The Doors of Perception Redux

In my youth I picked and chose my music of what I heard on the radio. I would always record songs that were cool or listened to albums that my uncle or other family had. I would even go over my best friends house and go through his tapes or records and listen to them. I would take a mental note what I liked and when I was at the record store I would get the same cassette or record. I remember I went shopping one day for a band called The Doors. I knew very little at 13 years old, but I knew some of the hits and I also knew what I heard coming from my best friends room. He did not idolize Jim Morrison and The Doors he just liked the music because he could zone out to it. I really thought the music was so cool. This is where I started my obsession on organ sounds.

The music of The Doors was wonderful and the lyrics and poetry of Jim Morrison was sure something that really knocked me on my ass. I actually became Doors obsessed at one moment. I only had a simple mix tape full of Doors. At 14 years old I went to the store and picked up the most widely bought The Best of The Doors. I am sure you will remember this collection it was the one that was on one tape with a red cover and Jim Morrison with his arms stretched in like a Jesus type figure. I was excited because it was an hour and half worth of music. It was expensive at the time too. I payed $15 for it. Well worth the money then and still in my personal collection.



Then I somehow out grew The Doors. The tape was over played and I heard them more then ten times in one day. I stopped listening to them for quite a while. I would cringe when I heard them on the radio and quickly change the station. When I went back to college I only carried one Doors album with me and I barely played it on any of my radio shows. The music was something that never entered my mind. I had a friend who was a huge Doors fan. He told me that they were the best band ever. I told him that I heard so much of them I really did not care if they were or not. I would get a request for The Doors and I would quickly find a quick song of theirs to play.

This all changed about two years ago. I decided to give them another chance. This chance was because I heard someone playing some non hit Doors songs at a party. I asked the person manning the Ipod what he as doing and he told me he made a non greatest hits Doors mix. It was about twenty songs and all of these songs were the ones I liked. These songs included "Not To Touch The Earth," "Spanish Caravan," "Strange Days," "Runnin' Blue," and one of my favorites "The Changeling." I had new found respect for The Doors that night and I too made a Doors mix that was similar to his. I felt better that I could actually listen to The Doors and actually like them. My faith in some way was restored. This was better for me to feel better that I could listen to The Doors and actually like them.



Over this time of listening to The Doors till now I was not sure how to write about them in this blog as well. For a long time this love-hate relationship was making me try figure out what to say. How to say without feeling elite that I think The Doors are dull or boring. Then that change happened by accident. When I write for this blog I re-listen to some of these albums to figure out what you would like to hear if you never heard the album before. I went on another few blogs and found a Mono edition of The Doors first album and also I found a remixed version. You may say "remixed" who the hell would want something remixed. Well not so fast readers, The Doors first album remixed has many great meanings (as I found out).

The first thing about the remix is the music is so much clearer and the speed of the record is back to normal The meandering of Jim Morrison is so aware then in previous released versions of the album. Things that were buried and thought lost forever are now found. A few examples of this are "she get high" in the song "Break On Through" and the smattering of "fucks" that Jim Morrison speaks in the song "The End." I bet you did not know that, did you? To me this was a revelation that opened up new worlds for me. It was like when I was twenty-four years old hearing the mono mix of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The light from the curtains made me feel new again. By the way that will be explained in a future post.



So I know what your thinking, I bet I am not going to tell you anymore about the album; I am not, but I will tell you to seek this edition out. I am still in the search of a physical copy of it. I know it's part of The Doors box set Perception, but that might be the only way to get it in my hands. I did find it on two other blog sites that had MP3 versions of it. So I am happy now for it, but being the completest I would love a physical copy. Well that is all I am going to say about The Doors. I would suggest that you listen for yourself and enjoy! This The Doors on my terms and I am happy with what I found. Enjoy and if you want a digital copy let me know, maybe I will get you a link. Enjoy! Just remember you never heard this version of the album till you heard this. Like me you will scratch your head wondering why was not out sooner. Jim was right..."break on through to the other side..."