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Rating:  - you'll like what's int here!!!
Excellent performance! The stuff from Denmark was truly awesome! A must for doors fans and is the live performances that you've always wanted.
Rating: - Dated, But Still Essential Viewing...
With the recent passing of Danny Sugerman, my interest in the Doors legacy, music and performance history has reached an all time high and his interview footage contained here from 1981 is especially precious. Disc One is a treasure trove of performances from the band at 3 distinct phases of their career;
performing a terrifying, full-bore rendition of the end in 1967, with Morrison at the top of his powers, a longer performance from German TV in vivid black and white from 1968 (the laid back version of "Back Door Man" is my favorite segment)and the real capper, the legendary 1969 Public TV performance of "The Soft Parade" and the most extensive interview of Jim Morrison and The Doors ever captured on film. This band squeezed a lot of living and music into their six years together and the weariness shows with the passing of each year. Also included on "No One Here..." are full TV performances of "Moonlight Drive", "Touch Me" from the Smothers Brothers Hour (with Jim missing his vocal cue on the second verse and Robby Krieger sporting a black eye) and the classic appearance of the band on "Ed Sullivan" (Jim scaring the devil out of America with his screaming vocals, leering and dirty shirt cuffs)that forever changed censorship on TV.
all great footage from a great band and priceless for anyone wanting to see Jim Morrison as the ever-youthful, preening and troubled genius he was.
Rating:  - Two Lacking DVDs Packaged Together.
Here once again The Doors have decided to release repeat performances with a few new cookies in simple DVD sets that don't offer much except performances you probably already have with a new moment and interview here and there. If you have already bought these two DVDs seperately then there is no point in buying this package because it's the same stuff. Curious how this band, the greatest to emerge out of the U.S. in the 60's, releases such excellent CD packages with the highest quality but always give us DVDs that just plain suck. Organist Ray Manzarek likes to describe himself as a filmmaker, well, I would expect more from a supposed director. The first DVD, "No One Here Gets Out Alive" is a special from the 80's simply transferred to DVD with nothing else to offer. The documentary is all you get, and it's already VERY out of date considering it was first released in 1981. Deceased producer Paul Rothchild appears to speak about Jim Morrison and his influence on the Punk genre while Manzarek babbles and says "Man" at least once in every sentence. The concert footage is nothing you can't get in better releases. The "Soundstage Performances" DVD is a little better. It features a color performance of "The End" from a TV show in 1967 where Morrison looks shamanistic in black leather, collapsing on the floor and delivering a passionate performance. This is a great performance for Doors fans. The rest of the stuff is the same old broadcast from European TV that is available in "The Doors Collection" DVD. We get the complete PBS special performance, including a moody "Backdoor Man," but the video quality is horrible and looks deteriorated, strange considering the same footage looks clean and crisp in "The Doors Collection." Other than the footage there are no special features to speak of. It seems the band wants to just release the same old tired clips over and over on DVD but it's a sad waste. The only noteworthy DVD they have released is their recent "L.A. Woman Live" concert which features their new lead singer Ian Astbury of The Cult. And even THAT has NO special features! Manzarek should stop smoking so much pot, clear his head and give the fans DVDs they deserve.
Rating:  - For those who don't take Morrisson too seriously.
The Doors were a great band -- I saw them live twice way back in '67 and '68 and I remember both shows for two things -- how great the music was and how stoned/pretentious Jim Morrisson was. So it's great to hear Densmore and the other guys laughing about how they used to space out when Jim was free associating about the Lizard King, etc. They obviously liked the guy but not as much as he liked himself.
The performances here are good -- but the interviews and commentary are what make this worth viewing.
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