It's worth mentioning that the "Reworking the Doors" bonus is especially revealing as to how the sound and visual quality was enhanced for this package. Engineer Bruce Botnik shows how painstaking it was to find useable vocal tracks for two songs as Morrison's onstage mic went out during "Hello, I Love You" and "Texas Radio and the Big Beat."
For the former, Botnik had to find often short clips from other performances to mix them into the band's playing. For "Texas Radio," he had to carefully cut out many crackles as the mic, again, wasn't working properly. Likewise, the original 16 mm film footage wasn't spectacular. So they went back to that footage, digitally enhanced it for the widescreen, and again painstakingly used what the two cameras captured and went back and forth between what they had on film to try to sync the sound and visuals.
All involved were astonished to see how the process of putting it all in a high definition format eventually came together. True, some trickery was involved—as in using audience noise in the back speakers to give the film a full concert feel-but the team claims telling the fans up front they made these changes should please everyone. Otherwise, presenting the entire concert wouldn't have been possible. Personally, I'm grateful this sort of care and attention went into the project. It's more than worthy.
What more do you need? Cancel your subscription to the resurrection and stick around long enough to experience this very special time in rock history. If you have children or grandchildren who know nothing of The Doors, this is a perfect introduction. For the rest of us, this is a wonderful flashback without unwanted side effects.
Article comments
1 - Kevin R.
Live at the Hollywood Bowl was my first real introduction to The Doors back in 1990. I'm extremely excite that they have restored this performance, and that we will be able to see the previously unreleased songs (and the entire performance of Spanish Caravan)! On a side note about your review: Ray Manzarek played bass on a second organ/bass piano with his left hand (not bass pedals).