The Doors of the 21st Century - L.A. Woman

Rating:
Summary: Not even out yet and I know it's great!!
Review: Having seen the Doors of the 21st Century in concert in Chicago last year, and about to see them again, I know this DVD has to be fantastic. If Houston was like Chicago (and I KNOW that it was!!) this DVD will not disappoint. D21C puts on a most energetic concert in this new millenium, the music sounds as good today as it did some 35 years ago. Interaction with the audience by members of the band only adds to the party-like atmosphere of a D21C concert. If you have never been to a Doors concert, I strongly recommend you experience one when this DVD is released. If you have experienced a Doors concert, have this to relive. AND, if you, like me, were fortunate enough to have seen the Doors in concert in the days when Jim Morrison was alive and kicking, relive the magic all over again through the Doors of the 21st Century.

Rating:
Summary: A Peak into the Palace of Wisdom
Review: To give you an idea about what it was like being at one of these concerts, here is my testimony, hours after I saw the show on August 24, 2003 at Jones Beach, Long Island:

Choosing Ian Astbury of The Cult to be the Doors vocalist at first seemed to be trying too hard to emulate Jim Morrison, what with the length and quality of Astbury's long brown hair, clothing, stances and so on. Who has been able to truly match Morrison's great charisma and magnetism of faintly messianic breadth? (As told in the reputable Morrison biography "Break On Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison", he literally swayed entire audiences of thousands into awed silence.) But Astbury's eyes, which by quality alone is not to be found in many, had the same inherence that Morrison's did in that singular, hypnotizing and in depth prophesy. I just hope that wasn't so because he might have been stoned. Ornamentation aside, two to three songs into the concert, Astbury had the confidence of the audience to play the part of Doors vocalist. His presence was comfortable and pretty free, moving around stage, standing grounded and singing; like the post-Miami Morrison that allowed himself to just enjoy the music and be himself without facades. Astbury really pulled it off stepping into those boots and turned out to be the great surprise of the night.

The show opened with the opera piece "Carmina Burana" that Oliver Stone used in his film "The Doors". It played nice and loud in the darkened venue while toward its climax on the large television monitors the lion image of Morrison slowly faded up, with cheering from the crowd. Then the 21st Century Doors came on stage.

The set list, as you see on the DVD, was terrific. Astbury's voice was focused. Krieger and Manzarek on a few numbers traded solos, pointing to each other when the next would take the rein; being the two original band members. (It's just a shame John Densmore didn't get to join them. If Densmore's reasons were artistic, then that's all good.) They played really well, also oiled up and comfortable on their instruments, improvising many sections of most of the songs. (The myth of dinosaur rockers is only true for those that lazily rehash note for note, keeping things dull for themselves and the audience. Even extremely old men can play really well; a ripe age for genius.) The drummer and bass player did fine, and having a bass player certainly freed up Manzarek on his solos more. I was particularly impressed by Robby Krieger's energy and direction, and Manzarek had a cool, sustained and shrill sound at the end of what I believe recalling as his solo on "When the Music's Over" and a few other songs. Difficult to top, and because The 21st Century Doors had been on tour for several months, it was understandable that Astbury wouldn't unleash like Morrison did a bloodcurdling scream on some songs, particularly at the beginning of "Five to One". Lots of whoops from the audience, and during "Light My Fire" a woman ran onstage and was escorted all the way out of the venue.

Everyone really seemed to enjoy the show, giving and getting a lot a few numbers into the performance and before the run of "L.A. Woman". An inspired Astbury yelled out after one of them, "I'm possessed". With the way he said it--besides the wonder of seeing this performance--in a way it felt like he was. He cursed a lot, during the beginning climax of "Light My Fire" singing "F---, f---, f---" several times and saying "Shut up b----!" during the quiet moments of "When the Music's Over"; referring to Morrison at the famous Hollywood Bowl concert when he tells the rambunctious audience to shut up.

I thought for sure they would play my favorite Doors song "The End" at the show's close, but they didn't. "The Soft Parade" would have been another good one, as would have been "Wild Child" and "Strange Days", but if you get everything, you don't treasure what is given to you. And like Morrison said, it is good to leave the audience wanting more. The main treat was the entire play of "L.A. Woman". They did an encore with another good one, "Soul Kitchen", with Krieger kicking a great solo, but Manzarek, perhaps from fatigue, barely played his turn. It happens. Nice of them to dedicate L.A. Woman to Morrison--better if they did to both Pamela Courson and Jim.

All during the show, behind stage center, another large monitor displayed re-edits of Doors videos like Manzarek's unfortunately egregious footage for "L.A. Woman", but it was improved by slicing out half the content, making some modern freeze frames and faster cuts, and doubling the lecherously slow pan about the woman's bare torso in dew. There were others I hadn't seen before--along those I had like shots of Morrison leisurely bicycling and hanging out with Pamela Courson, which of course rose the crowd. The other or "new" stuff was black and white stock footage which Manzarek as a former film student probably selected and, who knows, maybe edited. Morrison would have liked that. "Back Door Man" had a background of blues musicians, and I think for "Alabama Song", in the Bertolt Brecht tradition, shots of partygoers were shown from what looked like the 1920's jazz scene--itself a very wild time, continuing from the crazy 1910's, when several recreational drugs were legal. This was all good additional ambiance. All montage. Drama was again part of The Doors.

I guess the topper for it too was twice receiving in the highest tier wafts of marijuana smoke. I was at a Doors concert alright. But I just wish the crowd, like most of the fans, could see beyond the drugs into the true essence of The Doors: the constantly challenging, self-driven journey into discovery of the mind and soul.