The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Hits

Performer: The Doors
Producer: Paul A. Rothchild; Bruce Botnick; The Doors
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Doors: Jim Morrison (vocals); Robby Krieger (guitar); Ray Manzarek (piano, organ); John Densmore (drums). The Doors have long been ensconced in the pantheon of rock immortals, and their moody, literate, psychedelic rock still proves an alluring listening experience decades after the band's dissolution. From Ray Manzarek's swirling, carnivalesque keyboards to Robby Krieger's wiry guitar work to Jim Morrison's evocatively poetic lyrics and baritone croon, the Doors have an utterly distinctive sound that recalls the darker side of the 1960s while still sounding fresh today. THE FUTURE STARTS HERE provides a lot of overlap with previously released best-of sets in that it features all the band's essential tracks, including "Light My Fire," "Break On Through," "Riders on the Storm," and "Roadhouse Blues," among others. But at 20 tracks FUTURE can afford to throw in some lesser-known cuts, and with the inclusion of gems such as "Moonlight Drive," "Peace Frog," and "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)," it's here that this compilation earns its stripes. For a set that covers all the necessary bases and then some, this is an ideal choice.

Like a trippier, more mystical, West Coast equivalent of the Velvet Underground, the Doors went against the 1960s flower-power grain, taking an uncompromising look at the underbelly of the American psyche. Jim Morrison's dark, surreal poetry gave the band's blues-based rock a cerebral edge, and his wild, shamanistic on-stage presence electrified audiences. From their debut single, "Light My Fire," to their later recordings such as "Riders on the Storm," the Doors remained consistently intriguing even when their songs didn't, a feat largely credited to Morrison and his volatile personality. Eventually, Morrison's hard living caught up to him--he died in Paris at only 27 years of age, leaving behind a legacy that would inspire countless younger musicians.

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