In the height of the late 1960’s, when America was immersed in free love and the Vietnam war, one rock band immerged with such fierce impact, that it immediately captured the public and forever changed the face of rock and roll from that point on.  That band was The Doors.  Their self-titled debut album engrossed a musical fever like never before.  Never had rock sounded so dark, and so controversial than this.  Not only was death a subject, but so was drug use.  It was unheard of then, but easily taken for granted today.  To truly put into perspective how influential The Doors were to music, and how lead singer Jim Morrison’s poetic lyrics have stood the test of time, it would be safe to say that The Doors were that era’s Nirvana.

Like Kurt Cobain, Morrison met his demise at a very young age swirled in turbulent circumstances.  His story reminds me of a line from a Neil Young song: “It’s better to burn out than fade away”.  And because The Doors burned out after only a short time span, they are well remembered and honored to this day.  This Classic Albums DVD edition explores the genesis of their debut album, through archive footage, demonstrations, and interviews with the surviving members of the band, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Kriger.  Within the feature, their also a number of other guests chiming in about the band and their work (like musician Henry Rollins), but what is fascinating to watch is how each of the songs off the album are broken down and explored through instruments and studio production.  The album sparked off some beautiful tracks including “Break On Through (To The Other Side)”, “Light My Fire”, and “The End”.

The piece also touches on Jim Morrison himself.  His lyrical genius, his path of self-destruction, and his convictions (which are highlighted in the Ed Sullivan show segment, where Jim still sang the word “higher”, even though told not to).  The disc would make an excellent companion piece to the Oliver Stone movie, in offering a solid retrospect to the band.  While the material is engaging, obviously this is not a high-quality DVD edition.  The footage is the same quality as its television broadcast, and the best you are going to get for sound is a simple 2.0 surround.  The bonus material consists of more interview segments that shed more light on the band’s history, plus musical demonstrations.  There is a great story about how Jim Morrison was arrested during a concert.   After being mistakenly assaulted before the set by a cop, Jim ended up telling the crowd about it during a song, which then led to his incarceration.

There is no question that The Doors are a rock and roll band of legendary proportions.  They certainly blazed a new trail in a time of rebellion, and change, through music that showcased the darkest side of rock and roll for the first time.  Their impact spawned a number of bands that continued to explore those regions through a similar sound, among them Creed, a band that covered The Doors on several occasions and even jammed with Robby Kriger at Woodstock ’99 before they subsequently broke up a few years later.  It may not be of the best quality, but this Classic Albums edition of The Doors and their debut album, does them justice.

Review By Ryan Young