Absolutely Live - THE DOORS****

Alabama Song-Back Door Man-Love Hides-Five To One (Medley)/Build Me A Woman/When The Music's Over/Close To You/Universal Mind/Break On Through (To The Other Side)/The Celebration Of The Lizard/Soul Kitchen

The double LP Absolutely Live was the only live release during The Doors existence as a group. Some claim that the performances come from many different shows, pieced together in the studio. (US:8 UK:69)

"I have always preferred to hear a concert in its entirety, the good with the bad, as it presents an accurate picture of the artist live. Such is not the case here. Not only do the performances come from many different shows, but the actual songs are pieced together. Separate parts of the same song were originally spliced together in the hope of creating the perfect track. Legend has it that hundreds of song bits were used to create this double album. It all adds up to The Doors live but without a true concert feel."

"Absolutely Live provides an enjoyable, if not essential, document of an exciting rock band in their heyday. There’s a lot more here than their greatest hits, like the great Universal Mind and the full Celebration Of The Lizard that was mostly excised from Waiting For The Sun. There’s some nice interplay between the band that make even the familiar tunes interesting. There’s the sweet closer Soul Kitchen, which is one of the most underrated songs in the band’s catalogue. It’s all good stuff."

"Not much of a fan of live albums to begin with, I approached The Doors Absolutely Live with trepidation. But that fear was unfounded. This is a powerful and moody concert recording, capturing the energy and intensity of the band at the height of their powers."

"Recorded during various shows between August 1969 and June 1970, Absolutely Live wasn't exactly your average greatest hits - live package. All but ignoring their radio successes, the set focused on some of their lesser known repertoire - Morrison frequently taking liberties with song lyrics."

"An album from my youth that I should have bought years ago. The Doors studio albums are pretty good but this one runs on rocket fuel, and even the more indulgent stuff is very atmospheric and worth a listen."

"This is an excellent album. Truly brilliant, captures the essence of The Doors live."