Music is your only friend (Strange Days: Remastered & Expanded - Doors)

Member Name: Pinotage

Product:	Strange Days: Remastered & Expanded - Doors
Date:	15/04/01 (207 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Moody atmospheric words, great restrained musicianship

Disadvantages: Horse latitudes

Three seminal albums came out in the summer of 1967. One was widely publicised, the other two received little mention in the UK. Each broke away from the group's earlier styles. They were Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, Forever Changes by Love and Strange Days by The Doors.

Strange Days is the bands second album. It's weird cover made it stand apart from other records on display - if you could find a shop stocking it then. A grey street scene with a motley assortment of circus performers including a strong man, white-faced clown juggling, acrobats and a dancing dwarf. The back cover shows the dwarf bowing, tambourine in outstretched hand to a tall beautiful woman in a doorway. On the wall is poster of the Doors headshots from their first album with the title 'Strange Days' pasted over it.

This album was more poppy, and after thirty years and uncountable playings, what seemed strange is now comfortably familiar.

It's often forgotten, but the Doors wrote some great pop songs. Only 'Love me Two Times' from this album charted at the time, but others still get airplay from time to time.

Strange Days kicks off the album. A thin organ sound cascades down the scale, the band joins the beat and Jim's voice, quiet at first takes over. At first he sings in a monotone, but then he soars with the melody.

You're Lost Little Girl - Jim takes a few words and stretches them into a ballad. Great guitar playing and Manzarek's keyboards make this.

Love me Two Times - the first rocker, inconsequential lyric, bouncy beat. Unexpected harpsichord middle section lifts this from juke box fodder.

Unhappy Girl - is she the same girl who is lost? Locked in a prison of her own device. That thin spiralling organ sound again, leading into a poppy bounce. But the words Jim sings in a cheerful voice are deep and melancholy.

Horse Latitudes - One of Jim's poems
backed with plinky sounds. Moody 90 second piece about horses being jettisoned over the side of becalmed ships, also alludes to waves breaking on the shore. Maybe those in the following

Moonlight Drive - back to a slow paced rocker. How many times did I hear this before I twigged it was about committing suicide by swimming out to sea?

People are Strange - One of my favourites. Good words, good tune. People are strange when you're a stranger. How true.

My Eyes have Seen You - Tiny, intense song, great playing.

I Can't see your Face in my Mind - a slow paced track. Interesting there's no drum beat, just a few clicks, a guitar being plucked on the beat, and Ray's electric organ quietly swirling in the distance.

When the Musics Over - Another opus in the style of The End. At eleven minutes he has time to develop his ideas and musical theme. But in fact its more of a series of linked tunes and songs.

Jim Morrison overshadows the group, but we shouldn't forget that he was backed by superb musicians. The restrained playing of John Denmore on drums, Robby Kreiger on guitar and most of Ray Manzarek on keyboards defined the Doors just as much as Morrison.

Strange Days is my favourite Doors album. You could say it's not typical, but then there are distinct differences between the mood of each of their albums. I bought every one as it was released. But if I could keep one only, this is the one.

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