BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM
Rhino Records kicked off a 50th anniversary celebration of American psychedelic masters The Doors with the release of an early live set, London Fog 1966, last month--and today, on what the City of Los Angeles proclaims as "The Day of The Doors," Rhino has announced a new deluxe edition of the band's breakthrough debut studio album, to be released this spring.
Released exactly 50 years ago on January 4, 1967, The Doors was the record-buying public's introduction to singer Jim Morrison, organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. Signed to Elektra Records by cofounder Jac Holzman, The Doors' moody, jazz-influenced psych-rock, coupled with Morrison's recognizable vocals and poetic lyrics, made for an incredible concoction in the 1960s; the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, just behind The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and second single "Light My Fire" gave the group a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper.
Elsewhere, "Break On Through (to the Other Side)," "The Crystal Ship" and "The End" remain fan favorites and staples of classic rock radio. And the album, which has sold more than 5 million copies in America, remains critically adored--Rolling Stone named it the year's most essential album, 40 years after the fact, and ranked it No. 42 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
This super deluxe reissue of The Doors, due March 31, is similarly formatted to Rhino's 40th anniversary edition of the Ramones' self-titled debut released last year. Across the first two discs, the original stereo and mono mixes will be included--both minor revelations, as the original stereo mix was superseded by a new one from engineer Bruce Botnick commissioned in 2007, while the mono mix is presented here on CD for the first time. A third disc includes more vintage live recordings, from San Francisco's Matrix club on April 7, 1967. These live cuts were first heard from a third-generation source on a Rhino release in 2008, but are here sourced for the first time from the original master tapes, presumed lost until recently. An accompanying LP includes the mono mix, while the package is rounded out with liner notes by David Fricke and a trove of rare and unseen photos.
The perfect set for anyone ready to relive the Summer of Love some five decades on, the reissued The Doors can be ordered after the jump!
The Doors: 50th Anniversary Edition (Elektra/Rhino, 2017)
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Link TBD / Amazon Canada
Disc 1: Original stereo album (Elektra EKS-74004, 1967)
Disc 2: Original mono album (Elektra EKL-4004, 1967 - previously unreleased on CD)
- Break On Through (to the Other Side)
- Soul Kitchen
- The Crystal Ship
- Twentieth Century Fox
- Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
- Light My Fire
- Back Door Man
- I Looked At You
- End of the Night
- Take It As It Comes
- The End
Disc 3: Live At The Matrix, San Francisco - 4/7/1967 (previously released on Live At The Matrix '67 (Bright Midnight Archives/Rhino R2 516205, 2008) - first release from original master tapes)
- Break On Through (to the Other Side)
- Soul Kitchen
- The Crystal Ship
- Twentieth Century Fox
- Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
- Light My Fire
- Back Door Man
- The End
LP: Original mono album
Rhino's Record Store Day Black Friday Lineup Includes Phil Collins, Doors, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Steve Martin, Yes, More
Set the Night on Fire: The Doors Announce 60th Anniversary Campaign
Break On Through: Rhino Launches Dolby Atmos Series on Blu-ray with The Doors, Alanis, Hootie, Fleetwood Mac
Rhino's Record Store Day Lineup Features Doors, Talking Heads, Faces, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Four Seasons, Dio, More
What a ripoff! If they would release a COMPLETE Matrix set alone, from the master tapes, I'd buy that. And maybe I'd buy a SEPARATE CD of the mono mix of the debut album. But I have no need of another stereo edition, no need of vinyl, period, and no desire for an abridged taste of the Matrix set. No way I'm buying this, just as I refused to be ripped off by the overpriced London Fogg set. Phooey to The Doors and to Rhino!
You took the words right out of my mouth. Thanks for expressing your view, I'm in total agreement.
I think I'm good with the DCC 😉
The Doors ought to release a mono box set on CD, or just a single-disc release on mono. This release seems pointless with a stereo disc everyone already has, one-half of the Matrix set (which fans already have), and vinyl which I have no use for.
Will either version include the unedited recordings of BREAK ON THROUGH and THE END from the last re-issue?
I hope the mono mix sounds better than it does on their download, because the sound on that is not good... in fact, I wonder if it's just a vinyl dub.
I remember a few years ago they had a web site inclusive for memory it was entitled Bright Midnite records exclusively 4 upcoming Doors live music. If my memory serves me well there were around 30 live discs to be released over a number of years in a similar vein to Jimi Hendrix where they would raid the vaults. In regards to The Doors anniversary edition my first thoughts were to commemorate such a killer debut I wonder what format extras they were going to include, and I must admit I am not impressed. It's just a pity I guess with so many formats it would have been great if they went down the Chicago box set which I think they did a number of years ago in 5.1 stereo surround sound and include all of their albums can't quite remember the name of that massive Doors box set, but at the moment it's pretty rare