The Doors: Live In Europe 1968 [DVD]

For Doors completists only, this shapeless gathering of rare film clips of the band performing in Europe is hampered by the same old, frustrating problems with attempting to convey, through lousy camera work, the band's power as a live act. The packaging tells us the Doors swept through London, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Amsterdam during a 1968 tour documented here, but there is no way to appreciate that save for a random clip or two of Jim Morrison milling about outside concert venues, talking with fans. Otherwise, we see the same sort of obfuscating on-stage close-ups of Morrison you can see in any footage of a Doors gig, stumbling around, crooning and reciting poetry to minimalist accompaniment by Ray Manzarek on keyboards, John Densmore on drums and Robby Krieger on guitar. Unless one can see, in the mind's eye, what the band is up to from the point of view of a kid in the 30th row, there is no way to really get the hypnotic, Dionysian effect for which the Doors were justifiably famous. Thus, for anyone who can imagine such a thing, or take it on faith, there is good reason to enjoy performances of "Spanish Caravan", "Five to One" and two versions of "Light My Fire". There is even a relic of pre-MTV, pop promotion: a silly-looking performance of "Hello, I Love You" shot before a baffled crowd on a London street. --Tom Keogh

Song list:
1. Light My Fire
2. Love Me Two Times
3. Back Door Man
4. Spanish Caravan
5. Hello, I Love You
6. When the Music's Over
7. Unknown Soldier
8. Light My Fire (II)
9. Five to One
10. Alabama Song