[2020-10-09] The Doors "Morrison Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)" 2CD/1LP set (Elektra/Rhino)

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:06 pm

Description
The Doors returned to their roots and were reborn a rock ’n’ roll band on Morrison Hotel, the group’s fifth studio album and fifth consecutive gold-certified record. Completed in only a few weeks and released in February 1970, the hard-charging album took its name from the Skid Row hotel in downtown Los Angeles that’s featured in the iconic cover photo taken by Henry Diltz.

To commemorate the album’s 50-year anniversary, Rhino checks in again at the Morrison Hotel with a 2-CD/1-LP set that will be available on October 9. MORRISON HOTEL: 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION includes the original album newly remastered by The Doors’ longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick, plus a bonus disc of unreleased studio outtakes, and the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl.

For this new collection, the original album has been expanded with more than an hour of unreleased recordings taken from the sessions for Morrison Hotel. These 19 outtakes transport listeners into the studio with Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek for an unprecedented perspective on the making of the album.

Botnick says: “There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts, and insightful studio conversations between the band – who were in the studio – and producer Paul Rothchild – who was in the control room. It’s like being a fly on the wall.”

Several of these unheard recordings spotlight how “Queen Of The Highway” and “Roadhouse Blues” evolved across multiple sessions. It’s especially interesting to hear how the band played with different bass players on “Roadhouse Blues.” Early versions include Harvey Brooks, who played on the band’s previous album, The Soft Parade. Later takes feature guitar legend Lonnie Mack on bass along with The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian on harmonica who, due to contractual restrictions at the time, had to be credited as “G. Puglese.”

Among the treasure trove of unreleased outtakes are also rough versions of Morrison Hotel tracks “Peace Frog” and “Blue Sunday,” as well as The Doors rarity “I Will Never Be Untrue.” The collection also captures some incredible session outtakes of the band jamming on cover versions of the Motown classic “Money (That’s What I Want)” and B.B. King’s “Rock Me.”

Veteran rock journalist David Fricke tells the tale behind this classic album in the set’s detailed liner notes. He writes: “As spring turned to summer in the last year of the 1960s, The Doors were a band in suspended animation. Singer Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore were off the road and in serious legal jeopardy after Morrison’s profane meltdown during a show at Miami’s Dinner Key Auditorium…The Doors were also exhausted and uncertain of their recording future after the protracted studio drama and uneven experiment of their fourth album, The Soft Parade…It was a season of chaos and anxiety. But The Doors were on the road to Morrison Hotel.”

Tracklist
[CD1: The Original Album]
Hard Rock Cafe:
1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Waiting For The Sun
3. You Make Me Real
4. Peace Frog
5. Blue Sunday
6. Ship Of Fools
Morrison Hotel:
7. Land Ho!
8. The Spy
9. Queen Of The Highway
10. Indian Summer
11. Maggie M’Gill

[CD2: Mysterious Union]
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen Of The Highway Sessions):
First Session (11/15/68)
1. Queen Of The Highway (Take 1, She Was A Princess) *
2. Queen Of The Highway (Various Takes) *
3. Queen Of The Highway (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
4. Queen Of The Highway (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
5. Queen Of The Highway (Take 14, Save The Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
6. Queen Of The Highway (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
7. Queen Of The Highway (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
8. Queen Of The Highway (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
9. I Will Never Be Untrue *
10. Queen Of The Highway (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions):
First Session
11. Roadhouse Blues (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. Money (That’s What I Want) *
13. Rock Me Baby *
Second Session
14. Roadhouse Blues (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. Roadhouse Blues (Take 8, We’re Goin’ To The Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. Roadhouse Blues (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time) *
17. Roadhouse Blues (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session):
18. Peace Frog/Blue Sunday (Take 4) *
19. Peace Frog (Take 12) *

[LP: The Original Album]
Hard Rock Cafe:
1. Roadhouse Blues
2. Waiting For The Sun
3. You Make Me Real
4. Peace Frog
5. Blue Sunday
6. Ship Of Fools
Morrison Hotel:
7. Land Ho!
8. The Spy
9. Queen Of The Highway
10. Indian Summer
11. Maggie M’Gill

* previously unreleased

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-21

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:06 pm

All but confirmed for 2020.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Love this album! :thumbsup:

Renny · 26 Jun 2006

i can't wait to see what the bonus tracks for this will be..........

is there any possible way on god's green earth that they can possibly have anything left that hasn't already been released?

they can't, they just can't

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

Renny wrote:

i can't wait to see what the bonus tracks for this will be..........

is there any possible way on god's green earth that they can possibly have anything left that hasn't already been released?

they can't, they just can't

Oh but there is place, a place over the rainbow. Just keeping repeating "I know there are alternates, I know there are demo's I know there is a place just like home". And don't forget to click your heels as you repeat your wish. :wink:

stanner · **Joined:** 26 Aug 2014 **Posts:** 119

Rick A wrote:

Renny wrote:

i can't wait to see what the bonus tracks for this will be..........

is there any possible way on god's green earth that they can possibly have anything left that hasn't already been released?

they can't, they just can't

Oh but there is place, a place over the rainbow. Just keeping repeating "I know there are alternates, I know there are demo's I know there is a place just like home". And don't forget to click your heels as you repeat your wish. :wink:

Have the Doors released all that many outtakes prior to this? Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems like all the anniversary sets have included a measly few outtakes each at best (save for L.A. Woman 40th).

Larry · **Joined:** 10 Feb 2008 **Posts:** 5099

Whatever they do, I hope that it won't include any new Robby Krieger solos recorded 50 years after that fact. Doors fans haven't exactly been clamoring for those.

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2020 1:32 am

Linda wrote:

All but confirmed for 2020.

And here it is! The Amazon USA pre-order link is live:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-20

Also check out the first post to see the packshot and tracklist, and listen to the first audio sample below:

Larry · **Joined:** 10 Feb 2008 **Posts:** 5099

Thanks very much Linda! Christmas season has begun.

Jason Michael · 30 May 2012

Amazon Canada's link is now live and only $53.07 CDN. (equivalent to about $40.23 US) Couldn't pass that price up. Pre-ordered.

Linda · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2020 1:26 pm

The pre-order links at all three Amazon sites are now live:

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-21

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2020 6:47 pm

The USA pre-order price has dropped by $8, down to $46.99:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G6533LL/?tag=imwan-20

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

So am I going crazy, but it seems like Amazon is no longer showing tracklistings? I have noticed this on numerous devices, browsers, and networks. Seems I can see listing if there is an mp3 version and I switch to it, but totally diff presentation. This has been going on for a while. Several weeks. Even stuff in my cart and saved for later. Some other navigation issues from cart, but tracklisting period is the true PITA. Who's managing this? Dejoy?

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Aug 29, 2020 8:19 pm

It's temporary on their part as they redesign the digital section (which most of the tracklists were being duplicated from). Regardless, we will always have the tracklists here in our threads.

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

Thanks Linda. At least I am not nuts. Hopefully they wrap it up soonish. It's mostly a pain re the save for laters. Sure I am not alone, but I have a couple hundred, and when a price changes, I like to review to determine if I really want it, etc. I know, first world problems.

Larry · **Joined:** 10 Feb 2008 **Posts:** 5099

Jason Michael · 30 May 2012

Received this set yesterday. The CDs sound great, and the LP sounds phenomenal. This is likely my most played Doors album over the years, and I usually don't care about the vinyl in these sets, but I don't think its ever sounded so good. Recommended if you can get it for a reasonable price.

[2020-10-09] The Doors "Morrison Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)" 2CD/1LP set (Elektra/Rhino)

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