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CANADIAN NIGHT (CD)
Buccaneer Records BUC 011, Italy 1991
1.Roadhouse Blues/ 2.Back Door Man-Five To One/ 3.When The Music's Over/ 4.Who Do You Love/ 5.Light My Fire-Fever-Summertime-St.James Infirma- ry-Light My Fire (cover just says Light My Fire)/ 6.The End
Sources: Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada, June 6th, 1970. Taken from the first Westwood One radio show. Not the complete show.


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After Westwood One put out 2 boxes containing stuff from The Doors' Vancouver concert at the Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada, June 6th, 1970, for radio broadcast all over the US, it was no wonder that the bootleggers would eagerly copy this material for their own profit. Vince Treanor, former Doors roadmanager, who had those tapes in his possesion for more than 20 years, gave the tapes to record producer Sandy Gibson, who, to Treanor's absolute horror, put them out as radio shows on Westwood One. The results are a lot of bootleg CDs and even a few LPs containing the songs from the show. After a while, Westwood One published a second radio show containing two extra songs. Canadian Night was the first bootleg that came out with the newly discovered Vancouver material. Later, Vancouver 70 (Skeleton SKCD 1066) was published, containing the extra songs. But still there are a few songs from the show missed, which were never broadcasted and therefore - never published on bootleg. Canadian Night is a brilliant CD, with about 70 minutes playing time, absolutely worth the money because of the excellent sound, the nice design and the good cover (a Jim Marshall-photo from a concert in San Jose 1967). This CD was taken from the first Westwood One radio show broadcasted July 6th and 7th, 1991, which also came out on vinyl "for radio stations only". This is not the complete show, but if you also buy the follow-up CD Vancouver 70, you've got the missing tracks from the second radio show. Jim Morrison is in a very good mood, The Doors play better than on most other 70's shows, and Albert King, the great old bluesman from the South, joins them on Who Do You Love. A great version of Light My Fire is on it, too, including a medley of Fever, Summertime and St. James Infirmary, which fit perfectly with the song. Recommended!



CAPABLE OF ANYTHING (2CD)
Crazy Blues Records CBCD 289, USA 1997
Disc One: 1.Roadhouse Blues/ 2.Alabama Song-Back Door Man-Five To One/ 3.When The Music's Over/ 4.Love Me Two Times/ 5.Little Red Rooster/ 6.Money/ 7.Rock Me Baby/ 8.Who Do You Love
Disc Two: 1.The Soft Parade Intro (cover says Petition The Lord With Prayer - Poem)/ 2.Light My Fire-Fever-Summertime-St.James Infirmary-Fever-Light My Fire/ 3.The End/ 4.Soul Kitchen-Runnin Blue-Soul Kitchen/ 5.Break On Through/ 6.The Crystal Ship/ 7.Wake Up/ 8.Light My Fire
Sources: Disc One= Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada, June 6th, 1970. Disc Two: tracks 1-3= Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada, June 6th, 1970; tracks 4-8= Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA, November 9, 1968. A copy of One Hundred Minutes (Tuff Bites T.B. 95.1040)
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Great US-copy of an European bootleg CD. It has got a fine cover showing Jim live during the Critique-Show (photo by Frank Lisciandro). The soundquality is absolutely the same. Very rare in Europe, a real collectors' item.



CELEBRATION (CD)
The Swinging Pig Records TSP-CD-022, Luxembourg 1989
1.Light My Fire/ 2.Touch Me/ 3.When The Music's Over/ 4.The End/ 5.Moonlight Drive/ 6.Light My Fire
Sources: 1=Ed Sullivan Show, New York, September 17th, 1967, from official video Dance On Fire; 2=Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Los Angeles, December 4th, 1968, from official video Dance On Fire; 3+4=Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, July 5th, 1968, from official video Live At The Hollywood Bowl; 5+6=Jonathan Winters TV Show, CBS Studios, Los Angeles, December 27th, 1967. Track 5 from official video Dance On Fire, track 6 from a TV special.


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First I thought this was a reprint of the double bootleg album Celebration (Eli Records) with the same title, which has got a horrible soundquality. But it wasn't. This Celebration CD it is a nice (but standard) compilation of Doors video tracks, which everybody already has. The soundquality is almost perfect but if you own The Doors' official videocassettes, you don't really need this CD. The first pressing came with a black tray, the reprint came in 1994 with a white tray.



THE CELEBRATION OF THE LIZARD (CD)
Alegra Records/Sarabandas srl CD 9019, Italy 1995
1.Soul Kitchen/ 2.Love Street/ 3.Ship Of Fools/ 4.Crawling King Snake/ 5.The End/ 6.Moonlight Drive-Horse Latitudes (cover just says Moonlight Drive)/ 7.Who Do You Love/ 8.Wild Child/ 9.The Celebration Of The Lizard/ 10.Build Me A Woman
Sources: 1+7=from official CD In Concert/ 2=Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, September 20th, 1968, late show; 5+6=Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, July 5th, 1968, from official video Live At The Hollywood Bowl; 8=Konsert- huset, Stockholm, Sweden, September 20th, 1968, early show; 3,4,10=Felt Forum, New York, January 17th, 1970, late show; 9=Felt Forum, New York, January 18th, 1970, late show.
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Well, this CD is not the best compilation ever, but the quality of the content is quite good. A rare photo of Jim Morrison from an early Fillmore East concert in New York on the cover is worth buying the disc - I know there are a lot of photo collectors out there. For the rest - nothing sensational.



CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK - AUG.21 1972 (CD)
Black Dog Records BD 004, Hungary 1993
1.Tightrope Ride/ 2.In The Eye Of The Sun/ 3.The Mosquito/ 4.Love Me Two Times/ 5.Verdillac (cover says Jam)/ 6.I'm Horny I'm Stoned/ 7.Ships With Sails (cover adds another Jam - extended Ships, but of course this is nothing else but the second part of track 7)/ 8.Good Rockin' Tonight/ 9.Light My Fire/ 10.Close To You
Sources: Central Park, New York, July 17th, 1972 (cover says August.21st, which is not true).
Attention: This is a recording without Jim Morrison.


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This CD features the entire show The Doors did as an open air concert in New York's Central Park in 1972. It seems that nobody is missing Jim - the band and the audience are in a very good mood, everybody is singing and clapping. Nowhere else they did a drum solo as an introduction for The Mosquito. Although the quality is pretty bad and the index is not correct, this CD (made from an audience recording) is enjoyable -- very different to what a Doors performance was all about before Jim died. The cover features some Henry Diltz photos taken in Venice in 1969 that were never seen before. Fairly enough, the bootlegger put one picture without Jim on the cover (Robby is behind the green female dummy), but inside the booklet there is the same picture with Jim taking Robby's place, holding the dummy's hand in his hand. I have no idea which photo is a montage and which isn't. Anyway, I think it is a big financial risk (for a bootlegger) to put out a Doors CD without Morrison on vocals. If you like the Doors without Jim, this is your chance to hear how they sounded like in concert. I only wish the soundquality would not be that bad!



THE CEREMONY CONTINUES (CD)
On Stage Records OSCD 12, Italy 1993
1.Love Me Two Times/ 2.Peace Frog/ 3.Rock Is Dead (ends with Jim's National Anthem-rap and the Soft Parade-Intro he did before playing Light My Fire; not mentioned on the cover)/ 4.Light My Fire/ 5.Roadhouse Blues/ 6.Someday Soon/ 7.Mystery Train/ 8.When The Music's Over
Sources: 1= from the official album Alive She Cried; 2= Felt Forum, New York, January 18th, 1970, late show; 3= from bootleg CD Orange County Suite (Document Records DR 019), recorded live at Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, 25/2/69; for the rap see track 4; 4= same as 2, but taken from bootleg CD Orange County Suite (Document Records DR 019); 5= from the album In Concert; 6-8= from bootleg CD June 5th 1970 - Live In Seattle (Flashback Worldproductions 02.92.0170).
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Don't mix this compilation up with the Baktabak CD bearing the same name containing the famous Morrison interview by Howard Smith. This one here has got no interview on it but live material which has been published before on various other bootlegs and official albums. The cover sheet doesn't mention where the stuff was recorded. Widely distributed in stores, it is pretty cheap, and makes an enjoyable listening, because it was carefully compiled from the best quality sources. For people who don't have the original sources it could be an interesting intro to The Doors.



THE CEREMONY CONTINUES (Double CD Set)
Baktabak Records CBAK 24052/2, England 1993
Sources: Howard Smith's Jim Morrison Interview, Los Angeles, Doors Office on Santa Monica Boulevard, November 1969


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A reissue of a British CD with the same name and the same cover containing Howard Smith's Jim Morrison Interview. Of course this CD should bear a different name - there are just Jim and Howard on it. This time the bootleggers added the official Light My Fire/Love Me Two Times Elektra CD single in a double CD box.



THE CEREMONY CONTINUES (CD)
Baktabak Records, CBAK 4052, England 1992
Sources: Complete Howard Smith interview with Jim Morrison, Doors office, Los Angeles, November 1969.


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Right, on this CD there's Howard's complete 59'21" interview in the best quality I've ever heard. If you listen to this on the earphones, you'll experience Howard's nightmares talking to Jim, and I guess you'll realize how much Jim was teasing him. The girl in the background, by the way, is Jim's former secretary, Kathy Lisciandro, who still makes the best coffee in the world (I know it!). Anyway, this CD is highly recommended, and it comes with a nice coversheet and a short version of The Doors' story. Nice one. On the back it says: "This album does not contain music and is not an Elektra release". It also says it was recorded in 1970 ... not true, must have been November 1969, but who cares? A really good interview CD - but there are just Jim, Howard and Kathy on it, no other Doors at all ...



COLLECTORS ITEMS (CD)
International Broadcast Recordings, IBR 2395, Italy 1994
1.Who do you love/ 2.Someday Soon/ 3.Peace Frog/ 4.Alabama Song-Back Door Man-Five To One/ 5.Light My Fire-Fever-Summertime-St.James Infirmary-Light My Fire/ 6.Build Me A Woman/ 7.When The Music's Over
Sources: 1= Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, June 6th, 1970; 2= Center Coliseum, Seattle, June 5th, 1970; 3-4= Felt Forum, New York, January 18th, 1970, late show; 5=same as 1; 6=same as 3-4; 7=same as 1.
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This seems to be Volume 2 of Rarities And Few (IBR 2325). Same comments. Good to hear just 1970's concerts on both CDs. The covers of both would look like magic for a vinyl edition. Recommended!



THE COMPLETE MATRIX CLUB TAPES (4 CD Box)
Kiss The Stone KTS BX 009, Italy 1994
Disc One: 1.Back Door Man/ 2.My Eyes Have Seen You/ 3.Soul Kitchen/ 4.Get Off My Life/ 5.When The Music's Over/ 6.Close To You/ 7.Crawling King Snake/ 8.I Can't See Your Face In My Mind/ 9.People Are Strange/ 10.Who Do You Love/ 11.Alabama Song/ 12.The Crystal Ship
Disc Two: 1.Twentieth Century Fox/ 2.Moonlight Drive/ 3.Summer's Almost Gone/ 4.Unhappy Girl/ 5.Me And The Devil Blues-Sittin' Here Thinkin'-Rock Me Baby (cover says Woman)/ 6.Break On Through/ 7.Light My Fire/ 8.The End
Disc Three: 1.My Eyes Have Seen You/ 2.Soul Kitchen/ 3.I Can't See Your Face In My Mind/ 4.People Are Strange/ 5.When The Music's Over/ 6.Money/ 7.Who Do You Love/ 8.Moonlight Drive
Disc Four: 1.Summer's Almost Gone/ 2.I'm A King Bee/ 3.Gloria/ 4.Break On Through/ 5.Summertime/ 6.Back Door Man/ 7.Alabama Song/ 8.The End
Sources: Disc One and Two= Complete recording of three sets at the Matrix Club, San Francisco, March 7th, 1967; Disc Three and Four=Complete recording of sets two and three at the Matrix Club, San Francisco, March 10th, 1967 (First set of that night is unfortunately still missed).


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This definite box of Matrix recordings clearly wipes off all other bootleg records having the same material. This box truly sets standards in the history of Bootlegging The Doors. It definitely has 11 songs from both nights that have never been published before on bootleg, which makes this expensive box worth the money you have to spend buying it. Just check the two versions of I Can't See Your Face In My Mind, or the two wonderful versions of When The Music's Over - they're far better than the versions of later concerts. Check the beauty of Light My Fire with its totally different intro - this shows that the band often continued to work on the structure and the arrangement of the songs, even after having published them on record. Robert Johnson's Me And The Devil Blues is unbelievably good, and the two versions of The End (although the second one is incomplete) are masterworks including rare Jim Morrison poetry renditions. The soundquality is really good, not that mushy as the well-known Swingin' Pig release.
On 4 beautifully designed color CDs you get 5 (!) complete sets from 2 different concerts, packed in a terrific box including a deluxe 24-page color booklet - you can't ask for more! Throw away all the Matrix CDs you've bought before and try to get this one. Absolutely RECOMMENDED!





CRAWLING KING SNAKES (CD)
Back Trax CD 04-88004, Luxembourg 1988
1.People are Strange/ 2.Alabama Song/ 3.Crystal Ship/ 4.Twentieth Century Fox/ 5.Moonlight Drive 6.Summer's Almost Gone/ 7.Unhappy Girl/ 8.Back Door Man/ 9.My Eyes Have Seen You/ 10.Soul Kitchen/ 11.Get Off My Life/ 12.Crawling King Snake/ 13.I Can't See Your Face In My Mind
Sources: Matrix Club, San Francisco, March 7th, 1967, first and second set.


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Another nice cover, taken from a postcard with a nice photo of Jim with a pending lady. The photo was taken up the hills of the Hollywood Bowl on July 5th, 1968. But it is just another release with Matrix tracks (same tracks on Autumn Life, Living Legend Records LLR CD 003), but in a different order. The sound-quality is the same as on Autumn Life, but with a cut at the beginning of Back Door Man, which proofs that the CD was copied from a vinyl record, most probably from the Italian vinyl bootleg Definitely Closed. There is definitely better Matrix stuff around! Interesting enough, the royalties (dues) for this disc had been paid in France.


© 1998 Rainer Moddemann, The Doors Quarterly Magazine. This guide may not be distributed in any other context or media.