Eagle Rock EntertainmentThis past week, The Doors released a DVD and Blu-ray featuring an updated and expanded version of the band's historic July 1968 concert at the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Live at the Bowl '68 offers restored, high-definition visuals of the show as well as a remastered soundtrack.
In addition, three songs from the concert that weren't included on the original release because of technical issues have been added to the footage. Live at the Bowl '68 also includes new interviews with the three surviving Doors -- guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore -- brief documentaries focusing on the concert and the video's restoration, and archival TV appearances by the band.
Krieger tells ABC News Radio that he was very impressed with the revamped version of the film, saying, "It's amazing looking. It looks like it could have been shot yesterday."
The Doors delivered a captivating performance at the gig, moving fairly seamlessly from one classic song to the next, interspersed with singer Jim Morrison's improvised poetic interludes. Krieger suggests that one reason that the band was "on" that night was that they actually rehearsed before the concert, which was not the norm for The Doors. The guitarist adds, however, that Morrison was not necessarily as sharp as he could have been.
"Jim was definitely on acid that night," Krieger tells ABC News Radio. "And you can kinda tell 'cause he's kinda lost. Ray has to remind him of certain things."
Asked to pick out some personal highlights of the show, the rocker says, "******, I Love You' came out really good…And I thought 'Light My Fire' was good [and] 'When the Music's Over.' The thing with Doors songs, there's no bad ones, you know?"
Another aspect of the concert that stood out for Krieger was Densmore's drumming, which he says is made more apparent thanks to a tall riser that makes John easier for the viewer to watch.
"It's crazy how high up he was, but you can really see what John was doing that night," the guitarist declares. "I think that's one of his best-ever performances. You can really tell how he was reacting with us and with Jim."
Meanwhile, Krieger shares one more memory about the concert that doesn't relate specifically to the band's performance.
"I remember, before the show we went out to dinner with Mick Jagger, and that was pretty exciting," he says. "He came to the show. He sat right next to Jim's girlfriend, Pamela [Courson], all night. I don't know how Jim felt about that, but they were right there in the third row."
In addition to the DVD and Blu-ray, the Live at the Bowl '68 video also is available as a digital download. A companion CD also can be purchased, while a high-quality vinyl double LP of the concert is tentatively due out on November 9.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
