Customer Reviews

Live In Boston

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm writing this review so those who are skeptical or hesitant about purchasing this release might better appreciate what to do instead of regretting it later. The shows recorded at Boston were part of a number of shows professionally recorded by the band for a future live release. Jim was an alcoholic and he did get drunk at SOME of the Doors live performances. If you don't want to hear what a drunk Jim Morrison sounds like, then definitely purchase Live at Detroit and you will get a much better performance from Morrison and the band in general. However, if you dare cross the line and dwell in the "loose palace of exile" you might find yourself surprisingly entertained by the Doors live at Boston. First off, the mix of this recording definitely fits the setting. The Doors played in an arena and what you get is "arena sound." It makes for great listening if you turn it WAY UP!!! John Densmore's drums are mixed front and center and it sounds great! As for the shows:

The howl and moan by Jim at the start of the first set is quite a pleasure to listen to and it sets the stage for a ballsy Road House Blues which follows immediately after. Ship of Fools is well performed by the band and Jim is able to sing most of the lyrics, albeit in inebriated form. I won't review each and every song but sufficit to say, as long as you don't mind the grunts and slurs and yells by Jimbo, and you crank this recording LOUD, you will have a FUN TIME! No one in the audience could have cared less if Jimbo was drunk as a skunk! The Doors bravely carry on, juiced Jimbo and all. In the second set, Jim is even drunker BUT he's capable of reciting poetry, (graveyard poem) and it's a beautiful one at that! He also raps with the audience and you get the feel of BEING in the audience thanks to Bruce Botnick's sound mix. I can imagine how the audience was having a fun time at this show and were rightly PISSED OFF when the management cut the power because the Doors went "overtime" When you hear Jimbo say [...] once the power is cut, you can hear how upset the audience was at seeing the Doors being prevented from playing further!

The Doors don't perform every song well and do show some noticeable deficiencies and you can hear some flubs in many of the tunes performed. But hey, this is LIVE and not every show is going to be performed to PERFECTION. If you want a more "perfect LIVE Doors experience" than go purchase "Absolutely Live." This is Live in BOSTON and the suds flow during this show and Jimbo has a whale of a time performing live in front of his fans. This is a must release for hardcore Doors fans and an important release to fill in the picture of Jim Morrison, one of the more complicated, colorful and talented artists of the late 1960's.

Live In Boston is easily the weakest live Doors album yet. Jim is drunk and his performance seriously suffers. I was able to tolerate (and even enjoy) most of it, but I would not be surprised if someone shut this off after a few songs. Sadly, Jim only gets worse as the show goes on. A lack of pro-recorded shows and the ability to market this as "Jim Morrison at his wildest!" are the only reasons why this show is being released. If you have all the previous live Doors releases and don't mind hearing a very rough performance, go ahead and check this one out. I've enjoyed listening to it, but I'm sure it wont become a favorite. There is much better live Doors material out there. If you don't own any Doors live albums yet, start with Live in Philadelphia or Live in Detroit. Both of those shows are vastly superior to Live in Boston.

"Live in Boston 1970" is the rough-edged "warts and all" Doors release we've all been waiting for. Jim Morrison feels no pain during these unpredictable Boston Arena concerts - propelled by the brilliant playing of Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore. The results are occasionally sloppy, yet often compelling musically. Jimbo really lets loose with his stream-of-consciousness rapping and engaging blues covers. When considering his inebriated state, it's amazing that Morrison performed two shows in a single night. Historic document, indeed.

This is not a greatest hits package. This is not a studio album. This is a cd of two unedited performances....and it is brilliant. Morrison drunk without a net and wavering between goddamn genius and drunk stupidity. These performances do a great job of showcasing Morrison's sense of humor and his abilities as a frontman. This is not Jim Morrison-the Lizard King, it is Morrison-the Changeling and the crowd is with him the whole time. The first show even has its moments despite the fact that Morrison doesn't even bother to sing the lyrics to Five to One, instead using his rap from their cover of Gloria. The second show is awesome and when listened to as a singular concert experience it is even more powerful. I like the Detroit Show, but it 's too safe, this album represents all the different facets of Morrison's personality and his soul: the charming poet, shy schoolboy, redneck, exhibitionist, lovable rogue, class clown and drunk. I find it funny that people love Morrison for his words and his insight, but they can't deal with the reality of what shaped his vision and altered his perception. It's kinda like saying..."William S. Burroughs is a great writer and I love his books, but I saw him at a reading and he was strung out on heroin." DUH...

I half expected the worst after reading some of the reviews, but this recording actually kicks major butt. Yes, Jim doesn't give his best performance, but it is fascinating nonetheless. As noted in the liner notes, was Jim simply bombed, or was something else going on? The interplay between Jim and the audience is fascinating, especially after Miami, and whatever his performance shortcomings, the band makes up for it as they are in particularly fine form. If you want a polished live album, then go for Live in Detroit, or the In Concert collection. If you want a full-throttle, warts-and-all historical document, this is it. A must for serious fans.

I've been a fan since 1967. I grew up in Los Angeles during the '60s, and always loved their music. A couple of years ago, The Robbie Krieger Band performed in Orangevale,CA. 3 blocks from my home. They played all the old Doors tunes. Robbie's guitar playing was awesome.
I'm about halve way through CD2, and hear no problem with vocals or music. Now if he's sloshed on the remaining tracks, WHO CARES.
Its Jim Morrison boozed up or sober. Get a life, it isn't 1971, its almost 2008, the real deal with Jim alive on stage, with the all the members. I have Live in Detroit, and other live performances. Yes, the vocals are more clearer. I enjoyed, Live in Boston so far. These reviews are way too critical
My age is 54.

W/ warts and all this 3 CD set consist of 2 shows in one night. The first show is on the1st CD and the 2nd show which was longer takes up 2 CDs. Now these shows had excerpts aired on other live CDs but now in it's entirety. Also it is known that Jim was pretty inebriated during the performances. But I did enjoy some of his rambling between songs and w/ the occasional forgotten lyrics it's just like being there. So Jim may be off a bit but the band is just as tight. I think this is what a true Doors concert would sound like unlike the live recordings today that are half if not all recorded in the studio. Just a great piece of history to enjoy.

Not one, but two more complete, uncut Doors shows recorded for Absolutely Live, both of these from Boston, 1970.

As has been noted by everyone, Morrison is clearly drunk for the performances. This is a grittier show, with all the good and bad the band was apparently capable of. The music is excellent as the band carries the singer through most of this. It's unpredictable, it's not always pretty, but it's definitely a welcome release from a band that keeps re-releasing their studio albums. And despite the famously inebriated singer, there are many excellent moments here as years of live performance experience propel the band forward.

Unlike the older Doors live releases (Absolutely Live, In Concert), this one has no overdubs, and is from single sources, uncut and unfudged. Once again, Doors engineer Bruce Botnick is responsible for the mixing here. Some funny moments, too, such as when the Boston house management shuts down the power, effectively ending the show, with Morrison warbling "Hey! Hey!", and the crowd booing.

Very nice package, three discs, liner notes, nice photos, and original poster art. The recently released Pittsburgh 1970 disc is a better overall show, with a sharp Morrison. This is definitely recommended for diehards and completists. More casual fans may want to pick up one of the other excellent Bright Midnight releases (Detroit, either Aquarius package, Philly, or Pittsburgh).

Yes, everyone knows who The Doors are, or were at the time of this recording. An immensely popular acid/blues/rock band. As an obvious supporter of their work, this is a brilliant addition to their live shows pantheon. Too often we're forced to stomach overdubbed, electronic "live concerts" that attempt perfection by remaining constipated in their production. Here, Morrison is obviously heavily inebriated, which you can tell by hearing him bellow and croon in the first few tracks of CD 1, but once he lets out a raucous howl before the band furiously jumps into "Roadhouse Blues" you immediately can sense that you're in for some kind of ride. This 3-CD set is a perfect example of how important it is for a band to have a certain level of chemistry. Even during Morrison's drunken crooning in the opening track, you can hear Manzarek and Densmore providing a backdrop for the soul that Morrison is expressing in his howls. I'm a big fan of raw live music and this is as raw as it gets. Of course, it is tremendously different from their brilliance at the Felt Forum mere months earlier (the 6-CD set "Live in New York"). As another reviewer said earlier, this compilation is pure fun if you're a fan of classic hard-rock and the blues, and even moreso if you are a fan of The Doors. The price of this album is worth it even if it only contained Morrison's animalistic scream leading into "Roadhouse Blues."

This is not the perfect Doors album. It doesn't have much of a sheen. Heck, it's raw, loose and mean. I've been waiting for this one. The Doors on an average night with the singer going, going...but it's toughness belies an attitude straight out of Doors mythology. Love it, hate it, doesn't matter much. It's rock and roll, baby and I'm listening.