Morrison Hotel ranks as my second favorite Doors album, settling in between L.A. Woman and their classic debut featuring “Light My Fire.” It has now reached the half-century mark and was recently reissued with a second disc of outtakes.
The A-side of the original vinyl release was perfect. “Roadhouse Blues,” “Waiting For The Sun,” “You Make Me Real,” “Peace Frog.” “Blue Sunday,” and “Ship Of Fools” were a return to their Doors blues/rock roots and is just about perfection. The rest of the songs are more hit and miss, with “Queen Of The Highway” and “Maggie McGill” being the best of the rest.
The sound is crystal clear but so were several other reissues of this album. The original lineup of material is more of a reminder of the brilliance of this release than anything new.
The second disc is one of those “for the person who must have everything by the band.” An example is the nine takes of “Queen Of The Highway.” It is always interesting to follow how a song was developed, but how many times will someone actually listen to these tracks?
The two standalone tracks are the classic “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Muddy Waters “Rock Me Baby.” While neither enhance the Doors legacy, they do fill in some gapes for the completist.
If you don’t have a modern version of the album, then this will be a good purchase. It is music that has aged well with the passage of time and, as such, presents the enduring quality of the Doors music. In a way familiarity takes away from some of the impact, but it still remains a strong release.
