Classic Albums: The Doors

[Sheriff John Stone]

I just caught the premiere on VH1 Classic. What a fine documentary this is. New interviews with the surviving Doors and Bruce Botnick, Jac Holzman, and Bill Siddons. Botnick played some cool backing tracks and isolated Morrison vocal stuff. They also showed Ray, Robby, and John in 2008 playing some of their familiar riffs. If you're a Doors fan, you'll love this.

[the captain]

I love that series: I've got the DVDs of Lou Reed's Transformer, Paul Simon's Graceland, Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, the Band's s/t and several others. I'm not really much of a Doors fan the past decade or so, but I'll likely end up buying this anyway because I'm a sucker for talking about making albums. Isolated tracks, alternate takes, interviews with engineers, etc., you can't go wrong.

[Alex]

Now if they'd only do one on Pet Sounds.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I love that series: I've got the DVDs of Lou Reed's Transformer....

That one really succeeded in helping me appreciate Transformer much more after years of just listening to it for "Perfect Day" and "Walk On The Wild Side".

And, yes, Yes I Do Like Worms, every time I watch a Classic Albums show, I think about a possible Pet Sounds installment. But, they better hurry, already a couple of key participants are gone....

[the captain]

My dream--even more than an Anthology-style series--is a Beach Boys "Classic Albums" ... of every album. I'd love it. Let them get out the masters and put Brian and the guys  behind the boards, like happened a little in Endless Harmony. Talk to everyone possible. Pay Desper whatever it takes. Dig up footage of Britz. It would be my dream. The isolated tracks you get on boots are cool, but snippets of them with contextual conversation? Hell yeah!

[Alex]

VH1 Presents: Classic Albums-The Beach Boys' Adult Child
They could get Brian to explain his inspiration behind the first verse to "Everybody Wants to Live".
(A cigarette butt when you throw it in the water goes pfff, but the trick is you shouldn't laugh, cause if you start laughing you're just a coward, if you start laughing you're just a coward)

[the captain]

I'd prefer that to 2/3 the real albums.

[Aegir]

I remember watching an interview with Carnie where she mentions that Brian threw a cigarette butt into the the toilet and then immediately ran to the piano and started writing Everybody Wants to Live.

[Alex]

I remember watching an interview with Carnie where she mentions that Brian threw a cigarette butt into the the toilet and then immediately ran to the piano and started writing Everybody Wants to Live.

That was on IJWMFTT.

[Vega-Table Man]

I'm a huge fan of this series. I just received my DVDs of the new Doors and Lennon Plastic Ono Band episodes yesterday from Amazon.

I watched the Lennon one last night, and as usual it's very well done. Most surprising to me were the recollections (most strongly from Ringo) that Phil Spector was hardly there for the POB album sessions, and that Lennon himself did virtually all the producing.

I look forward to checking out the Doors DVD tonight or later this week.

[the captain]

Similarly, I love the "Under Review" DVDs. I recently got the Queen pair and the first Leonard Cohen one, and enjoyed them. I've also got Beefheart, Nick Drake, Smiths, and VU from that series.

[Vega-Table Man]

Similarly, I love the "Under Review" DVDs. I recently got the Queen pair and the first Leonard Cohen one, and enjoyed them. I've also got Beefheart, Nick Drake, Smiths, and VU from that series.

Yup ... I've seen a few (a pair on the Kinks, Dylan "After the Crash," and one on David Bowie's Berlin period), and I'd like to see more. The Smiths one looks interesting.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I watched the Doors' Classic Album show again - twice actually - the last few days; VH1 Classic was airing it again. I think my favorite parts are when Ray, Robby, and John play their intruments in 2008, showing their individual parts. The "Break On Through" segment is the best.

Any Doors fans out there? Those three surviving Doors are so talented, true legends, and they should be recording music. I know that Other Voices and Full Circle had their shaky moments, but I wish Ray, Robby, and John would do another album as a threesome. I don't care about the lead vocals; I could live with Ray or Robby singing. I just wanna hear them play!

[the captain]

Sorry, not here. The less I say about them, the happier everyone will be.

[Sheriff John Stone]

C'mon, Luther! The Soft Parade has now begun. Ride the snake, to the lake. Take the highway to the end of the night. Take the journey to the bright midnight. Out here on the perimeter there are no stars. Out here we is stoned, immaculate. Please believe me, the river told me. I prefer a feast of friends to the giant family. I think I'm going to the Hyancinth House. Let it roll, baby, roll....

[Music Machine]

I love this dvd, it's excellent. I have the dvd along with the ones for Who's Next and Dark Side of the Moon. I find I enjoy the show Classic Albums even when I'm not crazy about the band or album featured. It's a really well done series. I'm not too familiar with those independent review dvds, I watched one on you tube about Kate Bush I thought was quite good I read a good review about one that focuses on Pink Floyd's Meddle where Yes' original guitar player Peter Banks is interviewed.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I find I enjoy the show Classic Albums even when I'm not crazy about the band or album featured.

Yes, exactly! I recently watched one, Deep Purple: Machine Head. While I enjoy a few of Deep Purple's songs, I wouldn't consider myself a fan. But I found myself engrossed in the documentary, and now have a greater appreciation for not only the album, but the band.

[The Heartical Don]

Sorry, not here. The less I say about them, the happier everyone will be.

Luther, shall we share a beer while the others do their 'boring rock dinosaurs' type of thing?

[the captain]

Ha! But I have to admit to liking some "boring rock dinosaurs" myself. But I'm always up for drinking and talking sh*t, so sure. (btw, I almost bought this DVD today. I really did. It's inexplicable: I'm just a sucker for the Classic Albums series.)

[Alex]

They should do one on the Surfin' Safari album! Is Nik Venet still alive to give his recollections? 

[the captain]

I've always wished more than anything that this be the path the Beach Boys would take: a detailed "making of the albums" course. There is plenty of studio footage already, and those surviving members, together or apart or however, in the studio with masters would be amazing. Studio musicians, engineers, producers, band members, family members, whatever. Every album. It'd be heaven for me.

[Daniel S.]

I don't think you could do a show on Pet Sounds, because that album has been talked about to death.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I don't think you could do a show on Pet Sounds, because that album has been talked about to death.

On a couple of other BB/BW-related message boards, a guy named Ebb has done a series of videos for the Pet Sounds' songs called Behind The Sounds. Have you seen it Heywood? It's quite impressive. He plays the sessions for a particular song, and as the instruments are playing, he displays pictures of the actual Wrecking Crew musician who is playing the part. The timing is perfect. He also uses captions over the pictures detailing the name of the musician and other interesting details. It's not only educational, it's very entertaining.

If somebody could incorporate something like that into a Pet Sounds' documentary - and the people at Classic Albums are certainly capable of it - you might come up with something worthwhile.

[the captain]

I think there's a LOT more to be said. The problem is that so far, the same people say the same things. But how often have you heard Jardine, Love or Johnston discuss specific tunes, specific vocal parts, etc.? Let Mike talk about his contributions. Let and Mike--not Al--talk about Sloop John B for a change, how they felt about getting this folk song in that arrangement. Ask Brian more about the instrumentals. A good interviewer and some good research for existing interviews of Carl and Dennis and Chuck Britz and other deceased musicians could find a lot of quality "new" material.

[Daniel S.]

I don't think you could do a show on Pet Sounds, because that album has been talked about to death.

On a couple of other BB/BW-related message boards, a guy named Ebb has done a series of videos for the Pet Sounds' songs called Behind The Sounds. Have you seen it Heywood? It's quite impressive. He plays the sessions for a particular song, and as the instruments are playing, he displays pictures of the actual Wrecking Crew musician who is playing the part. The timing is perfect. He also uses captions over the pictures detailing the name of the musician and other interesting details. It's not only educational, it's very entertaining.

If somebody could incorporate something like that into a Pet Sounds' documentary - and the people at Classic Albums are certainly capable of it - you might come up with something worthwhile.

That sounds great. Is it on YouTube?