Search - The Doors :: Backstage and Dangerous: The Private Rehearsal

Loose Jam Session

Mario Moreno | Spring, TX USA | 05/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not sure if the previous reviewer was looking for a greatest hits type cd. This live session is for REAL fans only. They don't play a single hit. It was recorded the day after the other two Aquarius shows (with no audience). The band sounds loose and is in a good mood. It is Jim that definitely does not want to be there. He really just says what he feels and sticks it to the record company that is paying for this session (there is a track called "there are 1000's of dollars riding on this day"). It is very funny and I just love it. Again, they don't play any of their hits... so if that is what you are looking for look elsewhere. If you are a die-hard fan looking for a unique recording of one of your favorite bands, buy this cd. Very good sound quality as well."

Morrison having fun and not much else

Bjorkfinity | Philadelphia, PA | 08/10/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This doesn't do much for Jim Morrison's reputation as a poet that's for sure! This is like one step back for Jim. I'm not sure if this should have been released. These are blues and jazzy renditions of some released and un-released songs and some of these songs sound like the Doors had nothing to do one afternoon and decided to jam and let Jim ramble into a mike because that's exactly what he does. On top of that he is pretty well lit during most of these recordings. He sounds like he just stumbled into the studio from a long day at the bar, especially on "Build me a Woman". He is boisterous and he makes up lyrics as he goes along during the bluesy stuff, the words sometimes are absolutely laughable and they're hardly up to Jim Morrison standard. This definitely isn't poetry.



He revels in four-letter words and he delights in entertaining himself in "Mental Floss" as he goes through a less-than inspired scatter-brained monologue: "I'm tired of being a freaky musician, I want to be Napolean!" and "do you know women wear underpants? They do! How does a musician make the sound of a woman's underpants?" Meanwhile the band is playing free-form and are totally lost (Robby is playing slide licks which are going nowhere, and Ray is trying to come up with some solid chords to no avail) as they wait for Jim to get on with things. Continues "I wasn't doing a damn thing when I was standing there in front of a delicatessen and a bunch of rabbis and Indians came running up". This song is like the complete antithesis of the stanzas in "When the Music is Over" and "The End". It's an absolute embarrassment. During "Build me a Woman": "I don't know what I'm talking about and either do you. I'm a stupid m-f- and so are you! So take that little riddle and and stuff it up your a-!" and "this song makes me sick to my stomach and if it ever gets played you're all a bunch of dumb c-sckrs!" This almost sounds like a Jim Morrison impersonator, that's how off-the-wall it sounds. On Blue Sunday, Jim is so slow he sounds like he's falling asleep. I don't know how John Densmore sat through these sessions. Ray sings on "I'm your Doctor" and is quite vulgar: "you need a polish sausage". He also sings on "Close to You". "Car Hiss by my Window" ("Whiskey is like a woman-she's good when she's cheap") is not the same song which was recorded on LA Woman. "Gloria" is well done.



The quality of these recordings are fantastic and the songs are pretty tight (the instrumental parts). But most of the songs here are like the Doors getting caught doing mediocre to bad music. I'm sure some of their gigs were just like this if not worse. There's not much musically going on here but this will round out your Doors collection if you're a fan and Jim Morrison will give you an excellent laugh.

"

Just serious fans only please

Blues Bro | Lakewood, Colorado USA | 08/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not for the casual fan, this is only for those of us who already own all official albums and more than a couple live bootlegs. This is the Doors, preety much rehearsing and a little bored at times, specially Jim. Is it tight? No. Does it rock? On a few moments it does. Am I happy I bought this? Yes; it is another missing link in discovering one of the greatest bands of all time, and one of the greatest talents in rock: jim morrison. I deducted one star, because it is a little pricey, and being now out of print, most likely will only continue to increase in price."