The Doors - Live in Detroit (Cobo Hall, 05/08/1970)

The "real" Doors

Rough, but a "must have" for the dedicated fan. Good price; shipping and handling very fair. May 5, 2008

Wow...the band is on fire playing to a midwest audience only 4 days after the Kent State Shootings

I cannot help but assume this performance is informed by the Kent State Shootings a mere 4 days before. The lyric of "get together one more time" from Five To One has a certain resonance with the band and audience. March 25, 2008

Not for the uninitiated

I've long considered myself an avid Doors fan. I have had, in one form or another, all of their records or CDs for over thirty years, as well as an original hard copy of Morrison's, "The Lords and The New Creatures". To introduce the idea that Morrison was as much a poet as a rock star would be nothing new. A biography that was done on the band years ago talked at length about his poetry, and his frustrations with being a musician, when it appeared that he was more interested in poetry and theatre, or at least threatrics than being a rock star. The music that we have enjoyed from the band since their first release came to us by way all other music generally came to us - edited. There is a lot to be said about editing: it can destroy a good piece, or bring it to light and keep an audience listening. Having finished listening to "Live in Detroit" (twice now), it appears evident why that music sat for so many years away from the publics ears. That needs to be qualified. The recording and digital transfer is excellent. Really, considering its' age and what the music comes from (1 inch 8 track tape), it is truely remarkable that it sounds as good as it does. Any discrepencies that are in the recording as a result of glitches in the system at the time of the show just make the experience of listening to it all the more real. However, Morrison's carnal screams, once only the stuff of legend (unless you happened to actually catch one of their shows) make listening to both CDs a bit of a challenge, unless one is alone, or with those who could only be described as true, fanatical fans. The idea that their shows were intense and full of theatrics due to Morrison's rants and screaming are clearly a moot point now. It's good music to have for the archives, and there are many great renditions here. Also, as one reviewer suggested, listening to this two CD set clearly puts us as close to the real thing as we'll ever get. It's poetry in motion. However, if some one was to ask me what I'd prefer to listen to (for the usual put-on-a-CD-sort-of-fare), either their original studio sets, or Live in Detroit, I think that I'd have to go with their original studio releases, or their In Concert or Absolutely Live CDs. Its the editing. Maybe it has something to do with being 47, and not 18 years old, but my ears and nervs wince when Morrison screams like an alley cat being run through by a chain saw, and if my wife or daughter walk in the house when this is on, it comes off immediately, unlike The Morrison Hotel, LA Woman, Strange Days, Waiting For The Sun, The Doors, The Soft Parade. September 26, 2007

What a let down!

A few years ago I bought Led Zeppelin's triple live "How the West Was Won." Jimi Page discovered these audio concert recordings in the archives while getting video material together for their fabulous double DVD. Previously I had their very good but now greatly outclassed "The Song Remains the Same."

At Rhapsody I recently came across several live recordings by The Doors. I was hoping that my experience with these would be as good as with How The West Was Won. Their previous live offering was "Absolutely Live." Absolutely Live is OK, but certainly not at all one of the best ever live concert recordings. Sadly, Absolutely Live is about as good as we will get from The Doors.

The studio LPs still stand up. The Complete Studio Recordings is a great box set with wonderful analog to digital transfers. The included bonus 7th CD of demos and live performances is almost as good.

Unfortunately, Jim Morrison's out of control lifestyle spills way over into his concert performances. Undisciplined, often out of key, sometimes thrashed voice, and sophomoric behavior are apt adjectives of Jim's on stage persona. Most bands do a sound check before performing. The "Absolutely Live" sounds like they did a sound check. The other live concerts posted at Rhapsody (Detroit, Boston, Live at the Aquarius) had me wondering if they had done a sound check.

Of all the live stuff posted at Rhapsody, "Absolutely Live" I would give a C grade to and the rest a D or an F. Too bad these other performances are not half as good as Zep's "How the West Was Won." If they were, they would be a real treat instead of a great disappointment. Either listen if you must at Rhapsody, or buy if you are a "gotta have everything" die hard Doors nut.

I could be wrong, but my guess is that one of the studio bean counters pointed out that "we have a very marketable name in Jim Morrison and The Doors and we have some VERY sub par live recordings. We should market these anyway and cash in because people will buy just for the name and excuse the crapola."

Too bad Jim had not spent a couple of months in rehab before going on tour.

Several of the reviews have acknowledged the problems I have highlighted, have made excuses for Jim, "Hey, its Jim Morrison, so what if he is drunk on stage," and given 4 or 5 stars. Love and hero worship can be soooooo blind! If you are in this camp and in denial and are an enabler, you need to go to Al Anon.
September 16, 2007

is everobody in

this doors cd was truly there best live cd im so glad that the doors are starting to put out the concert series this cd is a double live concert which includs songs like when the musics over, back dor man,alabama song,look on amazon for a complete list of tracks the doors are one of my favorite bands out there. this is a truly great set dont spend youre money on bright midnight live in america. June 22, 2007

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