Search - Doors :: Morrison Hotel

Remixed, remastered, extended and awesome.

R. Murray | Oakland, CA | 04/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you want the same version of Morrison Hotel you had way back when, you might avoid this version. You might be better off with the remastered edition from 1999. But if you want to hear this classic Doors album with some unused vocals and instruments mixed back in, pick up this latest release from Rhino/Elektra. If you're a longtime fan you'll probably want to have both in your collection. I have been digging these in a big way. Highly recommended!!!"

Morrison Hotel, Brilliant & Uneven

Mel C. Thompson | san francisco | 05/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This latest release of the remastered tracks in Morrison Hotel and the ten bonus tracks is astounding in some places and dull in others. But one could never expect the near-perfection of their first two albums to be rivalled by the follow-ups. But still, Morrison Hotel, especially this remastering, is a great spiritual victory for Doors fans and for the surviving band members, producers and engineers.



The long liner-notes are a must read for those of us too lazy to read whole books on the doors. Indeed, if one reads the liners to all these re-releases, one will get a tremendous and condenced and poetic sense of the doors and their mission. Just because the Doors were egomaniacs, and just because they were rather primitive musically, does not mean that they were not giants. Critics often make the mistake of believing that skill, professionalism and accurate self-assessments are some profoundly determining factor in art. They are not. Many of the most competent and sane folks on the planet are also the dullest and finally the most discouraging.



Doors believers, of which I am one, having been a real member of the now dormant "Church of The Doors," can truly take solace in this re-release series. The focus on the multiple takes of Roadhouse Blues reveals not only a certain lack of technical talent, but also a wonderful and child-like curiosity and experimentalism, which, finally, is more important that excellent craftsmanship. Sorry, you classical music didacticians and cynical, nihilist rock critics.



One great gift on this album that bears retelling is the simplistic and Wagnerian "Waiting for The Sun." The song was dumped from the album which bears its name, and one can see why, because it's a rather half-complete concept. However, as the graces would have it, many projects in which the gods cut us short are the best ones. This song, had they thought it out too much, would have lost its wondrous simplicity. True, they only put it on this record because they were in a bit of a slump, but, astounding, it's rather fun and has an almost early british invasion meets the Ventures kind of all-wrongness that comes out just magestically.



Another forgotten and underated song is "The Spy," which is really fantastic even though they could only think of one verse and simply repeated it over and over again. But, as one commericial songwriter I know, one who has sold tens of thousands of albums once said, "The problem with certain songs is that they only have one verse, but that often ends up being the whole genius of them."



Indian Summer is another almost Half-Song which, if the Doors had felt like they were on a hot streak, might have never let see the light of day. But, as it is, the song is nearly a nursery rhyme, one that is amazingly powerful in its innocense.



The truth was, Jim Morrison was not really a singer. And, as snobby literary critics love to point out, was not the great poet that he thought he was. But, as Cosmic Fate would have it, had he been a true professional at either, the whole force of Jim Morrison's massive, albeit flawed, character would never have created the half-century stir that they have. Genius is not what great craftsman do with their natural talents, it's what people with big gaps in their talent do to make up for it. (A concept I stole from Vonnegut's Bluebeard.)



Morrison Hotel caught The Doors right in an awkward middle of their career, but even so, this re-release is just a fabulous gift to us all."

INTERESTING RE-RELEASE

S. Henderson | Hazlet, New Jersey USA | 08/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is about the 4th reincarnation of MORRISON HOTEL (one has to wonder if in years to come we'll be treated to takes 4,8 and 25 of "Roadhouse Blues" before the well runs dry) and I've owned them all. Basically, if you're a casual fan stick with the earlier remasterings as the 40th Anniversary will be a bit unusual to the ear...the extra vocalizations do not detract from the songs and they can be gotten used to and, what the heck, the remaining members need the money so shell out the bucks (they're bargain priced anyway). Of all the recent re-releases, this one is the best as there's lots of bonus tracks (uneven quality but different versions of Peace Frog, The Spy, Queen of the Highway are good for repeated listenings). Personally, MORRISON HOTEL is probably their most variable release: rocking out (Roadhouse, Peace Frog, Land Ho), spooky-beautiful ballads (Blue Sunday, Indian Summer, The Spy) and just plain Morrison wierd (Waiting for the Sun, Queen of the Highway) that only the Doors could do. One of the reasons people will continue to listen to these classics is the wonderful musicianship these guys (who were only in their early to mid 20s) displayed in their relatively short time together. It was obvious they would burn bright and if Morrison didn't die when he did (but how could he not) they'd be on their 5th reunion tour rehashing these classics. The Doors sounded like professionals right out of the gate and the 6 remasters will live on (how many versions is up the surviving members and their heirs). Great re-engineering, liner notes, pix, etc."