THE DOORS are truly at their peak musically for this concert film, and don’t even appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Just a straight forward G-rated set of killer tunes delivered with tight precision and an unerring atmosphere of man’s inhumanity to man. The concert film is photographed in moody black & white which helps contribute to the bleak tone of the group’s compositions. Director John Sheppard integrates newsreel footage with the band’s political warnings. Some may find this irksome or distracting from the overall performance of the band, but I felt that these visuals were so in tune with the band’s messages of society in the late 1960s that it complimented their music. Also interspersed between songs is interview footage with the band and the media blitz surrounding THE DOORS arrival in London. You gotta love the existential questions posed by the U.K. press and the bands’ subsequential responses. Most of the songs on here contain extended jams especially on the sizzling opener When The Music’s Over (which runs about twelve minutes here). Jim Morrison and his haunting lyrics are always a treat to behold, and watching the poetic frontman deliver his messages as only he can—with a ritualistic wailing and violent anguish that sends chills down your spine. Robbie Krieger’s under-appreciated guitar skills provides the impetus for the band. John Densmore’s primal drumming fills out THE DOORS bottom end. And the band would not be the same were it not for Ray Manzarek, whose keyboard driven precision has become the signature of THE DOORS. The band plows through their fan favorites like Five To One, Spanish Caravan, and Unknown Soldier together with their hits Light My Fire, Back Door Man, and Hello I Love You. My one complaint with THE DOORS ARE OPEN is that (including the interview segments and archive footage) this show lasts an hour and only seven of the bands songs are present. Many of their hits are missing from this concert film including L.A. Woman, Riders on the Storm, and Roadhouse Blues.

THE DOORS ARE OPEN is presented full frame (1.33.1) from a fairly worn print that exhibits an abundance of grain. It’s obvious that Pioneer has performed absolutely no clean-up work to this 35 year old concert footage. The interspersing of the interview snippets and newsreel shots match well with the performance footage because its all murky Black & White. I’m not complaining about the fact that it is colorless (I believe it adds to the mood), but the print is unbalanced B & W which results in a wash-out grayish appearance. All in all, not a bad transfer given the age and recording technology, but you would think that a company like Pioneer would clean things up a bit. At least they went through the trouble of remastering the soundtrack to Dolby Digital 5.1. Though not quite true CD fidelity, this is quite an improvement over the original mono sound. The production is not overdone and still sounds quite raw despite sounding hollow at times. The drums are tinny, yet the bass guitar has plenty of depth. The Roundhouse supposedly has great acoustics and listening to the ambiance here its easy to see why. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio imaging allows for some separations effects but don’t expect anything truly dynamic. Jim Morrison’s vocals are clear and undistorted and well-placed in the mix. Overall a strong acoustic effort considering the 2 track recording originally used to capture the energy and aura of THE DOORS.

Despite the minimalisitic approach to THE DOORS ARE OPEN, this concert documentary is more of an accurate portrayal of the band than Oliver Stone’s motion picture. If this performance contained more classic THE DOORS songs, then it would surely quantify a purchase. The major disappointment with this timeless concert event, possibly THE DOORS best concert film, is that Pioneer didn’t put up the cash to improve the visual aspects of this DVD transfer. Also missing is the complete lack of extras. Thankfully, Pioneer’s audio Dolby Digital 5.1 remastering is superior to their visual presentation, which makes this disc worthy for fans of THE DOORS. Check out THE DOORS ARE OPEN and see where today’s anguish-filled bands copped their act from.

THE DOORS: THE DOORS ARE OPEN is available from DVDEmpire.com