Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance

The Doors | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 11, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: BRIGHT MIDNIGHT
• ASIN: B0001MXOF0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,456 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Tuning

2. Jim's Introduction

3. Back Door Man

4. Break on Through (To the Other Side)

5. What Do We Do Next?

6. Soul Kitchen

7. You Make Me Real

8. Tuning

9. I Will Never Be Untrue

10. The Crowd Humbly Requests

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Tuning

2. Who Do You Love? [False Start]

3. Who Do You Love?

4. Light My Fire

5. The Crowd Requests More

6. Celebration of the Lizard

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: DOORS
Title: LIVE AT THE AQUARIUS THEATER-FIRST PERFORMANCE
Street Release Date: 05/11/2004
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Undoctored archive excellence, March 23, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance (Audio CD)

Another top-notch Doors release from Bright Midnight Records, far more valuable than the umpteenth re-release of the studio albums. This one features the complete first show from the Aquarius Theater in LA on July 21, 1969. They've since released the second show as well, with a similar set list and the same soundboard quality (recorded with the same set-up as part of the Elektra Concert Series that year and also part of the Absolutely Live material).

Amazing how quiet it gets between tracks---were 60s crowds still that polite and well-behaved? There were eight total mikes used for recording, and two were devoted to the ambient and audience noise. You can listen closely and hear the audience shout requests and more during some songs. "Touch Me!" "Everybody shut up!" "Ssssshhhh!" The band never played with a set set-list, so they'd discuss what track to do next in between songs, leaving an interesting and tense gap in the show like they were very consciously holding the audience in suspense. One can tell how plagued they must have been hearing the same requests over and over and over from fandom's hit-lovers ("Light My Fire!")

The sound quality is about the same as the second Aquarius Show, also available in a 2CD set from Bright Midnight. Same set-up, same remastering, and best of all, it's complete and uncut, with no overdubs or trickery. The in-between noise, tuning and chatter are all kept and even given their respective tracks--it's the kind of thing obsessists insist on. Just right from the archives, no doctoring.

Highly recommended material, there is plenty of excellent live Doors material now officially available. More casual fans should check the playlists for each of these and decide what they want. The quality is generally excellent, professional soundboard, and the performances (on most of the material) is very strong. The band was only human, after all. Small snippets of these Aquarius shows were floating around on bootleg for years and years, but never in such good quality.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, July 19, 2010

By 

Edward John Gross (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance (Audio CD)

The Detroit show is so outstanding I didn't think anything would match up to it.
So when I recieved this I didn't have many expectations. I love it! The Doors are starting to make me believe they were the best live band of the era. The "Celebration of the Lizard" here is the best I've heard and worth the price of the CD;s.
"Light My Fire" is also outstanding, it's golden. The Doors hit their groove an hour into this show. Once in the groove it's heartstopping in it's brillance.
I loved the Doors from the June night in 1967 when I first heard the long version of "Light My Fire".
I'm coming to believe from listening to these recordings that there are no groups out there now that can match the perfection of the Doors live when they hit their groove. I'm glad I have this and it will enhance my life for years to come.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doos Live, November 22, 2008

By 

Jay A. Hoyt (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance (Audio CD)

The Doors Live is so good, it is almost too hard to listen to. It has long breaks between each song, so I just cut them out. The energy is really high on each and every song. This is their home town, so you know it will be one of the very best. Yes! Make me feel alright!
Jay