The Doors
the very best of

THE REVIEW

Forty years ago, the first self-titled album by The Doors was released, a true landmark of the psychedelic era and a clear opposition to the "Summer of Love," especially concerning the themes addressed (particularly sex and death). Jim Morrison was and remains one of the greatest icons of rock, perhaps the most mythologized, certainly one of the most beloved.

The music of The Doors is incredibly current even after such a long time, the piercing screams of the Lizard King still make one cringe and electrify, Manzarek's organ is a harmonic propeller, Krieger's guitar is melodic and at the same time acidic, Densmore's drumming is rich and jazzy.

Commenting on this "Best of" is quite easy, given that since 1985 it continues to be offered to us in all forms and with constant lineup changes. The utility of this disc in 2007 is to introduce young people aged between 14 and 20 to this fantastic and indispensable band, since those of older age will already have some earlier edition of this collection at home.

There is absolutely nothing new, fortunately, there are no "crowd-catching-discard" rarities; there is a fairly useless single version, a double edition which I highly recommend to those who do not know the band (although to discover them it's more interesting to explore their official catalog), and finally a double edition with an accompanying DVD containing snippets of the '68 European tour (as well as a booklet with all the lyrics and photos categorized as unreleased). All the most famous pieces are there: "Back Door Man," "Light My Fire," "Roundhouse Blues," "L.A. Woman," "Riders on the Storm," "The End," "When the Music's Over." The inclusion of "Whiskey, Mystics and Men" and "Orange County Suite," originally published in the "Box Set," is interesting. Completely superfluous are "Bird of Prey" and "Stoned Immaculate," tracks that take advantage of Jim's poetic recitations with musical background added a full seven years after the famous singer's death.

As for the value of the tracks, I find that the highest rating is almost limiting; the collection, however, is absolutely unnecessary, especially for those who already know them. Recommended only for future fans of The Doors.