Amazon.com

If you are a new or original fan of the Doors, this spectacular DVD should give you enough incentive to jump on the DVD bandwagon without reservation. It's quite simply the finest single audio-visual source of Doors music and history, presented with the full participation of the band's surviving members (Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, John Densmore) and featuring a variety of bonus features that will send any Doors-phile into a state of rock & roll euphoria. We're not kidding, folks--this is a must-have disc for anyone who's ever been mesmerized by Jim Morrison and the late-1960s, early-'70s rock phenomenon known as the Doors.

The primary content consists of three acclaimed films, all running about an hour long and directed by Manzarek, that give the viewer a deeper appreciation of what the Doors were all about. Not only was the band filmed in a variety of live concert settings (especially at the legendary Hollywood Bowl show, included here), but they were also precociously aware of the value of film, creating music "videos" long before MTV and taking their cue from Manzarek's mid-'60s stint as a UCLA film student. Also included are clips from several TV appearances (including a PBS interview in which Morrison predicts the future of recording technology with astounding accuracy), revealing backstage footage, and, of course, some of the most hypnotic concert performances ever filmed.

Two of Manzarek's student films (Evergreen and Induction) indicate that the keyboardist could easily have become a successful director, but fate blessed him (and us) with a future in one of America's all-time greatest rock bands. What The Doors Collection conveys more than anything is that these four young men formed a unique cohesion of talent, that they all loved and admired Jim Morrison (and still do), and that they continue to share that love--along with some conflicting recollections and amiably contrasting opinions--on a commentary track that's wise, fun-loving, and refreshingly free of drippy nostalgia. Indeed, when Manzarek uses the word "atrocious" to describe Oliver Stone's 1991 film about Morrison and the band, he's merely defending the fact that Morrison was himself a sweet, lovable young man who had a dark side--no one's denying that--but who also fronted a band that continues to unite listeners and viewers in the positive spirit of creativity and freedom of expression. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (28)

"Nobody gonna come up here and love me, huh?"
Don't worry, Jim. This DVD is the ultimate treat for long-time Doors fans like myself, as well as recent converts. Three full hours of videos and concert footage, showing us The Doors at their best. There's also an interesting commentary track by the original surviving members of the Doors, plus some extra goodies like Doors memorabilia and one of Manzarek's short films. In a day and age when the biggest up-and-coming artists are the likes of Sugar Ray and Jennifer Lopez, it's not difficult to get a bit nostalgic for the days when - without warning - a Jim Morrison would burst onto the scene. "Best New Artist: Christina Aguillera"? Puh-leez! Give me the Lizard King anyday. The man was a true artist, a poet, and he had ideas. They may have been his own personal tripped-out ideas that the rest of us mere mortals can only hope to understand, but at least he certainly wasn't "created" by a record company. What record exec could have possibly ever thought up Jim Morrison and The Doors, anyway? This is a fantastic DVD, and no DVD-buying Doors fan should even think twice about purchasing it.

buy this now-- it is well worth it.
If you like the doors.. buy this DVD. I've watched it several times already. The sound is very well done and this one DVD has videos, the full hollywood bowl concert (sounds as good as the CD), the soft parade 'film', and runs nearly 3 hours. A second audio track is included as well (like most DVDs have), where the remaining doors talk about the footage being shown. "Kirk"'s comment above about the audio commentary is incorrect-- maybe you're on the funny stuff-- There is nearly 3 hours of the guys talking on that second track, man. (Some of those comments had me laughing out loud.) This DVD is well worth the money.

Also, the DVD has other cool bonus stuff, like a memorabilia section, and Ray's student films (Good historical snapshot I suppose-- I dunno-- they make me wonder about my friends' USC student films if these are two examples from UCLA! Video producing wasn't as easy thirty-odd years ago as it is today).

To the doors: thank you for this DVD! The video quality is excellent, and the sound is CD-quality-- it doesn't get much better. I want to see more of the Densmore 1-man play!

By the way doors fans.. Jim teaches an excellent lesson: keep it in moderation!

get your mind together / by blowing it apart

Great DVD for Door's lovers
The other review from Exton, Pa. sums it up best - a great DVD for true Door's fans.

DISSAPOINTED
I FOUND TO MUCH SENSELESS VIDEO MIXED IN WITH GOOD MUSIC.
LA WOMEN HAS 12 SECONDS OF THE DOORS AND NOTHING BUT VIDEO OF STRANGERS AND LA FOR THE WHOLE SONG. WHERE IS JIM IN THE STUDEO?
THE SOUND NEEDS UPDATED. I WOULD EXPECT MORE FROM RAY AND THE GUYS THEN THIS. IT'S NOT THAT GOOD.

The Doors trip!
This video is a fascinatinging trip into the 60's psychodelic era. Over 3 hours of classic music and insight by the Doors with their videos "Dance on Fire", "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" and "The Soft Parade", plus bonus features including Ray Manzarek's UCLA student films. ... Read more

Description

Filmed during their 1968 European tour, The Doors are captured in performances in London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, who shared the bill with The Doors on this tour, narrate this compilation.

Track Listing:
1. Light My Fire
2. Love Me Two Times
3. Back Door Man
4. Spanish Caravan
5. Hello, I Love You
6. When the Music's Over
7. Unknown Soldier
8. Light My Fire (II)
9. Five To One
10. Alabama Song ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Revelation of Rock Music in a More Innocent Era
Any lack of polish in this production is pretty much due to the available video and film equipment of the day. That said, much of the old camerawork is quite creative and nicely done. In fact, I was riveted to this film from start to finish.

The onstage performances have a beautiful, timeless quality to them. The musicianship of the band comes across very nicely, this being a time before bands had stylists, directors, choreographers, and wardrobe masters.

Just amazing to see how, more than Morrison's charisma, more than any stoned-out vibe, the music itself was the true source of the Doors' power and energy. So seldom do we get to see excellent rock music performed without a lot of record company b***s***. Nobody told the band how to behave onstage, nobody but Jim dictated what he was going to wear, and so on. This footage was a revelation in that way.

To observe, on this DVD, Ray Manzarek hunched over his keyboards, fingering some amazing riffs, is to see a rather amazing illustration of rock performances that were all about THE MUSIC.

An absolute "must" for all Doors fans, and a real treat for fans of west coast rock. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in classic rock or sixties culture.

Would be 5 stars if not for some faults (mostly forgivable)
Contrary to some other reviews, the sound is okay. All the tracks came across clearly on my speakers without any audio adjustments. However, I've noticed on this DVD that the bass is pumped up and tends to overpower the vocals in certain spots.

As for the video quality, the B&W soundstage segments are bright and crisp and the Roundhouse show (also in B&W) isn't that bad. The extreme contrast between lights and darks makes the Roundhouse segments seem murky at times but you can still see all figures clearly. Plus, the camera work is definitely livelier than the famous Hollywood bowl show.

The audio and video flaws are easily overlooked, but the most annoying faults come at the end of the DVD. Because a Jefferson Airplane segment leads straight into "Five to One", the start of that track is cut. This last track "Alabama Song" is NOT shown in performance but rather laid over a Pere-Lachaise montage which, after Grace Slick's comments on Morrison, makes it seem like he expired at the end of the European tour! If not for this silliness, the DVD would rate 5/5.

Entertaining And Interesting.
The Doors were a great band and here we have some great film documentation of their performances during the 1968 European tour that captures the visceral energy Jim Morrison and the rest of the band captured on stage. The songs are great and on this DVD, they sound magnificent. Well, I was a bit disappointed that the performances of "Light My Fire," "Backdoor Man" and "Spanish Caravan" are a bit crudely recorded. They still work though. The best piece of film here is when the band performs "When The Music's Over." The performance captures the viewer with the intricate playing, provocative lyrics (as in "The End") and Morrison really comes off as an impressive rock artist. I especially loved it when he says, "We want the world and we want it now." "Unknown Soldier" and "Love Me Two Times" are also magnificently done. The fault of this DVD (and video for you VHS watchers) is that we really don't get THAT much information on the tour itself. Jefferson Airplane give a few interesting insights, but nothing very fascinating that keeps your attention. All we really get are the good performances, and that's it. Yes, The Doors are the greatest rock band of all time, but this film deserved a wee-bit more work.

TIMELESS MASTERPIECE
Even in the year 2500 the doors will be known and listened in all over the universe.

The most amazing band of all times.
There are not many words i can say about the greatest band of all times and this dvd.It's simply great and Jimbo& Doors are incredible.I am a huge Doors fan and if you send me a mail i'll definetly send you back... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Born 2-12-39, Film maker
As a life long Doors fan, I enjoy listning and watching current projects by John, Robbie and Ray. This film is a great piece of work by Ray. It was well written, screen cast was great and needless to say, the music was well played. I won't tell anything of the movie except that it is well worth watching. Especially if you like a little drama, blondes and mystery all in one sitting.

MR. RAY MANZAREK IS A GREAT FILMMAKER !
I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF THE DOORS FOREVER. I MET MR. MANZAREK IN L.A. AND FOUND THAT HE IS AN EXTREMELY NICE GUY. WHEN I DISCOVERED HE MADE A MOVIE I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN AN ADVANCE COPY. WATCHING THE MOVIE TOTALLY BLEW MY MIND. THE DVD INCLUDES MR.MANZAREK TALKING ABOUT MR. JIM MORRISON AND HIMSELF. THIS
MOVIE SHOWS THAT MANZAREK HAS BROKEN ON THROUGH TO FILMMAKING. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For Doors completists only, this shapeless gathering of rare film clipsof the band performing in Europe is hampered by the same old, frustrating problems with attempting to convey, through lousy camera work, the band's poweras a live act. The packaging tells us the Doors swept through London, Stockholm, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam during a 1968 tour documented here, but there's no way to appreciate that save for a random clip or two of Jim Morrisonmilling about outside concert venues, talking with fans. Otherwise, we see thesame sort of obfuscating on-stage close-ups of Morrison you can see in anyfootage of a Doors gig, stumbling around, crooning, and reciting poetry tominimalist accompaniment by Ray Manzarek on keyboards, John Densmore on drums,and Robby Krieger on guitar. Unless one can see, in the mind's eye, what theband is up to from the point of view of a kid in the 30th row, there's no way toreally get the hypnotic, Dionysian effect for which the Doors were justifiablyfamous. Thus, for anyone who can imagine such a thing, or take it on faith,there's good reason to enjoy performances of "Spanish Caravan," "Five to One,"and two versions of "Light My Fire." There's even a relic of pre-MTV, poppromotion: a silly-looking performance of "Hello, I Love You" shot before abaffled crowd on a London street. --TomKeogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Revelation of Rock Music in a More Innocent Era
Any lack of polish in this production is pretty much due to the available video and film equipment of the day. That said, much of the old camerawork is quite creative and nicely done. In fact, I was riveted to this film from start to finish.

The onstage performances have a beautiful, timeless quality to them. The musicianship of the band comes across very nicely, this being a time before bands had stylists, directors, choreographers, and wardrobe masters.

Just amazing to see how, more than Morrison's charisma, more than any stoned-out vibe, the music itself was the true source of the Doors' power and energy. So seldom do we get to see excellent rock music performed without a lot of record company b***s***. Nobody told the band how to behave onstage, nobody but Jim dictated what he was going to wear, and so on. This footage was a revelation in that way.

To observe, on this DVD, Ray Manzarek hunched over his keyboards, fingering some amazing riffs, is to see a rather amazing illustration of rock performances that were all about THE MUSIC.

An absolute "must" for all Doors fans, and a real treat for fans of west coast rock. Recommended to anyone who has an interest in classic rock or sixties culture.

Would be 5 stars if not for some faults (mostly forgivable)
Contrary to some other reviews, the sound is okay. All the tracks came across clearly on my speakers without any audio adjustments. However, I've noticed on this DVD that the bass is pumped up and tends to overpower the vocals in certain spots.

As for the video quality, the B&W soundstage segments are bright and crisp and the Roundhouse show (also in B&W) isn't that bad. The extreme contrast between lights and darks makes the Roundhouse segments seem murky at times but you can still see all figures clearly. Plus, the camera work is definitely livelier than the famous Hollywood bowl show.

The audio and video flaws are easily overlooked, but the most annoying faults come at the end of the DVD. Because a Jefferson Airplane segment leads straight into "Five to One", the start of that track is cut. This last track "Alabama Song" is NOT shown in performance but rather laid over a Pere-Lachaise montage which, after Grace Slick's comments on Morrison, makes it seem like he expired at the end of the European tour! If not for this silliness, the DVD would rate 5/5.

Entertaining And Interesting.
The Doors were a great band and here we have some great film documentation of their performances during the 1968 European tour that captures the visceral energy Jim Morrison and the rest of the band captured on stage. The songs are great and on this DVD, they sound magnificent. Well, I was a bit disappointed that the performances of "Light My Fire," "Backdoor Man" and "Spanish Caravan" are a bit crudely recorded. They still work though. The best piece of film here is when the band performs "When The Music's Over." The performance captures the viewer with the intricate playing, provocative lyrics (as in "The End") and Morrison really comes off as an impressive rock artist. I especially loved it when he says, "We want the world and we want it now." "Unknown Soldier" and "Love Me Two Times" are also magnificently done. The fault of this DVD (and video for you VHS watchers) is that we really don't get THAT much information on the tour itself. Jefferson Airplane give a few interesting insights, but nothing very fascinating that keeps your attention. All we really get are the good performances, and that's it. Yes, The Doors are the greatest rock band of all time, but this film deserved a wee-bit more work.

TIMELESS MASTERPIECE
Even in the year 2500 the doors will be known and listened in all over the universe.

The most amazing band of all times.
There are not many words i can say about the greatest band of all times and this dvd.It's simply great and Jimbo& Doors are incredible.I am a huge Doors fan and if you send me a mail i'll definetly send you back... ... Read more