A new vinyl perception of the Doors, all-analog

For Warner Music Group, the Doors have been a deep vein of music gold. Their albums have never been out of print, and the catalog has enjoyed regular reissues for decades. Each new version of the Doors' first six albums sells well enough to prompt another trip to the vaults.

- BY TOM FINE

The latest moonlight drive down love street is a series of all-analog LPs from Rhino High Fidelity (RHF). A limited-edition numbered box set version sold out in days; un-numbered single LPs will sell until the production parts wear out. Cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Mastering using his Studer A-80 tape machine and Neumann VMS-66 lathe with Technics quartz-drive motor, they were plated and pressed at Optimal in Germany and are housed in the heavy-cardboard gatefold jackets used throughout the RHF series.

For the four-page insert booklets, Doors archivist David Dutkowski compiled excerpts from previously unpublished interviews he conducted first-person in 1971-'73, related to each album. Dutkowski interviewed Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore—all the Doors except Jim Morrison—as well as Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, producer Paul Rothchild, and recording engineer Bruce Botnick. Eagle-eyed owners of the Doors' 50th anniversary boxes will spot inconsistencies in Botnick's memories of some technical details, but his testimony tracks well considering the half-century between interviews. For hardcore Doors fans and Doors-curious vinyl collectors, each album's booklet provides excellent background and context.