Customer Reviews

Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The First Performance

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

The Doors had been through quite a year that was known as 1969. The stories about the band were becoming bigger than the band itself and their record company sensing that the end was near recorded these shows at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, Ca. (two on Saturday 19th March and an encore show on Monday the 21st) for the upcoming "Absolutely Live" album. Almost five months after the night at Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Fl. where everything went so very wrong. These gigs recorded in Los Angeles are known as the shows that pulled the group back from the brink.

Jim, in full beard and dressed as a train engineer puffing on a cigar and playing the anti-rock star behind dark glasses and a few pound heavier that he was a few months ago. Ray, John and Robby were ready and after a short intro that big pounding beat begins and it's a musicial circus of sound: "Back Door Man" "Break On Through" "Soul Kitchen" "When The Music's Over" "Who Do You Love" ending with a really long "Light My Fire" and the complete and always surrealistic: "Celebration of the Lizard" that was used on the "Absolutely Live" double LP of 1970.

The audience is wild and worked up to a fever pitch but the band stays in control and focused and Jim was in a good mood and right here at the Aquarius Theater, became the bluesman that he had always wanted to be. This set and the second performance are the proof that The Doors were four musicians that when working together as a complete band delivered a show that was as good as any show could be. This set is the warm-up for the next show that night, and it's a great begining.
Four Stars!

I bought both of these live shows on the official BM website they are great. Excellent sound quality I would Highly Recommend!!! Also check out "Live In Detroit"

I was at that concert July 21, 1969. It was an incredible show - should be an incredible CD. Morrison was amazing.

A little pricey, but well worth it for the dedicated Doors' fan. Perhaps, not for everyone; a "must' for dedicatedThe Doors fan. Shipping and handling were prompt and fair. A+.