The Doors s/t stereo mix. What were they thinking?

It is a powerful mix, ( even if it's not much fun with headphones).

But what makes it so hard to replicate, Steve?

 

The mix was not made [most were not in that era] for good headphone listening. It was mixed to be heard on speakers...

Bob-

 

I know that, of course, Bob. And the mix has a lot going for it: The bass is very direct and clear, the vocals are front and center, the drums are well recorded and placed. The DCC sounds great. But the choices that were made at the recording stage necessitated the placement of both solo instruments on the same channel. That is what I find fault with.

 

How does the Quad mix fold down? I assume the keyboard and guitar are still in the same channel?

 

The first album outtake of Moonlight Drive (remix from the 4 track) on the 1997 Doors box sounds nice.

 

Props go to Paul Rothchild for the mix, eh? He rode those effects like an artist. It's a shame that it can't be made clearer how crucial those moves are.

 

Slightly OT but I would love, love, LOVE to hear the original 1966 Sunset Sound mix of Indian Summer (the version on Morrison Hotel was a first LP outtake)

 

Thanks, Steve.

BTW, that is definitely one advantage to the odd placement of the instruments. You can hear Densmore's drums very clearly and with a lot of impact.

 

Fair enough, no one in 1967 thought that in 2005 someone would be listening to this album on their iPod. But I think you know what I mean.

 

Let's judge the quad mix as heard in quad, lest we judge the stereo mix as heard in mono. In quad, it's a lot better than it is on a stereo system.

 

Well, I love the strong, loud drums on this album.

 

I don't think Densmore gets the credit he deserves. His drumming style is quite unusual for a rock drummer, and while it seems to fit the Doors perfectly, he didn't seem to be drumming only to futher the sound of the band as a whole. He still had room to be an expressive drummer.

 

It really does have a certain "atmosphere" to it that makes that album all the more unique and special. I always thought it sounded great...

 

Rock drummer? They preferred jazz and classical to rock music. But, they also had their eye on the bottom line, which meant being commercial. Jim Morrison didn't even like rock music.

 

I have no idea what your going on about. Jim Morrison didn't like rock music Do you just make this stuff up?

 

Well that's sort of what I meant. He was in a rock band, but his sensibilities lay elsewhere.

 

Does the 70s remix play at correct speed or is it slowed down like the 66 mix?

 

Steve do any of the alternate takes from the first LP survive with a "scratch vocal"?

 

The Quad LMF mix does play at the correct speed (not slowed down)

 

Anyone know if alternate takes from Doors s/t contain scratch vocals? If so, I guess they could release alternates if tapes have survived and the performance is worthy.