Oct 10
5
The Doors – Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance
Ah, Jim Morrison. Trying so hard to shake your adonis image…well done!
Picture it, Sicily 1949…oh wait, wrong thing. Picture it, Hollywood, California 1969: The Doors descend upon the Aquarius Theatre for two shows, early and late, with a sober and almost subdued Jim Morrison, still reeling perhaps from his infamous obscenity charges in Miami a few months prior. But a sober, almost normal Morrison (for him anyway) makes for a very interesting listen, in a very intimate venue and recording.
Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance captures The Doors complete late show performance on July 21, 1969. The recording quality is excellent and the band is in full swing. Organist Ray Manzerek is still using his old Vox Continental organ, thus giving that classic Doors sound which is somewhat akin to some sort of psychedelic funky Dracula. Guitarist Robbie Krieger is in full form with excellent, inventive solos, sympathetic backing, and his trademark slide playing. The sound is warm and open, the audience kind and appreciative.
“Back Door Man” kicks off the night with a hard driving thrust, replaced only by the dreamy, slowed down mid-section. This is quickly followed by Doors classics such as a sprightly “Break on Through” and a dark and slow burn through “When the Music’s Over.” Later in the set we also get wonderful versions of a stripped down and lean “Touch Me,” a dreamy, almost romantic “The Crystal Ship,” and a long, spiraling “Light My Fire” that truly burns during the jam portion.
For fans that may only be familiar with their radio hits there is a ton of great material to discover throughout the entirety of the two discs. “Universal Mind” features Morrison in his late night crooner persona, delivering an emotional tale of freedom and loneliness with near perfect vocals. “Mystery Train,” “Little Red Rooster,” and “Rock Me Baby” all feature The Doors doing their unique blend of blues and psychedelia with Morrison playing the part so well you’d think he really was an old blues man. “Soul Kitchen,” meanwhile, sets the crowd afire as the band stops time for almost 7 minutes and delivers a definitive performance.
“The Celebration of the Lizard” makes a complete 15 minute appearance and may just be their best performance of this epic song. The band is in complete unison with one another, developing a constantly changing mood and atmosphere for Morrison to croon over top. The “Hill Dwellers” section is especially spellbinding and a perfect snapshot of The Doors making their oft experimental musical journeys a success. Lizard King indeed…
One thing that is especially unique about this release is the inclusion of a few Doors live rarities including several from the yet to be released Morrison Hotel. “You Make Me Real” flies by with a rock & roll intensity while “Peace Frog” shows up as a short, incendiary instrumental. Just like on the studio album it fades flawlessly into the sublime “Blue Sunday” which has always been one of my favorite Morrison vocals. All at once his singing is so beautiful, so powerful in it’s deep crooning, you can’t help but believe every word he’s singing. In a live context the song is all the more convincing and serves as a perfect example of the shades of dark and light The Doors were capable of. The audience wholeheartedly agrees.
One note that I do have to make is that since this is a complete show there is a lot of talking and dead space between some of the tracks. While I do appreciate the inclusion of the entirety of the show, the long bits of near silence do become somewhat tiresome over time. It’s certainly nothing that should deter you from hearing this fantastic show, just something I have noticed over repeated listens. Of course, you can always burn a new playlist and take out the crowd bits…
The Doors Live at the Aquarius Theatre: The Second Performance is a fantastic album that can sometimes take a while to sink in. It doesn’t jump out with wild Morrison antics like some of the other available live albums, but that’s not what this release is about. This is more of a deep, late night, driving through the moonlit darkness sort of thing. The kind of Doors you play at night in late autumn. The kind of Doors that reaches deep into your brain and rewards you slowly over time.
Isn’t that what The Doors were all about?
Tracklist
Disc One:
- Concert Introduction and Tuning – 2:06
- Jim’s Introduction – 0:11
- “Back Door Man” – 4:35
- “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” – 3:53
- “When the Music’s Over – 12:07
- Tuning – 0:57
- “You Make Me Real” – 3:05
- Tuning – 0:25
- “Universal Mind” – 4:42
- The Crowd Humbly Requests – 2:15
- “Mystery Train/Crossroads” – 5:59
- The Crowd Again Requests – 0:12
- “Little Red Rooster” – 6:28
- Tuning – 0:49
- “Gloria” – 10:02
- Tuning – 0:51
- “Touch Me” – 3:29
- “The Crystal Ship” – 3:25
Disc Two:
- Tuning – 0:48
- “Light My Fire” – 13:53
- The Crowd Requests Their Favorites – 0:57
- “The Celebration of the Lizard” – 14:59
- A Request of the Management – 6:45
- “Soul Kitchen” – 6:51
- Jim Introduces Ray – 1:01
- “Close to You” – 4:29
- A Conversation With the Crowd – 2:12
- “Peace Frog (Instrumental)” – 2:36
- “Blue Sunday” – 2:38
- “Five to One” – 5:47
- The Crowd Again Requests Their Favorites – 0:44
- Jim Introduces the Movie – 1:05
- “Rock Me Baby” – 7:38
