Orpheum, Boston, Massachusetts
I've been visiting KNAC.COM on a regular basis for some time now, and never
before have I been as compelled to submit a concert review than after reading
Mick Stingley's account of his experience with The Doors at the Roseland. Either
he saw a different band, or he needs to stick to his Britney Spears concerts.
The show I saw the next night in Boston was fantastic!
I work for a label, and I've seen hundreds of bands over the years. At this
point, I'm extremely critical, and it takes something very special for me to
be blown away. I have to say that even with Morrison absent, this was one of
the better shows I had ever seen. These guys blew the roof off the place!
They were fired up to be playing this music again, and the audience was fired
up to hear it. The crowd wouldn't let them leave the stage, and at times they
were even chanting Ian Astbury's name. As was the case with many in attendance,
I was skeptical that they could pull it off, thinking at best that it would be
the ultimate Doors tribute band, but I left convinced that they are still the
Doors. I guess what I realized was that the music played a much greater role
in the sound of that band than the surviving members are ever given credit for.
Anyone who thinks that The Doors were entirely Jim Morrison, needs to sit back
and listen more closely to the music. Go listen to some old live recordings. Go
pick up Live In Detroit. Listen to Light My Fire for God’s sake. They
were a band who loved to go off on instrumental jams. Those trademark Manzarek
keyboards and the bluesy guitar riffs of Robby Krieger resonate just as much as
Jim's voice. Both of these guys are terribly underrated musicians. To have these
legends together again on stage banging out Doors classics with a singer like
Ian Astbury is a gift.
What people also may not remember is that the Doors continued as a band after
Morrison's death, and actually put out two more albums with Elektra before
disbanding. During that time, they had even considered grabbing Iggy Pop as the
new lead singer. Unfortunately, the Lizard King's persona so overshadowed the
band, that the fans would not accept a Morrison-less Doors.
I credit the surviving members for giving it a shot without Morrison back then,
and I give them credit for trying again now. It's their music, so why shouldn't
they? Besides, an Ian Astbury fronted Doors is still a hell of a lot better than
a Fred Durst fronted Limp Bizkit.
I highly recommend everyone go check out this resurrected band. Jim Morrison is
there in spirit, and the music is pure Doors.
Jon Burr - Knac.com
Astley (sic) keeps Doors swingin'
Sometimes a show jumps up and surpasses expectations. A perfect example was
Friday night's Doors reunion, which could have been a hard sell because of
the late singer/rock-icon-supreme Jim Morrison's absence. But new singer Ian
Astley (sic) stepped up remarkably well and, helped by original Doors Ray
Manzarek and Robbie Krieger, made this an event to savor.
Astley (sic), whose booming vocals have been a staple of the psychedelic
hard-rock band the Cult, appeared completely comfortable in the role of
Morrison. From the stage regalia of sunglasses and leather jacket, to the
blistering, leather-lunged belting, Astley (sic) fit the bill incredibly.
He had some trouble on the moody side of the Doors repertoire (he seemed a bit
tame on When the Music's Over), but on the rock tunes, he excelled.
On the vintage Roadhouse Blues and LA Woman, he reached
transcendent levels that had old-school Doors fans shaking their heads. (Full
disclosure: I saw the original Doors twice -- once at the now-defunct Crosstown
Bus in Brighton, where Morrison chugged Southern Comfort and young women danced
in go-go cages next to tinfoil-covered walls, and once at Meehan Auditorium in
Providence, a tamer show by comparison).
Friday night was tame from a behavioral point of view (Astley (sic) didn't ingest
anything), but not tame musically. The Doors rocked for two hours and 15 minutes,
hitting nearly every highlight from their '60s heyday (Back Door Man,
Crystal Ship, Light My Fire, Peace Frog, and Soul
Kitchen helped take the night home).
The group also debuted a new song, Cops Talk (written by Jim Carroll of
"Basketball Diaries" fame), that fit in nicely and featured Astley (sic) and
Manzarek trading lead vocals that had a street-rap edge.
The video montages also brought back the highs and lows of the '60s, from footage
of a happy Morrison on a beach to turbulent images of police brutality during
the civil rights struggle, and shots of abused Native Americans shown during
Wild Child.
The Doors had a film school background in Los Angeles, so it was appropriate to
see that side of the band carried on. And kudos to the Brotherhood of Love, a San
Francisco company that helped put together the video and the arresting light show
that was like a psychedelic experience revisited.
Concert highlights included several intense instrumental solos between Manzarek
and Krieger (who also played some flamenco guitar to great effect).
One forgets just how talented the rest of the band was, since Morrison usually got
all the credit. And new backup musicians Ty Dennis on drums (he played with the
Motels) and Angelo Barbera on bass were worthy additions to the Doors fold.
Manzarek said the group was working on an album for release this year. It might
be a hope beyond hope to think it could rival their old work, but based on the
concert Friday night, there should be no shortage of momentum.
Steve Morse, Boston Globe Staff, 4/27/2003
It's a shame that the Boston Globe hires a reporter that is unable to do the
appropriate research to even get a singer's name printed correctly.