Great songs, but I just do not hear the commercial potential as hit singles, especially circa 1970. Still, what an incredible album.
...the cover for 13 looks like the photo of John, Robby and ray looks like a photo from late 1966 or 1967...and the super imposed photo of Jim was taken later...if I remember correctly durning the LA Woman sessions the Jim said he would shave off the beard for the photo shot but than at the last minute he changed his mind...
I think a lot of stereo fans concentrate on soundstage and panning. Mono has depth, too, if it's done well. When you listen to mono, the sound is usually more aggressive and powerful. That was the point. You're not talking about trying to have space between instruments and all that crap. We're talking about sheer power, balls! That's what makes the mono mixes special. Listen to "Light My Fire". Sure, it's faster, but it has a raw energy that the stereo mix just doesn't have.
I downloaded the 24/192 files from HD Tracks. It's the same track listing as the 2 CD set. Sounds tubey, uncompressed, and pure analog on my Pono through my vintage 70's Lafayette amp. I highly recommend!
Daggone this Quad mix is AMAZING!!! By far, the most superior representation of these cuts...the clarity, the full space for each instrument, Ray being kept a little more in check as far as mixing balance....it's just too incredible! ....and I've had the quad 8 for decades, but this Blu is stunning!! Granted I didn't buy the sacd because I had the Q8 and I knew that it would sell through the roof anyway, but the price for this set I would have gladly paid for the Bluray alone....LOVE IT!! I've owned just about every known release of Light My Fire and this one is the best of all! Full sounding without the shrillness normally found and fuller bass YAY!!
Good to hear, I'm going to spin mine on Saturday. I love the CDs overall. The post Morrison stuff, well, meh, but the rest Rocks.
I recognize the virtues of mono mixes, Grant. I often prefer mono mixes over their counterpart stereo mixes exactly because of how much focus they provide: the way they pull everything together and give it weight and force. All I'm saying is that (to me) the spread and atmosphere... the particular eerie, vaguely sinister, spaciousness of the stereo mixes fits the The Doors' vibe more than the focused raw energy of the mono. But that's totally a subjective call. Whichever one you like best is the one that's right for you.
I really, REALLY hate the single edit of "Mosquito", by the way. It would've been a stronger single if they kept more of the jam and didn't go back to the lyrics.
There are some attractive melodies in parts of Ships W/Sails and The Mosquito and generally solid musicianship throughout, but the material is largely substandard and lacks cohesion, and the vocal performances are worse.
