The Doors "Paris Blues" (2022 Record Store Day Black Friday LP)
For Record Store Day Black Friday 2022, a vinyl LP containing blues recordings by The Doors -- both live and studio-recorded -- was issued in a 10,000-copy limited edition in the United States, with a total of 17,000 copies made available worldwide. Paris Blues was pressed in translucent blue vinyl, with cover art by guitarist Robby Krieger, and it came with a colored insert advertising the Jim Morrison book set A Guide To The Labyrinth, which was also a limited edition item.
The title track, "Paris Blues", is a studio recording, a long-lost band-written blues song believed to have been recorded during sessions for either The Soft Parade in late 1968, or L.A. Woman in late 1970 or early '71. I would guess the latter scenario is more likely, since the lyrics seem to refer to Jim Morrison's plans to move to France shortly before he died. According to the LP packaging, "Paris Blues" is the last known unreleased Doors studio track. The master tape of the track was damaged long ago, and "creative editing" was used to fix the recording...whatever that means. Whatever restoration methods were used, the song -- which is available digitally -- is a decent, straightforward slow blues tune, with Morrison and the band showing considerable restraint both vocally and instrumentally. Although it runs a bit too long at nearly six minutes, the song is a worthy salvage from the vaults of the Doors, who were not usually known for this kind of straightforward blues...but blues recordings from the Doors are exactly what the rest of this record has to offer.
The first side of the LP also includes two more previously unreleased tracks, which were recorded live in West Hollywood in May 1969 at a benefit for Norman Mailer's proto-Libertarian NYC mayoral campaign. It's hard to imagine the atmosphere at such a peculiar event, but except for a short bit of audience chatter, these two tracks could pass for private lo-fi demos, and they are low-key, as well. The first number, "I Will Be Untrue", is a band-written original, while the second, "Me And The Devil Blues", is a Robert Johnson cover. In both cases, the legendary rock band again shows uncommon restraint during these performances, perhaps due to reverence for traditional blues. These two half-interesting tracks provide another welcome glimpse of this side of the Doors.
The other two tracks on Side 1 are studio recordings from the Soft Parade sessions, previously released on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of that album in 2019. Both of these songs are Muddy Waters covers, on which keyboardist Ray Manzarek sang the lead vocals instead of Morrison. Unfortunately, Ray was not the most soulful man on the planet. Although he had a distinctive speaking voice, his singing voice was insipid; and when you hear him singing these blues numbers, he sounds like he was straining in vain. At least it's presented as an intentional joke here; when "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" was issued in 1971, first as a B-side and then on a compilation, it was hard to tell if it was meant seriously or not. In this case...well, my advice is to try to just focus on the instrumentation when listening to these two tracks.
The three live tracks on Side 2 were recorded in June 1970 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada, with veteran blues guitarist Albert King joining the band onstage for a blues-rock jam, lending them some gravitas as a blues outfit. The Doors and their special guest covered songs by Howlin' Wolf ("Little Red Rooster"), Bo Diddley ("Who Do You Love?"), and B.B. King ("Rock Me Baby"). These tracks were previously issued on the 2010 double-CD Live In Vancouver 1970. The elder bluesman's guitar blends in well with the younger rock band's musicianship during this set, although the sound quality of the recording is sometimes harsh. Morrison is in slightly wilder Lizard King form here than on the first side's tracks, especially at the close of "Rock Me Baby".
Paris Blues is a worthwhile, though not essential, addition to vinyl Doors collections, exploring a little-heard side of the band's musical palette.
The Doors "Paris Blues" (Rhino/Elektra RCV1 659233) 2022
Track Listing:
SIDE 1
1. Paris Blues
2. I Will Never Be Untrue
3. Me And The Devil Blues
4. (You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further
5. I'm Your Doctor
SIDE 2
1. Jim's Introduction
2. Little Red Rooster - with Albert King
3. Rock Me Baby - with Albert King
4. Who Do You Love? - with Albert King
See also Rarebird's Doors Reviews
The title track, "Paris Blues", is a studio recording, a long-lost band-written blues song believed to have been recorded during sessions for either The Soft Parade in late 1968, or L.A. Woman in late 1970 or early '71. I would guess the latter scenario is more likely, since the lyrics seem to refer to Jim Morrison's plans to move to France shortly before he died. According to the LP packaging, "Paris Blues" is the last known unreleased Doors studio track. The master tape of the track was damaged long ago, and "creative editing" was used to fix the recording...whatever that means. Whatever restoration methods were used, the song -- which is available digitally -- is a decent, straightforward slow blues tune, with Morrison and the band showing considerable restraint both vocally and instrumentally. Although it runs a bit too long at nearly six minutes, the song is a worthy salvage from the vaults of the Doors, who were not usually known for this kind of straightforward blues...but blues recordings from the Doors are exactly what the rest of this record has to offer.
The first side of the LP also includes two more previously unreleased tracks, which were recorded live in West Hollywood in May 1969 at a benefit for Norman Mailer's proto-Libertarian NYC mayoral campaign. It's hard to imagine the atmosphere at such a peculiar event, but except for a short bit of audience chatter, these two tracks could pass for private lo-fi demos, and they are low-key, as well. The first number, "I Will Be Untrue", is a band-written original, while the second, "Me And The Devil Blues", is a Robert Johnson cover. In both cases, the legendary rock band again shows uncommon restraint during these performances, perhaps due to reverence for traditional blues. These two half-interesting tracks provide another welcome glimpse of this side of the Doors.
The other two tracks on Side 1 are studio recordings from the Soft Parade sessions, previously released on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of that album in 2019. Both of these songs are Muddy Waters covers, on which keyboardist Ray Manzarek sang the lead vocals instead of Morrison. Unfortunately, Ray was not the most soulful man on the planet. Although he had a distinctive speaking voice, his singing voice was insipid; and when you hear him singing these blues numbers, he sounds like he was straining in vain. At least it's presented as an intentional joke here; when "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" was issued in 1971, first as a B-side and then on a compilation, it was hard to tell if it was meant seriously or not. In this case...well, my advice is to try to just focus on the instrumentation when listening to these two tracks.
The three live tracks on Side 2 were recorded in June 1970 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada, with veteran blues guitarist Albert King joining the band onstage for a blues-rock jam, lending them some gravitas as a blues outfit. The Doors and their special guest covered songs by Howlin' Wolf ("Little Red Rooster"), Bo Diddley ("Who Do You Love?"), and B.B. King ("Rock Me Baby"). These tracks were previously issued on the 2010 double-CD Live In Vancouver 1970. The elder bluesman's guitar blends in well with the younger rock band's musicianship during this set, although the sound quality of the recording is sometimes harsh. Morrison is in slightly wilder Lizard King form here than on the first side's tracks, especially at the close of "Rock Me Baby".
Paris Blues is a worthwhile, though not essential, addition to vinyl Doors collections, exploring a little-heard side of the band's musical palette.
The Doors "Paris Blues" (Rhino/Elektra RCV1 659233) 2022
Track Listing:
SIDE 1
1. Paris Blues
2. I Will Never Be Untrue
3. Me And The Devil Blues
4. (You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further
5. I'm Your Doctor
SIDE 2
1. Jim's Introduction
2. Little Red Rooster - with Albert King
3. Rock Me Baby - with Albert King
4. Who Do You Love? - with Albert King
See also Rarebird's Doors Reviews
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