ABSOLUTELY LIVE
The Doors
•Proto-Prog
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![]() Excellent addition to any Write a review |
Live, released in 1970 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. House Announcer (2:40) - Jim Morrison / vocals
2LP Elektra/WEA (1970) and to NotAProghead for the last updates Edit this entry |
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THE DOORS Absolutely Live ratings distribution
(73 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(25%)
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(55%)
Good, but non-essential (15%)
Collectors/fans only (3%)
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
THE DOORS Absolutely Live reviews
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Collaborators/Experts Reviews
PROG REVIEWER

The album starts with the announcer suggesting to the audience to "behave well" because if they don`t do it "The Doors couldn`t arrive to the stage". It is known that in those days, after the Miami incident, promoters were not very confident in The Doors because they expected riots like the Miami incident, and the band was also nervous because many promoters banned them. Still, the record label wanted a live album, which the band recorded during several months.
The band had the idea to include in this album some new songs not released before on any album.
"Who Do You Love" is a cover, and it is a good song, with Krieger`s slide guitar.
The Medley of "Alabama Song / Backdoor Man/ Love Hides/ Five to One" is good, but Morrison`s screaming marres it a bit, IMO.
"Build Me a Woman" is a new song, not very interesting.
"When the Music`s Over" is a good version, with Morrison saying "silence" to the audience to let him sing. It is a funny moment. It is a song full of drama and with a good climax.
"Close to You" is another new song, a cover again. Morrison says "we have a special thing for you...not that...not that" referring with a joke to the Miami incident. The special thing is Manzarek singing lead vocals in this song, doing a good job.
"Universal Mind", another new song, is the best of this album, with Morrison singing very good lyrics with feeling and the band playing very good arrangements.
"Break on Thru No. 2" starts with Morrison shouting the first lines of "The Soft Parade" song before the band starts a brief improvisation on which Morrison sings new lyrics for the song. That`s why it was called "Break on Thru No. 2". It is a good version of this song.
"The Celebration of the Lizard" is a theatrical piece, somewhat noisy in parts, but good and interesting. Here Morrison`vocals work very well. I could consider this long song as an influence for other bands, some of them of the Prog Rock style, to write long pieces of music with several parts. Maybe Procol Harum, YES and Genesis were somewhat influenced by this song in their music.
The album is closed with "Soul Kitchen" as an encore,and the band plays a good version of this song.
This album sounds very polished, like the band had in mind to record good versions of each song. It also shows how good the band was as a team following each other during improvisations, like "reading each others`minds".
This album was re-issued in the mid 90s with a new cover design, which is shown in this website. Morrison didn`t like the original cover design.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

So, i continue reviewing the Doors albums, after having finished all their studio, itīs time to review their Live and Compilation albums, since they are one of my favorite bands, i am able to review them all without a problem.
After their weaker record "Morrison Hotel", Elektra made a decision, they were not as succesful as earlier, since The Soft Parade, Elektra as a label had to looking for a new gate in order to recover some of the lost earnings, so they decided to release for the very first time, a Live album. Five albums had passed, and one more to come before Jimīs death when Absolutely Live was released in 1970.
We can remember that hilarious incident in a previous concert in Miami (hilarious because Jimīs behaviour was hilarious for me in some ways), so here first of all we can notice a state of calm and a kind of good behaviour, in order not to repeat the previous incident. This live album has 21 songs, which actually are 15 if we cut all the fragments of "Celebration of the Lizard", here we have almost 80 minutes of excellent Doorsīmusic, a rockier album with a bluesy feel, besides the psychedelic orientation of some of the songs, and the progressiveness of other of them.
This is NOT a hits live album, actually if we count here we will find only "Break on Through" as one of their singles, but actually this is an alternative version, so donīt expect much of ballads or songs to sing, this is a different and exciting trip through their music.
Songs like "Who do you Love", "Bakc Door Man - Love Hides - Five to One", "Close to You" or "Universal Mind" are a very nice example of what the album is offering to us, so pyschedelic and bluesy in several ways, but if you want something proggier, then you can fin "When the Musicīs Over" as usual in a concert, the song is longer than the studio one, and itīs an excellent performance.
But, what really takes the album, is the whole performance of "The Celebration of the Lizard" fans know that only "Not to Touch the Earth" was released as a single song in any studio album, it is part of course of the poem, and it is performed here this whole"poem/song" is worthy of listening, i would say a must listening indeed. Through this song, your mind and boy may be in other galaxy, itīs marvelous trhe power of this song, i would not say is a beautiful song, but almost!
So i think this album should be listened by any Doors fan, and i will recommend it to any prog fan, is excellent!
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

PROG REVIEWER

Originally this double live album would have been a great record to listen to. Especially for European fans who have not been able to see the band very often although a short European tour was organized in 1968. Always a great event. At least when you could see them which is not my case (even if I was born in 1959, I was too young to have been able to attend one of their concert. Their fame has been built up around their live appearences and the impetuous and unpredictable attitude from their leader. Jim has learned the book from the French psychologue Gustave Le Bon "Psychology Of The Crowds".and has proved to be a great manipulator : he can turn a normal concert into a riot (like in Chicago, 1968), or turn an explosive atmosphere into quiteness (LA, December 1968).
This album will be completed with the release later on of the double CD "The Doors - In Concert" which I have also reviewed and contains part of these comments (but not all). The cut and paste technique used by Page in the soundtrack "The Song Remains The Same" has also be extensively used here. Rotschild, the Doors producer, will even say that :"There must be 2,000 edits on this album"!
There are some cover songs like The Doors were used to play in concert. "Who Do You Love" is the opening number of this concert. It sounds pretty as a Doors song actually. Probably that they "Doors-ized" it quite a bit. It is credited to McDaniel who is nobody else than ... Bo Didley.
Then, we'll get get a good medley with two shorten versions of "Wiskey Bar" (which is fine in this short format) and for "Back Door Man" which is rather a pity to have it cut by half since it is a very good cover song from Willie Dixon (the one who will have so many problems with Led Zep). "Love Hides" was unknown to me and the very good "Five To One" is rendered very nicely in its full lenght.
"Build Me a Woman" will be one of their classic live song but it had never been featured on a studio album (it is a simple but rhythmy blues song). "Universal Mind" is not bad but the "Poem" : "Petition the Lord with Prayers" is really dispensable.
Some of the songs were recorded in 1969-1970, a period in which Jim was already bored of the rock music and environment. He had already decided to stop singing. So, he doesn't seem to be very concerned with live performances any longer but he will still be very provocative (I speak about his later on when I describe the performance of "When The Music's Over").
Most of their hits or anthems are included here. Noticeable exception : "Hello, I Love You". The version of "Break It Through" is great (almost double its lenght).
There is a good interpretation of "When The Music's Over" (over fifteen minutes). During one of the quiet moments of the song, Jim was P.O. by the talks in the audience and starts to shout : "Shut Up"! (around 8'45) ...Ssssssh. Is this the way to be behave in a rock'n'roll concert ? You don't want to hear that for the next half hour or so, right? Ssssssssssssh. Alright : "We want the world and we want it free". Some gun shot sounds can be distinguively heard both prior to these scenes and later on. Exactly like during "Love March" from "The butterfield Blues Band" in thier Woodstock appearance. The protest for the Vietnam war is at his peak in the US and The Doors ware deeply involved in this movement (remember "The Unknown Soldier"). It is for me the best number of this album. Far much superior to the studio album. It is a brilliant digest of their extravanganza.
It must have been quite a messy concert towards the end of "Universal Mind" since one can easily hear someone (a cop ?), "Everyone off the stage". to follow, we'll get the introduction of "The Soft Parade", namely the part called "Petition the Lord with Prayers" followed with "Dead Cats, Dead Rats" which is an unknown track to me but apparently written by The doors since there are no mention of anybody else in the liner notes. This short number has a catchy rhythm and a nice organ sound. Not bad.
It flows nicely into a brilliant version of "Break on Through" : almost double its studio version and it really blows it up. Manzarek is absolutely fantastic here. The full power of this band on stage is reached here. So much different that in the studio (with some noticeable exceptions though).
Then "The Celebration Of The Lizard" : this "song" consists of some Jim's "poetry" and only exists in its entirety in live performances (I mention why in my review for "Waiting For the Sun"). This track (?) lasts for about sixteen minutes and is made of seven parts. It is basically a long recitation with some background music (definitely a source of inspiration for Patti Smith during her wonderful concerts).
The only true musical and great part (IMO) is "Not to Touch the Earth". It is this section that sits on the studio album (no wonder why). I could never entered the world of the lizard, sorry Jim.
The albums closes on a very good and extended version of "Soul Kitchen". Some additional instrumental moments and some "poetry" are added. It is far more dynamic than in studio and it is therefore a good way to end this work.
This album is far from being a "Best Of Live". Some numbers will never be released as such and the lenghty "Lizard" stuff is really difficult to get into. Three stars.
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW
COLLABORATOR Post/Math Rock Team

That experience is just intensified during moments such as the one in "When the Music's Over" when Morrison tries to settle down some fans so they can continue the song. The interlude is very funny and practically seems intentional.
But yeah, how can one go wrong with this record? Not much to say about it other than there are some great performances of well known songs and some very interesting new pieces or pieces that are only played live such as "Build Me a Woman" and the absolutely (live?) epic "Celebration of the Lizard" piece.
Highly recommended to newcomers and fans of the band.
Latest members reviews
I began to know and explored this band far too late. I believe it was in 1993 when I bought my first The Doors
cassette and I was stunned with their music. They were quite unique as they didn't have a (permanent) bass player
and the role of bass as rhythm was taken over by the organist Mr. Ray M
... (read more)
Report this review (#1295278) | Posted by Novri Leonard | Thursday, October 23, 2014 | Review Permanlink
A robin laying an egg in spring. The Doors laying an egg in New York. The U.S. bombing in
Afganistan. The Doors bombing in the "Big Apple." A scientist is searching for a cure for Aids.
I'm searching for a reason to like the Doors "Absolutely Live" album.
I bought this album because I was a d
... (read more)
Report this review (#269303) | Posted by Keetian | Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | Review Permanlink
'When I was ack there in Seminary School, there was a person there who put on the proposition that you
can petition the Lord with prayer...Petition the Lord with prayer...Petition the Lord with prayer...YOU
CANNOT PE-TITION THE LOOOOOOORD...WITH PRAAAAAAYYYYYEEEEEEER !!!'This is a great live
a
... (read more)
Report this review (#164694) | Posted by Zardoz | Sunday, March 23, 2008 | Review Permanlink
Great live album. Maybe not the best there is in the world of prog, but must it be?
Only songs I don't like on Absolutely Live are Love Hides and Bulid Me A Woman.
Nothing special really. But, we have here the whole Celebration Of The Lizard (a
great epic poetic piece of music) and wonderful trac
... (read more)
Report this review (#108998) | Posted by Deepslumber | Friday, January 26, 2007 | Review Permanlink
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