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Rating: In March 1967, the Doors were still a band relatively unknown to the general public. Their splendid debut album had just been released, but not yet the second single "Light My Fire", which would later launch them to the top of the American charts, turning them into rock stars. In this context, Jim Morrison's band performed a couple of nights, March seventh and tenth, at the Matrix in San Francisco, a small nightclub owned by the Jefferson Airplane. The four sets, two per evening, took place in front of very few spectators but, obviously, well-equipped ones, and in fact, recordings of these concerts circulated as bootlegs for years. The Doors' record label, Elektra, acquired those tapes immediately, but it took forty years to see the first official release, when in 2008, the Rhino Records\Bright Midnight Archives decided to remaster the material available and produce this excellent live record.
Live At The Matrix '67 is certainly one of the most interesting products of the posthumous discography of the Doors, as it presents to us a band in its early days, halfway between blues and psychedelia, fresh and vital, in a full creative phase, free to experiment and improvise at will, without pressures and still sheltered from the weight of fame. The live record is decidedly substantial, with its two CDs, over two hours of music, collecting the best of those performances. The set is largely based on their first legendary album and the tracks that would form the backbone of the subsequent Strange Days, which the Doors were working on in those months, but also a couple of pieces that would later end up in L.A. Woman ("Crawling King Snake") and in Waiting For The Sun ("Summer's Almost Gone").
It begins with what was then their first and only single, the fierce and compelling "Break On Through", with a more than furious Morrison and John Densmore pounding on the drums like mad. The performances are truly excellent, Jim's voice, hypnotic and powerful as never before, reaches the height of expression in the epic renditions of "Moonlight Drive", "Back Door Man", "When The Music's Over" and "The End", which with its fourteen minutes of psychedelic delirium rises as the absolute gem of the album. Krieger's solo in "Light My Fire" is beautiful, presented without the classic organ intro, in a much rawer version than the studio one, but equally convincing. Manzarek does even better in "The Crystal Ship", with passages of rare beauty. Many other classics are on the setlist, but I will limit myself to mentioning the splendid interpretations of "Soul Kitchen", "Alabama Song" and "People Are Strange". Meanwhile, the covers "Close To You" by Willie Dixon, "Who Do You Love" by Bo Diddley, and "Money" are episodes that bring the Doors back to their Blues origins. It closes with the famous "Gloria" by Van Morrison, perhaps one of the most covered songs of all time. In short, with such a track list, a total of twenty-four pieces, it would be impossible to mention them all, but certainly, no one could be disappointed by such abundance, especially those who, like me, are more attached to the band's first two albums.
The recording quality is good, not excellent, but certainly better than the various bootlegs, one of which has also been reviewed here. Going into more detail, I would say that the voice, organ, and drums come out well, very clear, while the guitar and bass line, played by Manzarek himself with his Rhodes piano, sometimes seem less prominent, a bit overshadowed by the other instruments. This, along with the fact that the presence of the audience is almost imperceptible, except for a few rare applauses, is probably the only flaw of a live performance that would otherwise have been perfect. The album, as a whole, is nonetheless superb, and the performance by the four is spine-chilling. The group manages to play their pieces impeccably, certainly in a more stripped-down, less elaborate form, but with great vigor, full of new passages, added verses, improvised on the spot, instrumental interventions that hint at the jam, but without getting lost in virtuosity. Jim is as usual flamboyant but, at the same time, incredibly clear-headed, making no mistakes and still far from what would come later, when the icon imprisoned in his own glory would struggle even to complete concerts. Densmore is precise and incisive, his fills, with a blues base and jazz attitude, remain among the most appreciated and emulated ever. The dreamlike atmospheres created by Manzarek and Krieger's refined arpeggios complete everything perfectly. In short, the Doors at their finest.
Being present at those concerts must have been, for those few people, an unforgettable experience. If the first classic live album by the Doors, Absolutely Live, while excellent, was still the result of multiple performances collected in different periods and places and then assembled together, this Live At The Matrix, on the other hand, is a decidedly more homogeneous product, and I would even say more genuine, as it captures the band at a precise and well-defined moment. Here lies perhaps the purest essence of the Doors; it's worth giving it a listen.
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 Back Door Man (05:14)
Oh yeah babe
Yeah I'm a back door man
I'm a back door man
The men don't know
But the little girls understand
Hey, all you people that tryin' to sleep
I'm out to make it with my midnight dream, yeah
'Cause I'm a back door man
The men don't know
But the little girls understand
All right, yeah
You men eat your dinner, eat your pork and beans
I eat more chicken any man ever seen, yeah yeah
I'm a back door man
The men don't know
But the little girls understand
Well, I'm a back door man
I'm a back door man
Whoa, baby
I'm a back door man
The men don't know
But the little girls understand
05 The End (13:54)
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes again
Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need of some stranger's hand
In a desperate land
Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the king's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake
The ancient lake, baby
The snake he's long, seven miles
Ride the snake
He's old
And his skin is cold
The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest
The blue bus is callin' us
The blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you takin' us?
The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived and then he
Paid a visit to his brother and then he
He walked on down the hall and
And he came to a door
And he looked inside
"Father?" "Yes, son?" "I want to kill you"
"Mother? I want to... fuck you"
Come on, yeah
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us and
Meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, on a blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, come on, yeah
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end
06 Soul Kitchen (05:51)
Well the clock says it's time to close now
I guess I'd better go now
I'd really like to stay here all night
The cars crawl past all stuffed with eyes
Street lights share their hollow glow
Your brain seems bruised with numb surprise
Still one place to go
Still one place to go
Let me sleep all night
In your soul kitchen
Warm my mind near your gentle stove
Turn me out and I'll wander baby
Stumblin' in the neon groves
Well your fingers weave quick minuets
Speak in secret alphabets
I light another cigarette
Learn to forget
Learn to forget
Learn to forget
Learn to forget
Let me sleep all night
In your soul kitchen
Warm my mind near your gentle stove
Turn me out and I'll wander baby
Stumblin' in the neon groves
Well the clock says it's time to close now
I know I'll have to go now
I really wanna stay here all night
All night
All night
07 Money (03:02)
You know the best things in live are free
You can give it to the bears and bees
I want some money
Yeah yeah
I want some money
Yeah yeah
You all give me such a thrill
But your loving can't pay no bill's
I want some money
Yeah
I want some money
Yeah yeah
One time
You all give me such a thrill
But your loving can't pay my bill's
I want some money
Yeah
I want some money
Yeah allright
I want some money
Give me some money
More money babe
I want some money
Yeah yeah
One more time
I want some money
More money babe
Money
I like some money
I want some money
Allright
08 The Crystal Ship (02:50)
Before you slip into unconsciousness
I'd like to have another kiss
Another flashing chance at bliss
Another kiss, another kiss
The days are bright and filled with pain
Enclose me in your gentle rain
The time you ran was too insane
We'll meet again, we'll meet again
Oh tell me where your freedom lies
The streets are fields that never die
Deliver me from reasons why
You'd rather cry, I'd rather fly
The crystal ship is being filled
A thousand girls, a thousand thrills
A million ways to spend your time
When we get back, I'll drop a line
09 Twentieth Century Fox (02:46)
Well she's fashionably lean
And she's fashionably late
She'll never wreck a scene
She'll never break a date
But she's no drag, just watch the way she walks
She's a twentieth century fox
She's a twentieth century fox
No tears, no fears
No ruined years, no clocks
She's a twentieth century fox, oh yeah
She's the queen of cool
And she's the lady who waits
Since her mind left school
It never hesitates
She won't waste time on elementary talk
'Cause she's a twentieth century fox
She's a twentieth century fox
Got the world locked up
Inside a plastic box
She's a twentieth century fox, oh yeah
Twentieth century fox, oh yeah
Twentieth century fox
She's a twentieth century fox
11 Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (03:16)
Well, show me the way
To the next whiskey bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next whiskey bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find
The next whiskey bar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you know why
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you know why
Well, show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find
The next little girl
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you know why
13 Light My Fire (08:14)
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby, light my fire
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
14 Unhappy Girl (03:56)
You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost
Tell me who
Are you?
I think that you know what to do
Impossible? Yes, but it's true
I think that you know what to do, yeah
I'm sure that you know what to do
You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost
Tell me who
Are you?
I think that you know what to do
Impossible? Yes, but it's true
I think that you know what to do, girl
I'm sure that you know what to do
You're lost little girl
You're lost little girl
You're lost
15 When The Music's Over (11:11)
When the music's over
When the music's over, yeah
When the music's over
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
When the music's over
When the music's over
When the music's over
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
For the music is your special friend
Dance on fire as it intends
Music is your only friend
Until the end
Until the end
Until the end
Cancel my subscription to the resurrection
Send my credentials to the house of detention
I got some friends inside
The face in the mirror won't stop
The girl in the window won't drop
A feast of friends, alive she cried
Waiting for me
Outside
Before I sink into the big sleep
I want to hear
I want to hear
The scream of the butterfly
Come back, baby
Back into my arms
We're getting tired of hangin' around
Waitin' around with our heads to the ground
I hear a very gentle sound
Very near yet very far
Very soft yet very clear
Come today
Come today
What have they done to the earth?
What have they done to our fair sister?
Ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her
Stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn
And tied her with fences and dragged her down
I hear a very gentle sound
With your ear down to the ground
We want the world and we want it
We want the world and we want it
Now
Now?
Now!
Persian night, babe
See the light, babe
Save us, Jesus
Save us
So when the music's over
When the music's over, yeah
When the music's over
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Turn out the lights
Well the music is your special friend
Dance on fire as it intends
Music is your only friend
Until the end
Until the end
Until the end
Eh? Okay, let's do one more.
16 Gloria (05:36)
Yeah, right.
Did you hear about my baby? She come around,
She come round here, the head to the ground?
Come round here just about midnight,
She makes me feel so good, make me feel all right.
She come round my street, now
She come to my house and
Knock upon my door
Climbing up my stairs, one, two
[unwriteable improvisation]
Come on baby
Here she is in my room, oh boy
Hey what's your name?
How old are you?
Where'd you go to school?
Aha, yeah
Aha, yeah
Ah, ah yeah, ah yeah
Oh haa, mmm
Well, now that we know each other a little bit better,
Why don't you come over here
Make me feel all right!
Gloria, gloria
Gloria, gloria
Gloria, gloria
All night, all day
All right, okey, yey!
(Gloria, gloria)
You were my queen and I was your fool,
Riding home after school.
You took me home
To your house.
Your father's at work,
Your mama's out shopping around.
Check me into your room.
Show me your thing.
Why'd you do it baby?
Getting softer, slow it down
Softer, get it down
Now you show me your thing.
Wrap your legs around my neck,
Wrap your arms around my feet, yeah
Wrap your hair around my skin.
I'm gonna huh, right, ok, yeah.
It's getting harder, it's getting too darn fast
It's getting harder
All right!
Come on, now, let's get it on.
Too late, too late, too late,
too late, too late, too late,
Can't stop, wow!
Make me feel all right!
Gloria, gloria
Gloria, gloria
All night, all day
All right, okey, yey!
Gloria, gloria
Keep the whole thing going, baby!
All right!
All right!
Aaaaah
17 Moonlight Drive (05:39)
Let's swim to the moon
Let's climb through the tide
Penetrate the evening that the
City sleeps to hide
Let's swim out tonight love
It's our time to try
Park besides the ocean
On our moonlight drive
Let's swim to the moon
Let's climb through the tide
Surrender to the waking world that
Laps against our side
Nothing left open and
No time to decide
We'll stop into a river
On our moonlight drive
Let's swim to the moon
Let's climb through the tide
You'll reach your hand to hold me
But I can't be your guide
It's easy to love you
As I watch you glide
Falling through wet forests
On our moonlight drive, baby
Moonlight drive
Come on baby, gonna take a little ride
Come on, down by the oceanside
Gonna get real close, get real tight
Baby, gonna drown tonight
Gonna drown, drown, drown
19 People Are Strange (02:14)
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
Alright, yeah
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange
When you're strange
When you're strange
20 Close To You (02:56)
(I want to get)
Close to you like black on white,
Close to you like the coldest of ice,
Close to you like a siamese twin,
Close to you like I'm feeling all right.
(I want to get)
Close to you baby, X3
I don't know what to say or do.
(I want to get)
Close to you like the sight of your eye?
Close to you like the heat is to fire,
Close to you baby as close as I can get,
Close to you like water is wet.
(I want to get)
Close to you till I'm feeling all right,
Close to you--gonna love you all night,
Close to you in New York City,
I love you so much you know it's a pity.
Closer and closer baby.
Closer and closer baby.
21 My Eyes Have Seen You (02:56)
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
Stand in your door
Meet inside
Show me some more
Show me some more
Show me some more
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
Turn and stare
Fix your hair
Move upstairs
Move upstairs
Move upstairs
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
Free from disguise
Gazing on a city
Under television skies
Television skies
Television skies
My eyes have seen you
My eyes have seen you
Eyes have seen you
Let them photograph your soul
Memorize your alleys
On an endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
Endless roll
22 Crawling King Snake (04:53)
Well, I'm the Crawlin' King Snake
And I rule my den
I'm the Crawlin' King Snake
And I rule my den
Yeah, don't mess 'round with my mate
Gonna use her for myself
Caught me crawlin', baby, window
Grass is very high
Keep on crawlin' till the day I die
Crawlin' King Snake
And I rule my den
You better give me what I want
Gonna crawl no more
Caught me crawlin', baby
Crawlin' 'round your door
Seein' everything I want
I'm gonna crawl on your floor
Let's crawl
And I rule my den
C'mon, give me what I want
Ain't gonna crawl no more
Alright, crawl a while
C'mon crawl
C'mon crawl
Get on out there on your hands and knees, baby
Crawl all over me
Just like the spider on the wall
Ooo, we gonn' crawl, one more
Well, I'm the Crawlin' King Snake
And I rule my den
Call me the Crawlin' King Snake
And I rule my den
Yeah, don't mess 'round with my mate
Gonna use her for myself
23 I Can't See Your Face In My Mind (03:07)
I can't see your face in my mind
I can't see your face in my mind
Carnival dogs consume the lines
Can't see your face in my mind
Don't you cry
Baby, please don't cry
And don't look at me with your eyes
I can't seem to find the right lie
I can't seem to find the right lie
Insanity's horse adorns the sky
Can't seem to find the right lie
Carnival dogs consume the lines
Can't see your face in my mind
Don't you cry
Baby, please don't cry
I won't need your picture until we say goodbye
24 Summertime (08:29)
Summertime
The livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your momma's rich, yeah
Your daddy's good lookin', yeah
Hush little baby
Whoa, don't you cry
Don't you cry, yeah
Don't you cry
Don't you cry
Don't you cry
Don't you cry, yeah
Please don't cry
Summertime, yeah
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
Yeah, the cotton is high, high, high
Your momma's rich, oh yeah
And your daddy's good lookin', ohh
Hush little baby
Don't you cry
Alright, now let's get real quiet, now
Let's get real quiet
Real quiet
Let's get real soft
Let's get real soft
Let's get real soft
Real soft
Let's get real soft
Real soft
Let's get real soft
Let's get real soft
Let's get soft
Let's get soft
Let's get soft
Let's get soft
Let's get real soft
And let's get real slow
Now come on, cool it, cool it
Get way down
Way down, mama
Way down
Way down
Way down
Way down
Way down
Go down
Go down
Go down
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