The Very Best of The Doors (2007 album)

The Very Best of the Doors
Greatest hits album by The Doors
Released	March 25, 2007 (2007-03-25)
Recorded	1966–1971
Genre	Psychedelic rock, acid rock, blues-rock, hard rock
Length	78:53
Label	Elektra/Rhino
Producer	Paul A. Rothchild, Bruce Botnick, The Doors
The Doors chronology
Legacy: The Absolute Best (2003) The Very Best of the Doors (2007) The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Hits (2008)

The Very Best of the Doors is the ninth compilation album by the rock group The Doors. It was released on September 25, 2007 to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary. The masters were drawn from the same remixes/remasters used for the 2006 Perception box set and 2007 Doors reissues. Three versions of the album were released. First conceived in the UK, the single CD version of this compilation is only available in the UK. There are minor differences between the US and UK versions of the double CD version.

Album history

Originally slated to be released on March 26, 2007, the release date was delayed to September 25, 2007.^[1]

There was confusion as to the album's title prior to an official announcement. The Doors already have an album called The Very Best of The Doors that was released in 2001, that caused confusion among fans and critics. Several sources, including fan sites, claimed Jim Morrison's The Doors would be the album's title. The album was also put up for pre-sale on some online music merchants' sites under the Jim Morrison's The Doors title.

On June 18, 2007, a message was posted on The Doors' official MySpace page confirming that the title of the album would be The Very Best of The Doors 2007. A spokesperson for Elektra Records has said that the title and theme of The Doors’ ninth compilation album is about "a new beginning and their 40th anniversary."

On September 25, 2007, U.S. retailer Wal-Mart released a special edition of The Very Best of The Doors with an exclusive concert filmed during their world tour in London; it also contains a special book with the lyrics of each song.^[2]

Promotion

The album was well promoted on the Internet and on music channels. There were many commercials on the website YouTube and many other sites; one commercial was shown during the week of September 20 on VH1 and MTV.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

The album has received positive reviews. Allmusic titled its review "Amazing" and called the album "an amazing greatest hits".^[4]

Track listing

All songs composed by The Doors (John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison) unless otherwise indicated.

Single CD version (also known as The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Hits (2008))

1. "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" (Jim Morrison) (from The Doors, 1967) – 2:28
2. "Light My Fire" (Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison) (from The Doors) – 7:00
3. "Love Me Two Times" (Krieger) (from Strange Days, 1967) – 3:16
4. "Hello, I Love You" (Morrison) (from Waiting for the Sun, 1968) – 2:40
5. "People Are Strange" (Morrison, Krieger) (from Strange Days, 1967) – 2:12
6. "Strange Days" (Morrison) (from Strange Days) – 3:09
7. "Riders on the Storm" (from L.A. Woman, 1971) – 7:08
8. "L.A. Woman" (Morrison) (from L.A. Woman) – 8:00
9. "Touch Me" (Krieger) (from The Soft Parade, 1969) – 3:13
10. "Roadhouse Blues" (Morrison, The Doors) (from Morrison Hotel, 1970) – 4:07
11. "Peace Frog" (Morrison, Krieger) (from Morrison Hotel) – 2:58
12. "Love Street" (Morrison) (from Waiting for the Sun) – 2:57
13. "The Crystal Ship" (Morrison) (from The Doors) – 2:35
14. "Soul Kitchen" (Morrison) (from The Doors) – 3:33
15. "Love Her Madly" (Krieger) (from L.A. Woman) – 3:40
16. "Back Door Man" (Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett) (from The Doors) – 3:33
17. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) (from The Doors) – 3:17
18. "Moonlight Drive" (Morrison) (from Strange Days) – 3:04
19. "The Unknown Soldier" (from Waiting for the Sun) – 4:03
20. "The End" (Edited version from the film Apocalypse Now (1979); originally from The Doors) – 6:28

Double CD version (UK version)

Disc 1

1. "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" (Morrison)
2. "Strange Days" (Morrison)
3. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" (Brecht, Weill)
4. "Love Me Two Times" (Krieger)
5. "Light My Fire" (Morrison, Krieger)
6. "Spanish Caravan" (from Waiting for the Sun) – 3:01
7. "The Crystal Ship" (Morrison)
8. "The Unknown Soldier"
9. "The End" – 11:41
10. "People Are Strange" (Morrison, Krieger)
11. "Back Door Man" (Dixon, Burnett)
12. "Moonlight Drive" (Morrison)
13. "End of the Night" (Morrison) (from The Doors) – 2:51
14. "Five to One" (Morrison) (from Waiting for the Sun) – 4:32
15. "When the Music's Over" (from Strange Days) – 11:05

Disc 2

1. "Bird of Prey" (Morrison) (from An American Prayer, 1978) – 1:06
2. "Love Her Madly" (Krieger)
3. "Riders on the Storm"
4. "Orange County Suite" (Morrison) previously found on The Doors: Box Set and later included on Essential Rarities, 1997/1999; was recorded for L.A. Woman, 1970-1971) – 5:45
5. "Runnin' Blue" (Krieger) (from The Soft Parade) – 2:29
6. "Hello, I Love You" (Morrison)
7. "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)" (Morrison) (from L.A. Woman) – 4:16
8. "Stoned Immaculate" (Morrison) (from An American Prayer) – 1:36
9. "Soul Kitchen" (Morrison)
10. "Peace Frog" (Morrison, Krieger)
11. "L.A. Woman" (Morrison)
12. "Waiting for the Sun" (Morrison) (from Morrison Hotel; originally recorded for the album of the same name, 1968) – 4:03
13. "Touch Me" (Krieger)
14. "The Changeling" (Morrison) (from L.A. Woman) – 4:26
15. "Wishful Sinful" (Krieger) (from The Soft Parade) – 2:59
16. "Love Street" (Morrison)
17. "The Ghost Song" (from An American Prayer) – 4:14
18. "Whiskey, Mystics and Men" (from The Doors: Box Set and Essential Rarities; originally recorded in 1969/1977 though other official releases says it was recorded in 1970) – 2:28
19. "Roadhouse Blues" (Morrison) (from Morrison Hotel) – 4:06

Double CD version (U.S. version)

Disc 1

The track list is identical to the UK version, listed above.

Disc 2

1. "Twentieth Century Fox" (from The Doors) – 2:35
2. "Love Her Madly"
3. "Riders on the Storm"
4. "My Eyes Have Seen You" (from Strange Days) – 2:29
5. "Tell All The People" (from The Soft Parade) – 3:21
6. "Hello, I Love You"
7. "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)"
8. "Not to Touch the Earth" (from Waiting for the Sun; originally a part of the epic suite "Celebration of the Lizard") – 3:59
9. "Soul Kitchen"
10. "Peace Frog"
11. "L.A. Woman"
12. "Waiting for the Sun"
13. "Touch Me"
14. "The Changeling"
15. "Wishful Sinful"
16. "Love Street"
17. "The Ghost Song"
18. "Gloria (Live)" (Van Morrison) (from Alive, She Cried, 1983) – 6:20
19. "Roadhouse Blues"

The Wal-Mart exclusive

This 2 CD and 1 DVD set contains the U.K. track listing (even if bought in the U.S.). The DVD highlights performances from Live In Europe 1968.

DVD

1. "Light My Fire"
2. "Hello, I Love You"
3. "Spanish Caravan"
4. "The Unknown Soldier"
5. "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)" / "Love Me Two Times"

The package itself is a rectangle. Marketed as a soft/paper book with an overlapping inlay for both CD's. The book features photos, an essay, and lyrics to each song found on the release. The DVD is in the back.

Personnel

• Jim Morrison – vocals
• Robby Krieger – guitar
• Ray Manzarek – piano, organ
• John Densmore – drums
• Bruce Botnick – co-producer of the L.A. Woman tracks, engineer for all tracks including the former tracks except for disc 2, track 18, remixing job for all releases
• Paul A. Rothchild – producer for all tracks except for the L.A. Woman selections
• Jerry Scheff – bass guitar on the single disc version tracks 7-8 & 15/disc 2, tracks 2-3, 7-8 (the latter only on UK version), 11, & 14 (both versions)
• Larry Knechtel (was uncredited) – bass guitar on the single disc version tracks 2, 14, & 16/disc 1, tracks 5 & 11 and disc 2, tracks 1 (only on U.S. version) & 9 (both versions)
• Douglass Lubahn – bass guitar on the single disc versions tracks 3-6, 12, & 18/disc 1, tracks 2, 4, 10, 12, & 14 (both versions) and disc 2, tracks 4 (only on U.S. version), 5 (only on UK version), 6, & 16 (both versions)
• Kerry Magness – bass guitar on the single disc version track 19/disc 1, track 8 (both versions)
• Leroy Vinnegar – acoustic bass on disc 1, track 6 (both versions)
• Curtis Amy – saxophone solo on the single disc version track 9/disc, tracks 4 (only on U.S. version), 11, & 13 (both versions)
• George Bohanan – trombone on the single disc version track 9/disc 2, tracks 4 (only on U.S. version), 11, & 13 (both versions)
• Harvey Brooks – bass guitar on the single disc version track 9/disc 2, tracks 4 (only on U.S. version), 11, & 13 (both versions)
• Jimmy Buchanan – fiddle on the UK version disc 2, track 5
• Jesse McReynolds – mandolin on the single disc version track 9 and disc 2, track 13 (both versions)
• Champ Webb – English horn solo on the U.S. version disc 2, track 15
• Paul Harris – orchestral arrangements on the single disc version track 9 and disc 2, track 11 (both versions)
• Lonnie Mack – bass guitar on the single disc version track 10/disc 2, track 19 (both versions)
• Ray Neapolitan – bass guitar on the single disc version track 11/disc 2, tracks 10 & 12 (both versions)
• John Sebastian (was credited as "G. Puglese") – harmonica on the single disc version track 10/disc 2, track 19 (both versions)
• Marc Benno – additional guitar on the single disc version track 8/disc 2, track 11 (both versions)

Certifications

References