the 70s in L.A.) and watch Oliver Stone's "Doors" film to see and read about the mythic side of Morrison.

Ray Manzarek and John Densmore both wrote bios about their time in the Doors, both very different in tone.

And there are the poetry books by Morrison available in paperback "The Lords and New Creatures", "Wilderness", and "The American Night". The "American Prayer" CD is more of a spoken word with the Doors playing music in the back than anything else and belongs outside of the Doors repertoire.

And as I said earlier, there are official Doors websites where you can find "offically sanctioned" rare and unreleased recordings, but that's more of interest for those that have everything by them.

Hope I opened a few "doors" for some of you...

It is hard to describe in printed word The Doors' contribution to popular music. To say they were one of the greatest rock and roll bandsof all time is not enough. Lead by the greatest frontman ever, rock's poet Jim Morrison, The Doors' genius to this day permeates through the music world even today.

So, 38 years after their first album we have the two disc "Legacy: The Absolute Best", a 34 track collection of some of their bests songs. Now, most people will tell you that no "greatest hits" or "best of" or even boxed set can ever fully encompass The Doors' effect on music, but this collection is nonetheless loaded to the hilt with rock classics.

Here are some great reasosn to buy this collection

-All of their top 40 hits are here: from the big hits ("Light My Fire", "Hello, I Love You", "Touch Me") to the ones that barely squeaked in ("Love Me Two Times", "Unknown Soldier"), all of them are here.
-All the key minor hits and album tracks are here: "Back Door Man", "Roadhouse Blues", "When The Music's Over", "Crystal Ship", "L.A. Woman" (to be honest, and I know I'll be endlessly criticized for it, I like Billy Idol's version slightly better) and many others are available here.
-No tracks are edited. Most collections of many artists edit tracks down so weak songs or new songs can be added. That means epic tracks like "Riders On The Storm" and the epic 11 minute long "When The Music's Over" are all included in their full version.
-The previously unreleased complete version of "Celebration Of The Lizard" is here. 17 minutes of brilliance.
-Liner notes are brilliant.

I won't waste time: buy this album.

Perhaps if you already have all the Doors' albums, this is somewhat superfluous. But I didn't. I had the previous 2-CD best-of collection, which was great. But the quality of sound on this collection (due apparently to great remastering) is absolutely SPECTACULAR. And it has many more Doors' songs -- which I think we all agree are phenomenal. Plus, the price is very fair for 2 CDs that have over 75 minutes apiece on them.

Despite being famously frugal with my dollar, I do not for a moment regret "upgrading" my previous best-of collection with this incredibly excellent one. Top group, their top songs, huge quantity, incredible sound quality, and a good price. Go for it!

One of the few things most reviews presented so far have excluded to mention is that there are a few extra goodies in this package of greatest hits. For one, they put back in the "she gets high" lyrics in Break On Through (To the Other Side), which was originally taken out for controversy. So now the song sounds, for the first time, what they originally wanted it to sound like. Also, they have loudened morrison's voice in The End where he goes off in the "f-word" frenzy (which was included in the Apocalypse Now version of the song). And finally, there is the studio version of The Celebration Lizard. Unfortunately, Morrison sounds subdued and weary and unprophetic here...as if they recorded it casually on a saturday afternoon. The live version is by far much better, since it is raw, and pure, and true in emotion and brilliance. The studio version just puts Jim reading his lyrics to the ad libbed playing of Manzarek and Krieger. Nothing special, even for true fans dying to here it for the first time. Once again, The Doors are trying to reap profit of a double cd by adding a few changes to their music. This cd can be skipped. Do yourself a favor and by the original six studio albums.

As has been stated here most of the Doors' albums have a fair amount of filler between the great tracks, so a compilation like this can be a great way to beef up your library at limited expense.

This compilation is far better than most, including nearly all the standout album tracks except for the aforementioned "Soft Parade", "End of the Night", and a pet favorite of mine, "I Can't See Your Face in My Mind" from Strange Days. Almost everything that IS included is terrific, although I could have done without the syrupy album tracks from The Soft Parade. The mastering is very well done, with a lot of presence so it sounds great on a car stereo and not too bass-heavy. Although the liner notes veer toward self-indulgent rants, the photos are great, and the track information is very complete. (Who knew that John Sebastian played blues harp on "Roadhouse Blues"?!)

If what you want is practically every great track the Doors made in one small package, this is it.

I should start off saying that I love The Doors, and this is a fine compilation. The main problem is that all of the tracks are distorted and clipped. I work in the audio industry and was able to get in contact with Bruce Botnick the recording engineer who did the original tracks and this remastered version. He said that this recording was from digital transfers that were made in the late 80s. He said the original two track analog masters were lost, so he had to use these clipped digital transfers! But he had the original analog 4-track masters and was working on remixes with pristine sound quality. These are currently available on various releases, such as the Doors of Perception Box Set, so I don't recommend this one.