THE DOORS AFTER THE "STRANGE DAYS" LP RELEASE, LIVE IN DENVER: THE BOOTLEG

Immediately after the release of The Doors' second album, "Strange Days" (released in September 1967), the group performed three concerts: 26, 27 and 30 September 1967. The last of these took place in Denver at a large venue called "The Family Dog", which was famous at the time for hosting the best of the California rock scene.

Fortunately, a short bootleg of this live show exists (link here), documenting the performance of "Light My Fire", a song from the band's first LP, "The Doors" (released in January 1967), which had topped the US charts only two months earlier.

Although only this one song is available, the recording is important because live material from this stage in The Doors' career is scarce, and because of the features of this live version of "Light My Fire".

It is, in fact, Ray Manzarek's solo on the electric organ (a Vox Continental) that is the most interesting and distinctive element here.

At min. 1:14 in the bootleg, the keyboardist begins his solo in an unusual way. Dissonant and surprising notes follow one another, directing the listener's attention along an original and fascinating path.

The organ notes take us on a journey that is both jagged and evocative, clearly showcasing the distinctive style of jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.

To better appreciate the styles being juxtaposed here, we recommend listening to the electric organ solo in this bootleg alongside "Five Spot Blues" (from min. 1:48 to min. 2:30), which was recorded by Monk in autumn 1962 and released on the LP "Monk's Dream" in 1963 (link here).

Next up is Robby Krieger's solo on the electric guitar. However, instead of returning to the main theme of the composition after Krieger's solo, Manzarek comes back with another short but convincing excursion.

This sequence clearly demonstrates the improvised and spontaneous nature of this period in The Doors' career. It also highlights the musicians' musical mastery and their ability to listen deeply to each other.

This is a highly recommended listening to grasp the spirit that characterized the band's concerts in the second half of 1967, and the exhilarating atmosphere of passion generated by its members.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”