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The Doors

Essential Rarities

Essential Rarities Tracks
1. Hello to the Cities [Live]
2. Break on Through (To the Other Side) [Live]
3. Roadhouse Blues [Live]
4. Hyacinth House [Demo Version]
5. Who Scared You?
6. Whiskey, Mystics and Men [Live]
7. I Will Never Be Untrue [Live]
8. Moonlight Drive [Demo Version]
9. Queen of the Highway [Alternative Version]
10. Someday Soon [Live]
11. Hello, I Love You [Demo Version]
12. Orange County Suite
13. Soft Parade [Live]
14. End [Live]
15. Woman Is a Devil [*]
The Doors - Essential Rarities
Essential Rarities Review
This collection, originally available only as a bonus disc in The Doors: The Complete Studio Recordings box set (fleshed out here with another outtake track, "Woman Is a Devil," from that set) is split just about evenly between a sometimes motley collection of outtakes and demos and a better slate of live material. It also argues that while most rock bands cut their teeth on blues and other roots music, then develop a distinct sound (or sell out to pop fashion trends), the Doors seemed to evolve ass-backwards, the band's, and particularly Jim Morrison's, college poet-nihilist pretensions slowly giving way to more blues-based influences. Indeed, after a few legendary years of late-1960s success and excess, Morrison had more than enough reasons to sing the blues. The studio leftovers here underscore why they're called "outtakes" (1965 demos of "Hello, I Love You" and "Moonlight Drive" are historically interesting, if a bit bubblegummy) though there are some highlights. "Whiskey, Mystics and Men" showcases another side of the band's tastefully odd Kurt Weill fetish; a '69 alternate of "Queen of the Highway" is almost lounge hipster chic; and "Orange County Suite" is a dirge from '70. Live cuts (all from '69 and '70) range from a baroque, affected PBS telecast of "The Soft Parade" to an apocalyptic, overwrought "The End." --Jerry McCulley


Users's Reviews
Feel free to add your comments about Essential Rarities
Nice gems
5
Listening to it now. So when that box set comes out, with a disc of rarities, here's one instance where waiting matters. Thank you for releasing this extra bit for fans who already have all the other albums. I wouldn't have bought the box set just for it, but sell it separately, and I'm more than game. It's all great... the closest thing I'll get to a "new" Doors album (unless the band gets some real "balls" and records new material with Ian, which would be a real kick!). These gems are well worth it...
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-12-25
Definitely Essential For Doors Fans
5
If you're a diehard Doors fan who didn't already purchase this CD along with "The Doors" box set, then chances are you will thoroughly enjoy "Essential Rarities," a superb collection of Doors demos, outtakes, and live recordings. On this disc you'll find such gems as the excellent "Soft Parade" leftover "Who Scared You" (which rightfully deserved to be included on that album), the drunken-bar tale of "Whiskey, Mystics And Men," the early 1965 demo of "Moonlight Drive" (with it's lighter vibe and Jim Morrison's softer vocal treatment), the cocktail-lounge alternate version of "Queen Of The Highway," the lovely "Orange County Suite," and the band's scorching live performances of "The Soft Parade" and "The End." I suppose casual listeners don't really need this album, but for the most faithful followers of The Doors, "Essential Rarities" is VERY essential stuff, no question about it.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-12-10
Interesting curiosity. Not quite essential.
3
It's not immediately obvious what audience this CD is aimed at. It condenses the 1997 Doors Box Set down to one CD. The hard-core Doors fans will already own the Box Set. Casual listeneres will most likely not be interested in any of this. "Casual" listeners would be advised to buy the Doors' studio albums before this, anyway. Upon owning all the studio albums, however, they would cease to be merely "casual" listeners. So, I guess if you're a big Doors fan, but you're on a budget and cannot afford the box set, then Essential Rarities would be a good choice.

The choices for inclusion here are pretty good. It's good stuff overall. A mix of live tracks, early demos and unreleased songs. The live versions of "Break On Through", "The Soft Parade" and "The End" are the most worthwile. Also, as a boon for collectors, this CD contains a previously unreleased song that was not on the Doors Box Set, "Woman Is A Devil", a fine 12-bar blues song, which I happen to like a lot.

The Doors Box Set itself is uneven (featuring a completely wasted fourth disc), but it has a lot of good material that will be of interest to big fans of The Doors. If you buy Essential Rarities, you're missing the live CD, Live In New York, and several other worthwile tracks. This however, is a good condensing of the box set, so if you can't spend big bucks for the box, this is a much cheaper alternative.

Posted by Anonymous, on 2003-02-18