Best of the Doors, the (2cd)

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The band acquired its sobriquet from their perusal of the writings of psychedelic visionary Aldous Huxley, who fell under the spell of literary visionary, William Blake. The latter once asseverated, "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." Many believed the Doors, through their music, opened these "doors of perception." After over three decades since the demise of their lead singer--"The Lizard King"--Jim Morrison, in a Paris bathtub, what is it we have seen and experienced, from their recordings, we didn't before?

To answer the above query, we should describe who the Doors were. Foremost we recall Jim, a Gothic poet, social philosopher, ophidiophile, thanatophile and leather-clad, sensual instigator. His sculpted, brooding looks and rumbling vocals, not to mention on stage antics, was the focal point of his band's theatrical, live performances which, as legend has it, was raw electricity. There was Ray Manzarek, the coy, deeply absorbed organist (and pianist trained in Classical forms) with talent commensurate with, say, a Mike Pinder or a Patrick Moraz, both of Moody Blues fame. Complement this with Robbie Krieger, a nonchalant maestro of the guitar who seemed capable of mastering anything--from hard rock and bottle-neck blues to flamenco and semi-classical. Yes, he could make his instrument evoke any emotion in a haunting sort of way--as if the fingerboard was bereft of frets--with the howling intricacy and adroitness of, perhaps, a Clarence White of Byrds renown. Lastly, there was John Densmore, a typically accomplished, jazzy drummer who smiled now and then, but remained in the background. Throw in the odd session musician or roadie, as needed, and voila, we have the ignition to the vehicle that would drive us through those doors of perception. The Doors, actually a rhythm and blues oriented rock band, had to have a more complex vocabulary than, for instance, their counterparts the Animals and Rolling Stones, to accomplish this metaphysical feat. Enter then, poetry and drama. The lyricism the four musical spirits of the Doors composed suggested they probably lived as hedonists and outlaws, or at least as outcasts (the underground welcomed, with alacrity, their intellectual contributions to rock). The profundity of the primal and taboo questions they dared to ask was, at the time, provocative. They played and sang of the world they lived in--war, easy drugs, free love, death, murder, alienation, rejection--and created a mental revolution that sometimes degenerated into riots at their concerts. Nevertheless, throughout the spawning of their rogue mystique, they often maintained a tongue-in-cheek attitude, encouraging fans to have their fun before "THE END," when it all "goes up in flames," based on their eschatological view of our present socioculturalpolitical system. It's time to listen again and reexperience.

The unparalleled, double CD WEA Canadian collection, entitled "The Best Of The Doors," is a compendium ideally suited to newcomers of the Doors' music. It, therefore, cannot possibly fulfill all of the expectations alluded to above. You'd have to purchase the entire Doors canon to garner a munificent grasp of what the band was totally about, psychologically. In any event, all of the thirty-seven priceless selections--which include their hits, singles, best album cuts--speak for themselves on this delightful sounding, enhanced and digitally remastered two CD set. This is because each work has the elan of an exciting pop song: catchy, repeatable phrasing, and, expressly with the Doors, cerebral lyrics that makes us ponder. Even if a song's theme was pedestrian, the way it was ineffably played always made it sound so penetrating. So there is much here to give ecstasy to our ears. However, no "Best Of" can ever be perfect because, if one scans the track listing from, for example, the "Band Favorites" (which the three surviving Doors selected) CD on "The Doors Box Set," they'll discover that five of the fifteen tunes adumbrated on said are missing from the compilation I'm here reviewing. Anyway, my favourite songs on "The Best Of The Doors" are: "Wishful Sinful," a feverish piece with vivid, aquatic imagery; "The Crystal Ship," which is romantic, ariose poetry recited by minstrels; and "You're Lost Little Girl," featuring spooky crescendos, achieved by superlative instrumental harmonies, that enchant me.

To sum up, myth and mystique have existed for millennia, enabling mankind, with his creeds, to explain the essence of our infinite civilization. The Doors emerged as visionaries in a tumultuous place and time, America in the 60s. They confronted the pop culture of their day with their book(s) of evocations--record albums--which we found cryptic, but somehow feeling more perfectly whole. As we listened to them we could at least try to make sense of all the chaos going on in our adolescence and the world. Please consider this offering, "The Best Of The Doors," and open your awareness just a crack--for an hour or two--so that you can be cleansed and say, as Jim did, "O Great Creator of Being, grant us one more hour to perform our art and perfect our lives."

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