The Very Best of The Doors [Original recording remastered]

The Doors are one of the groups I loved as a student and young man though they have rarely been on my playlist over the past few years as I approach middle age. I imagine that this is the case for many other music fans as Jim Morrison's driven pursuit of hedonism, rebelliousness and somewhat pretentious poetry are really the preserve of the young. Indeed, The Doors are still worshipped by many youngsters today - more than virtually any other band of their generation.

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the beginning of their brief recording career, their six studio albums have been remixed and re-released. A new compilation has also been brought out in two formats - a "light" option featuring their best and most famous tracks on one CD and heavier dish with two CDs and a DVD. The light option is fine for me thanks but many thanks for giving us the choice...

But does the single CD include the right tracks? Mostly yes, but not totally. All present and correct are Morrison's statement of intent Break On Through (To The Other side), the haunting Riders On The Storm and funky Peace Frog, a song that doesn't always make it onto a Doors' compilation. Further highlights for me include the full version of Light My Fire, brassy Touch Me, delicate Love Street and psychedelic Strange Days with its fabulous chorus chordal sequence which makes this listener think about jumping around the room. Only he doesn't...

On the downside; there are, at seven, far too many tracks from the band's slightly over-rated debut album. Surely Soul Kitchen and the pedestrian Back Door Man should have been replaced by Waiting For The Sun and Spanish Caravan. Of the band's two most lengthy epics, the exclusion of the 10 minute When The Music's Over was probably the correct decision given the lack of space on a single CD though surely we should have had the full, still shocking version of The End rather than an edit version from Apocalypse Now which only includes half the song. All justified quibbles though overall the track selection is good and if you or I disagree any more then maybe we should be considering the two CD version instead...

Listening to these songs again, many for the first time in a few years, it's not difficult to see why The Doors are still seen as a major, iconic group in rock history. Supporting Jim Morrison's vocals, lyrics and attitude, we have Ray Manazarek's prostigious, defining keyboard talents, Robby Krieger's fluid guitar-work and John Densmore's often jazzy drums. Crucially, these three gifted musicians knew when not to play and leave space for the atmosphere to flourish as much as when to demonstrate their considerable musical chops.

The Doors' legacy has of course been enhanced by Jim Morrison's tragic yet not surprising early death. Jim may be forever young and have a special appeal to the youthful, though there's still more than enough here to appreciate as you get older. The Very Best Of The Doors is an excellent compilation giving this almost middle-aged fan licence to re-explore some of the best music made by this incredible and distinctive band. Welcome back!

The truth is, all of The Door's albums are worth owning and because each album was so different in style, it is important to purchase each one seperately to understand the true artistic diversity of the band. However in terms of packaging and tracklisting, this is the best compilation ever. The 40th anniversary remixes have noticible clarity over the previous CD releases, although it is disc 2 that sees some of the most noticable improvements. Love her madly and hello I love you are subtly different as are riders on on the storm and others although it is these former two that are superior through enchancement.

The running order on the first disc is little different from the previous best of, but disc 2 is nicely balanced with all the up-tempo pop of "the soft parade" mated to the single waiting for the sun and the opener from Morrison Hotel finally being more aptly placed as a rip-roaring finale. This is a great compilation, and even if you own all the albums, is just about different to warrant a purchase, especially for a car journey.

Do not fall for the gimmickry of the 40th anniversary remixes. If there is one band that never needed a remix, it is The Doors. Here they have been tampered with to suit the bland tastes of the general 21st century consumer- to specify- a lot of the atmospheric reverb has been taken off, the drums sound flat. Even the keys sound fake, because the digital software Botsky has used evidently cannot handle depth, or whatever. If you are used to the original recordings, you will notice the change immediately- since I picked this compilation up in a hurry, (yes, ok, I should have noticed the massive sticker) it was not a change I was prepared for.