Customer Reviews
2008-06-24
excellent mix ...
An excellent mix of original tracks plus vocals and instuments that were left out of the record ~ It's mystical ~ morrocan ~ spanish ~ rock ~ and poetry ~ the Doors at their best.
2008-05-06
Bogus Doors...
This is yet another bogus Doors CD, their unfocused period in between their 2 definitive 200 albums ever made, the debut and L.A. Woman. While not as bubble gum oriented as the forghettable album with Touch Me on it which grew on me, it just doesn't have enough classic tracks on it to make it more than a three star, or quality album. This is their weird stuff. All ya'all are going before the 60s hippie movement in Christianity. The hippie movement personiofied in music by The Doors electrified Christianity, as they were no longer ethnic stereotypes and could do whatever they want. I love it.
2007-12-08
Much Better Sound And Quality Than Ever Before....
Hardcore Doors purists have been making quite a fuss over Bruce Botnick's "remixing" of the entire band's catalogue. However, the structure of the songs has not been changed at all, and the production is more akin to what was done in the "Elvis 30 #1 Hits" package, the songs have been literally remixed from their ORIGINAL elements for a much superior sound quality to any previous releases. The work done on "The Doors" and "Strange Days" brought those albums back to life with great energy and complete sonic coverage, the same effect is replicated here with the band's third release, "Waiting For The Sun." Although The Doors have always been known for the excellent quality of their packages, which has been superior to even some Beatles and Hendrix releases, there were still limitations in terms of volume and stereo mixing, all fixed here. There is good reason for fans to be skeptical, when Iggy Pop attempted the same experiment with "Raw Power," the result was an album that was sharper, but sometimes overblown on the volume levels, here Botnick and his team have achieved a great sonic feat by bringing songs back to life, giving them full stereo coverage, and setting them at a volume level that can finally compete with contemporary releases. So why am I not giving it the full five stars? The sound quality is great, but as an album "Waiting For The Sun" was never one of the Doors' strongest moments. Like "The Soft Parade," it has some excellent songs, but it never feels like a whole, complete work. There are still some classics here that sound just as timeless as ever, including "Hello, I Love You" which here shines with sharper instruments and keyboards, "Love Street" remains a tender ballad and "My Wild Love" is a wicked accapella. One of the best remixes here is "Summer's Almost Gone," here Botnick has managed to bring the drums back to life as well as Jim Morrison's vocals and Robby Krieger's dreamy slide guitar, this is the best the song has ever sounded. "Not To Touch The Earth" is a great, gothic epic that pounds harder here. "The Unknown Soldier" is a strong anti-war protest fitting for our times. "Five To One" rocks harder here, with Morrison's menacing, half-drunken soothsaying on the end of Flower Power. The other tracks of course sound better, but nothing can save a bad song. "Wintertime Love" is just lame filler and "Yes, The River Knows" is a sappy ballad Morrison's doesn't feel comfortable singing. The extras on this disc are not as appealing as the previous two albums' offerings. Here we get three needless takes of "Not To Touch The Earth," "Adagio In G Minor," which is already available on "American Prayer." Morrison's epic, ditched poem "The Celebration Of The Lizard" is included here, but it isn't much of a find anymore considering that yes, this has already been released in a previous set. The Doors remain one of rock's great revelations, and Morrison's theatrical, lyrical legacy is timeless, these remixes do justice to the music. A must for fans, purists should open their ears instead of closing them.
2007-12-06
Relax Children of the Nurembourg Nights...
This is NOT somebody tampering with a classic. I put it in my car stereo and from the first drums fill on "Hello, I Love You" i could hear the clarity of the remix. It's still the same songs you've come to know and love so don't have a cow or anything. The only differences in the voclas aside from the clarity is that sometimes you hear Morrison scat-singing to himself during a solo or interlude of osme chatter in the studio. It's a classic rock album redefined with a clarity of modern day equipment. It doesn't sound like it was drowned in reverb like was the style so ofter in that era, but is actually clearer and more distinct and ultimately satisfying to the ear.
The different versions of "Not To Touch The Earth" have a second slightly slower version in which the lyrics are almost read rather than sung and a third version excluding the guitar fills and, of course the long version "Celebration of The Lizard".
2007-10-20
New Isn't Always Better...
I've always felt that "Waiting For The Sun" is the Doors' most underrated album. It's often slammed for it's pop edge, but I think that helps make this one the band's most immediate and visceral release.
This recent release, however, is a somewhat different album. The remix present here tends to emphasize the 'rock' side of the band more than the psychedelic. As a fan of psychedelia, this is sort of disappointing. Much of the compressed atmosphere of the original is opened up on the remix, but I feel that it robs the band of much of its mystery and makes them sound less distinctive. It's like a modern mix of vintage rock and doesn't quite work. With alternate instrumental and vocal parts appearing the new mix severely alters the feel of the original in a way that other modern mixes such as the stereo "Pet Sounds" does not.
On the positive side, the new mix is a showcase for drummer John Densmore. He is a technically superior and musical drummer, and it's nice to hear him clearly here. Unfortunately, this is often at the expense of Morrison and the rest of the band. "Wintertime Love's" shuffling rhythm is awesome, but it works much better underpinning the song than right on time in a mix more reminiscent of a modern rock mix. "Five To One" really suffers musically as Krieger's guitar parts are practically buried, and listening to Morrison's vocals requires significantly more attention.
The bonus tracks are of interest once or twice, but are not quite essential. "Albinoni's Adagio In G Minor" includes lots of recent overdubs and is more a piece of retrofitted history. A complete studio take of "The Celebration Of The Lizard" is very interested, but it's not in the same league as other Doors epics, and the best part of it is still the "Not To Touch The Earth" Section, which remains best heard in the original album version.
This is still a great album, and the remix does offer a nice alternate perspective of the Doors. Still, if you want to hear this album at its best, you'd be best off finding a copy of the well remastered 1999 editions of the original mixes. I've already returned to the original mix after giving this one a few chances.
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