Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Rather than discuss the endless debate that surrounds the Doors of the 21st Century, I'll come right out and say that I'm an enormous fan of The Doors and an equal fan of the D21c. Seeing Ray and Robby live has been the defining expierence in my musical life.
On to the DVD-
The performance:
This is a solid performance. I have heard every recorded (pro and audience) concert of the D21c, so I know when the guys are truly 'on'. I also attended the show the group put on in Atlanta 2 days before this gig in Houston. Needless to say, the Houston show blows away the rusty, almost lifeless performance they gave in Atlanta (to the band's credit- they were not lifeless... the audience was and that undoubteldy affects the performance).
So, the actual performance is very good. It's not their best, but it's more than worthy of a dvd release. Ian is his usual self- it takes a song or two to warm him up, but once he's primed- he's incredible. As many fans of the D21c know, Ian occasionally forgets a lyric or two... fortunately, he is focused throughout this gig and only lets out a minor slip up in Hyacinth House. Well done Ian.
Ray and Robby both show that they have only gotten better with age. Robby in particular has gotten considerably faster and cleaner and the result is stunning. Every one of his solos is precise and flawless. In particular, his solo at the end of Break on Through makes me say "whoa" everytime I hear it. He throws in a different run and it just fits perfectly. On the other side of the stage, Ray puts on an equally stunning show- putting on a more flamboyant show than he ever did back in the days of the original Doors lineup. He's managed to increase his showmanship while still remaining perfectly faithful to all the Doors classics. Incredible.
Do note that inbetween a few songs are interview clips with Ray Robby and Ian. When I first heard about that feature, I thought for sure that it would ruin the flow of the show. Luckily, the clips only add to the whole expierenceand somehow, they manage to not ruin the feeling of seeing the guys live. Very well done.
Video quality:
Unebelivable. This is the sharpest concert dvd avaliable- outdoing the amazing "Rush in Rio" (which I considered the pinacle in concert video quality). The picture is crystal clear with fantastic camera work. You get plenty of steady, lengthy closeups of Ian Ray and Robby. The absolute coolest parts are the numerous shots of Robby's hands. The video quality is so good, you can count every knick, dent and scuff on Robby's cherry Gibson SG. Wow. Truly top notch camera work (fantastic angles) and a flawless digital, widescreen recording. A+ This is the new standard in concert dvd video.
Audio quality:
Yet again, this dvd delivers. The DTS track will knock you out if you have the proper equipment to enjoy it. Mean while, 2.0 stereo mix sounds good on any set of speakers... even through usually crappy tv speakers. This audio mix is perfect. In particular, the drums (provided by the great Ty Dennis) sound phenomenal. The snare has a perfect kick to it... I absolutely love it. You have to hear it all to know what I'm talking about. The rest of the band comes through equally well. Ian's vocals sound as good as they ever have (by the way, his vocal delivery here is 1000 times better than it is on the live cult dvd) and Ray and Robby are both mixed very well and very evenly. Angelo Barbera on bass cuts through perfectly... you really get to hear every note he plays. That makes it easy to enjoy the small bit of his own style he adds to various Doors classics. He's great. The audio is great. The only minor complaint is that the crowd is mixed a little low on the 2.0 mix.
Negatives:
-The Dvd does not contain the whole performance. Alabama Song, Backdoor Man and Five to One were edited for the dvd. Also, Crawling King Snake (a song from the la woman album) was not played at this show. Luckily, you do get to hear part of the D21c's rendition of that classic tune during from a show in Paris last December.
-Lack of bonus footage. There is alot of D21c stuff out there to choose from... all the tv performances (including the never aired 5-1 performance from the Carson Daly show) as well as footage from various other concerts. A commentary track would have been cool too (though we do get interview clips between some of the songs).
Conclusion:
This is a 5 star dvd. If you are capable of accepting the fact that there can be a Doors life after Jim Morrison, you will have a blast watching this disc. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger are truly gods in rock music and it shows comes through on this disc. They are having the time of their life playing these great songs again. Ian Astbury is equally amazing... stepping into an impossible situation and performing brilliantly. I can easily say that he is the greatest frontman that I've had the pleasure of witnessing live. Finally, lets not forget the perfect rythym section of the group. Ty Dennis plays the classic Doors tunes without flaw- adding his own power and style when he feels it necessary (and that power and style really brings the songs to life). Angelo Barbera on bass takes over for Ray Manzarek's left hand and honestly, he does it better than Ray ever did. There is not one note that sounds out of place- Angelo manages to make his string bass sound identical to Ray's mushy piano bass. Unreal.
Thats it. The pros far outweigh the cons. This is a fantastic dvd. Long live the D21c.
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The Doors of the 21st Century - L.A. Woman LiveA Note from The Doors' Ray Manzarek: This is the tour that never was. The tour that was supposed to happen when Jim came back from Paris. The tour that we were all eagerly anticipating. In May or June of 1971, Jim called John from Europe and asked him how LA Woman was doing. John told him it was doing great and that the critics actually loved it, too. Jim was excited and wanted to go on the road as soon as he got back to the States. The two of them even talked about taking the bass player - Jerry Sheff - on the road with the four original Doors to duplicate the sound of the LP. Unfortunately, as we all know, on July 3rd, 1971, Jim leapt upward into the loam to join Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix - and the LA Woman tour never happened. We lost a great friend and a great poet, and we never got to play the songs from LA Woman in a live concert setting. But now, finally, we can bring you LA Woman in its entirety! Robby and I as The Doors of the 21st Century, along with Ian Astbury on lead vocals, Ty Dennis on drums and Angelo Barbera on bass, have recorded the complete album and it is here on this DVD for your insight, pleasure, and discovery - and for our completion. Robby, Ian, and I thank you for Jim. We hope he will be pleased. Songs include: Roadhouse Blues, Break On Through, When The Music's Over, Love Me Two Times, Changeling, L'America, Love Her Madly, Down So Long, Hyacinth House, Cars Hiss By My Window, Texas Radio, Riders On The Storm, LA Woman, Light My Fire, Soul Kitchen.
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