Review of The Doors at 'Rain In The Desert' in The Palms

 Las Vegas    January 19th, 2003

from Rolling Stone Magazine  February 20, 2003   page 72    Issue #916

Jim Morrison's band mates become just another bad Vegas nostalgia act       by Richard Abowitz

"When the music's over, turn out the lights," Jim Morrison used to sing.  But the lights never go out in Vegas.   So, no surprise, in 2003, the reformulated Doors are headliners at a casino.

With a video-screen image of Morrison glaring down, keyboardist Ray Manzarek took the stage, raising his fist in a halfhearted salute to the sold-out crowd.  He was joined by guitarist Robby Krieger and three newcomers:  the Cult's Ian Astbury on vocals, former Police drummer Stewart Copeland and, in a departure for the band, a bassist, Angelo Barbera.

The group's playing was a minor triumph.  No other band has captured the Doors' blend of blues, hard rock, psychedelia and pop, and they delivered their mix intact.  Krieger, in particular, shined, demonstrating on "Roadhouse Blues" and "Love Me Two Times" his ability to make elegant melody out of guitar lines of groomed metallic howls.

With his sunglasses, wavy hair and leather jacket, Astbury certainly tried to channel Morrison's spirit, but he appeared overwhelmed by the Lizard King's shadow.  He offered up Morrison scat verbatim from Absolutely Live, and even his cries of "thank you!" held inflections of the late frontman's stoned baritone.  The singer was not responsible for the night's lowest moment:  a performance of "Ghost Song" featuring dancers in Native American garb swirling and chanting as Morrison's poetry was recited.

None of this mattered to the young audience, which was happy to sing along.  In Vegas, it's hard to argue with a competent hits set.  But Doors concerts were infamously unpredictable, as the volatile Morrison could be sublime, indifferent or crass.  When Astbury briefly broke character, smiled and signaled a fan asking for an autograph to wait until later, it drove home the fact that the Doors of 2003 are just an act.   As Morrison once bellowed, "Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection."

Included is "Fans' Notes" with photos of each of the following:

from Derek Wallace, 31, Henderson, NV   "It recaptures something that we lost many years ago."

from Janine Phoorski, 32, San Jose,  CA   "The Indians made me cry.  It was spiritual.  I felt the life force."

from Trish McNeal, 33, Las Vegas   "We missed Jim Morrison and John Densmore, but Ian Astbury did a great job."

from Terry Hatcher, 50, Ventura, CA   "My parents wouldn't let me see them when I was young.  This was wonderful."

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2/5/03