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Greatest Hits Review
07/13/2005 6:51 AM, AMG
In 1980, Warner Books released No One Gets out of Here Alive, the Jerry Hopkins/Daniel Sugerman biography of Jim Morrison that re-introduced the enigmatic singer to the general public, notably younger fans who missed his antics the first time around. The company's record division rightly anticipated that a new Doors compilation would dovetail nicely with the book, which brings listeners to Greatest Hits. Elektra took ten of the band's best songs (well, nine of them anyway), remastered them, and included a lyric sheet of the songs. The resulting record paints the Doors in a most flattering light. Of course, the original Doors records were never this concise or calculatedly effective, but letting neophytes figure that out for themselves with subsequent purchases is what compilations are all about. The selections are obvious choices, since the Doors' catalog was well road-tested on radio by 1980, making it easier to identify which songs had stood the test of time. The only questionable choice is "Not to Touch the Earth," which likely won out over the superior "Five to One" because of time constraints. The remastered sound is an improvement over the original recordings, opening up some space between the instruments to eliminate the oppressive feel of early tracks like "Light My Fire" while sacrificing little intensity. What is missing on Greatest Hits is the band's experimental side: the nightmarish epics and interludes, the passing fancies with psychedelic pop, and so on. So calling Greatest Hits a representative album would be a mistake -- "Love Me Two Times" is the exception on Waiting for the Sun, as is "Roadhouse Blues" from Morrison Hotel. Rather, this is what fans wished the band sounded like on their albums. Compilations, especially posthumous ones, are prone to some historical revisions, so you can't begrudge Elektra for building a bonfire out of the band's smoldering stand-alone hits or for making an extra buck on an old bet. Greatest Hits succeeds at distilling what was best about the Doors, although several compilations have duplicated the feat, notably 1985's double disc The Best of the Doors. ~ Dave Connolly, All Music Guide
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