New Doors capture essence of originals

By Charles Passy, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 26, 2003
 

For all the controversy and carping that has surrounded the Doors' reunion tour, the actual show turned out to be a faithful recreation of the bluesy, psychedelic style the group pioneered in the '60s.

That's the good news. Alas, it's also the bad news.

Make no mistake: If you're a fan of the Doors, you would have been pleased with what the 21st Century Doors, as the group is now calling itself, accomplished Saturday night at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre before a crowd of about 5,000. (The venue made the wise decision not to sell lawn seats, making the audience seem larger than it was.)

Even minus the crucial contribution of frontman Jim Morrison, the group, now led by original keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger, stays true to the legend. And former Cult lead singer Ian Astbury does a yeoman's job filling in for the late Morrison.

Indeed, one could argue that Astbury outdoes Morrison, who, after all, was known for his erratic behavior onstage. With his dark, resonant voice, Astbury stayed focused and on top of the songs, which included such classics as Break on Through, Love Me Two Times and Light My Fire. During a few moments, he came close to mimicry, reaching out to the crowd Morrison-style like a rock 'n' roll messiah, but he never lapsed into pure impersonation. The bottom line: He struck a smart balance.

Moreover, Manzarek and Krieger showed that the Doors were about more than Morrison's shaman-like presence. Manzarek brought a jazzy sensibility to almost everything he did, setting up songs with rambling but effective intros. Krieger provided the crunchy counterweight, adding volume and vigor to give the music its rock pedigree.

Despite the lawsuits the pair has faced from Morrison's family and former Doors drummer John Densmore, they are clearly having the time of their lives.

So, what's the problem?

It's the music, of course. Say what you will, but the Doors never had the depth or scope of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, bands that went beyond their basic riffs and continually challenged themselves and their audiences at the same time. With the Doors, it's all moodiness and mysticism -- like an evening of bad Beat poetry. A concert's worth of their songs is a monochromatic experience at best.

In other words, you'll break on through to the other side within the first 10 minutes. And Morrison isn't around to open another door for you.

charles_passy@pbpost.com