Morrison Hotel [Import]

The Doors | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 1970
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B000MG1ZG0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (144 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,563 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Proto Punk

Track Listings

1. Roadhouse Blues

2. Waiting For The Sun

3. You Make Me Real

4. Peace Frog

5. Blue Sunday

6. Ship Of Fools

7. Land Ho!

8. The Spy

9. Queen Of The Highway

10. Indian Summer

11. Maggie M'gill

12. Talking Blues (Bonus)

13. Roadhouse Blues (11/4/69, Takes 1-3) (Bonus)

14. Roadhouse Blues (11/4/69, Take 6) (Bonus)

15. Carol (11/4/69) (Bonus)

16. Roadhouse Blues (11/5/69, Take 1) (Bonus)

17. Money Beats Soul (11/5/69) (Bonus)

18. Roadhouse Blues (11/5/69, Takes 13-15) (Bonus)

19. Peace Frog (False Starts & Dialogue) (Bonus)

20. The Spy (Version 2) (Bonus)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The next-to-last Doors album, recorded prior to Jim Morrison's still mystery-shrouded death in a Parisian bathtub, eschewed much of the band's previous penchant for baroque musical, poetic, and philosophical pretensions (this was, after all, the back-to-roots era of the Beatles' Let It Be, the Stones' Let It Bleed, and Dylan's Nashville Skyline). Instead, the Doors circa 1970 wisely seeped themselves in a bluesy, no-frills approach that might have hinted at creative exhaustion in a lesser band. Instead, the Doors of "Roadhouse Blues" and "Peace Frog" reinvented themselves into arguably one of the greatest bar bands ever, with Morrison's well-documented demons frolicking in a welcome new ambience. "Waiting for the Sun" and "Ship of Fools" may hearken back to the band's cabalistic and Kurt Weill leanings, respectively, but framed in an edgier, more effective way. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

MORRISON HOTEL, released in 1970 in the wake of Morrison's infamous indecency bust, hit #4 and introduced "Waiting For The Sun," "Roadhouse Blues," and "Ship Of Fools." Insightful liner notes from David Fricke. Ten bonus tracks include eight previously unissued takes of "Roadhouse Blues, a run-through of Chuck Berry's "Carol," a jazz version of "Queen Of The Highway," and the previously unreleased "Money Beats Soul."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strong return to form, November 25, 2005

By 

Daniel Maltzman (Arlington, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morrison Hotel (Audio CD)

Although the Doors fourth album "The Soft Parade" (1969) had sold well and produced the smash hit "Touch Me," both fans and critics alike felt as though the band sold out. Compared to "The Doors" and "Strange Days" (both 1967) the band's more recent work had been viewed as overtly commercial. In the eyes of the Doors faithful, both "Waiting for the Sun" (1968) and "The Soft Parade" seemed to pale in comparison to the Doors first two albums. "The Soft Parade" in particular, with its strings and pop compositions, seemed to rub Doors fans and critics the wrong way. The negative feedback, however, ultimately worked to the Doors advantage. In response to the negative buzz, the Doors released what would ultimately be hailed as one of their finest albums "Morrison Hotel" (1970).

"Morrison Hotel" is neither a return to the sound of the Doors early albums nor is it a follow-up to the styling of its immediate predecessor "The Soft Parade." Rather, "Morrison Hotel" opens a new chapter in the Doors history all together. Gone were the psychedelic trimmings of the first two albums. Gone was the commercialism of the last two. "Morrison Hotel" is distinctly stripped down, and edgier. It was akin to what Credence Clearwater Revival were doing at the time. All in all, "Morrison Hotel" is an album of unadulterated, meat-and-potatoes, no-nonsense, blues-tinged, rock n' roll.

Although "Morrison Hotel" embraces a new sound, all the elements of the Doors are firmly in place; Jim Morrison's soulful baritone, John Densmore's jazzy percussion, Robbie Krieger's bluesy guitar, all the while peppered with Ray Manzarek's wholly unique signature organ and piano. So while "Morrison Hotel" sees the Doors exploring new ground, they do so in a way that doesn't forget what made the Doors, the Doors.

Some of Morrison's best poetry is on "Morrison Hotel." While all his work is good, with "Morrison Hotel," he was just starting to blossom as a writer and was becoming more refined.

In some respects, "Morrison Hotel" is a precursor or sister album to its more renowned follow-up, "LA Woman" (1971). Both albums are cut from the same cloth in the sense that they are both blues-tinged hard-rock, but "Morrison Hotel," while hardly cheerful, is distinctly less dark, perhaps because the listener knows that Morrison's death is not imminent.

The straight-forward "Roadhouse Blues" was the most rocking song the Doors recorded since "Break on though (to the other Side) from the Doors debut. John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful (though not credited by name) adds the perfect touch of harmonica to give the song a gritty edge. "Waiting for the Sun," which was originally penned for the album by that name, begins slowly and serene, with an underlining pressure slowly building up beneath the surface, as forceful keyboards pierce their way though from time to time. Then, as the chorus sets in, the song yields to Morrison, demanding to know "what went wrong." The upbeat "You Make Me Real," while not bad, lacks the grit of the rest of "Morrison Hotel," and is not one of the albums better songs. The highly underrated melodic "Peace Fog" gets the album back on track and features one of Krieger's best solos. The serene "Blue Sunday" is simply enchanting, and Morrison had never given a more soulful delivery (although by now his voice was not what it had been). Cut from the same cloth, the jazzy "Ship of Fools" and the bluesier "Land Ho!" acts effectively as a semi-medley. On the low-key, serene, "The Spy," one really believes that Morrison is omni-present, as he states he is. The easygoing "Queen of the Highway" follows nicely, keeping up the momentum. "Indian Summer" is simply one of the most beautiful Doors compositions ever. More than just another balled, Morrison never sounded so vulnerable or sincere. Though Morrison's voice is nearly shot for the closing "Maggie Mc'Gill," this bluesy rocker makes for a good finale.

Unfortunately for Morrison and the band as a whole, by the recording of "Morrison Hotel," Morrison's heavy drinking and drugs were beginning to take a toll on his voice. While his voice isn't a ghost of its former glory as it is in the follow-up "LA Woman," Morrison does sound strained.

Upon its release, "Morrison Hotel" was greeted with a warm reception among fans and critics alike, and the album was praised as the groups' best work since "Strange Days." While "Morrison Hotel" is held in high regard today, it is unfortunately sometimes overlooked due to the fact that fans and critics alike tend to cite the Doors first two albums, and Morrison's swan song, "LA Woman" as the bands best work. And while "Morrison Hotel" boasts such classics as "Roadhouse Blues" and "Waiting for the Sun," many other songs like "Indian Summer" and "The Spy" are overlooked and remain lost treasures.

Some critics will tell you only die-hard fans need to buy the Doors studio albums and that the casual fan is best served sticking to a "best of" CD. If you are on a budget, sure, otherwise, go ahead and buy all six classic Doors albums. While a hits album is good, each Doors album has its own unique flavor and flow, and one is best served experiencing the album as a whole, rather than just getting the highlights from a "greatest hits" or a "best of." If you followed the advice of critics who will tell you "all you need is a `best of'" you'd miss out in many of their best songs, like the aforementioned "Indian Summer" and "The Spy."

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Doors kicking rock n' roll ...!, April 19, 2003

By 

Undertaker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Morrison Hotel (Audio CD)

The Doors make yet another classic hard rock album here. They were getting pressured by new groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and the revamped Mach II Deep Purple. The Doors started moving away from the acid rock sound into bluesy hard rock in the vein of mid 70's Stones. Morrison is at his peak, and his lower voice is a nice change of pace from the other shreiking hard rock singers of his day... Check out this album, you can't lose.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Doors Let It Roll, February 20, 2008

By 

Scott T. Rivers (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morrison Hotel (Audio CD)

After the critical brickbats that greeted "The Soft Parade" (1969), Jim Morrison and company made a smashing return to form with their most cohesive album. "Morrison Hotel" (1970) has no misfires. "Roadhouse Blues," "You Make Me Real" and "Peace Frog" are among the hard-rock highlights - punctuated by effective ballads such as "Blue Sunday" and "Indian Summer." The Doors would take their blues-oriented sound even further on "L.A. Woman" (1971), but "Morrison Hotel" evokes the perfect bar-band atmosphere.