The Very Best of the Doors

by The Doors

Overview

The various releases of The Very Best of the Doors during 2001 and 2007 in the U.S. and the U.K. are very similar, both in their single-disc and double-disc permutations -- as well as a limited edition that adds a DVD to the two-CD version -- so it's very easy to get all three compilations confused. That said, there are notable differences between all three U.K. comps and the original U.S. set. The American disc from 2007 weighs in at 16 tracks while the single-disc U.K. set is longer at 20 tracks and, in fact, boasts a stronger overall selection of songs, making this arguably the best single-disc introduction to the band yet assembled. The double-disc U.K. set doesn't just add a second disc, it has a different sequencing as well and consequently feels like a very different beast than the original set. It's a compilation that digs deeper into album tracks and radio favorites, sometimes getting songs that maybe should have been on the U.K. single disc -- such as "Five to One," for instance, a Doors standard that's on the U.S. single disc but not the U.K. -- but its real strength is how it paints a richer portrait of the band. It's for the listener who wants a bigger picture of the Doors without investing in the actual albums or a box set and, in that sense, this Very Best of the Doors (along with the version with the DVD) does its job well. So, choose wisely: if you're looking for an introduction or just the hits, take either of the 2001 or 2007 single discs; if you're looking for most of the best, pick the double-disc set, either with or without the DVD; if you know you love the band already, go for Perception. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/24/2007
Label:	Rhino / Wea International
UPC:	0081227999599

Tracks

1. Break on Through
2. Light My Fire
3. Love Me Two Times
4. Hello I Love You
5. People Are Strange
6. Strange Days
7. Riders on the Storm
8. LA Woman
9. Touch Me
10. Roadhouse Blues
11. Peace Frog
12. Love Street
13. Crystal Ship
14. Soul Kitchen
15. Love Her Madly
16. Back Door Man
17. Alabama Song
18. Moonlight Drive
19. The Unknown Soldier
20. The End

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Doors   Primary Artist
The Crystal Method   Primary Artist
John Haeny   Director
Robby Krieger   Guitar,Director
Ray Manzarek   Organ,Piano,Director,Keyboards
John Densmore   Drums,Director
Jerry Scheff   Guitar (Bass)
Marc Benno   Guitar
Jim Morrison   Vocals,Featured Artist
Ray Neopolitan   Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

The Doors   Composer,Producer,Arranger
The Crystal Method   Remixing
John Haeny   Producer
Robby Krieger   Composer,Producer
Van Morrison   Composer
Ray Manzarek   Composer,Producer,Remixing
Bruce Botnick   Mixing,Producer,Recording
Adam Freeland   Remixing
Henry Diltz   Photography
Kurt Weill   Composer
Paul Oakenfold   Remixing
Jim O'Rourke   Musician
Jac Holzman   Engineer
John Densmore   Composer,Producer,Remixing
Neil Ross   Musician
Nigel Williamson   Liner Notes
Willie Dixon   Composer
Damian Taylor   Remixing
Joel Brodsky   Cover Photo,Inlay Photography
Michael Kushner   Musician
Cory Lashever   Management
Paul Ferrara   Photography
Fredwreck   Remixing
Dezo Hoffmann   Photography
Jeffrey Jampol   Management
Pablo Manzarek   Remixing
Michael Ochs   Photography
Thomas Monaster   Photography
Paul Rothchild   Producer
Jim Morrison   Composer
Bertolt Brecht   Composer
Chester Burnett   Composer