Rhino Goes Regional with “Golden Doors Vol. 2”

Japanese-only compilation gets its first stateside release

The Doors: a group that has more compilations than actual studio releases. Longtime fans will whinge at nauseam when an anniversary passes and the major label earwigs grace record store shelves with another ‘ultimate’ or ‘best of’ collection. Regardless of the oversaturation of releases such as those, it engrains the self-marketed ‘Band from Venice’ in the public’s consciousness, or subjects novices to the Lizard King ethos. Their discography is even more complex when factoring in the compilations released exclusively to specific foreign countries. After the back catalog has been reissued many times and studio/live treasures are continuously being polished off for Record Store Day, Rhino is digging deep into the Doors’ regional discography for a reissue in conjunction with Elektra Records’ 75th anniversary. 

Golden Doors Vol. II, released only in Japan in 1970, is every bit as strange as the people Jim Morrison sang about three years prior. Are there hit singles that casual fans recognize? Only a small dash to kick the compilation off with “Touch Me.” If you’re a fan of The Soft Parade, that album has a generous focus on the tracklist, from highlights like “Tell All The People” to filler tracks like “Runnin’ Blue.” Favorited deep cuts from Morrison Hotel appear with “You Make Me Real” and “Land Ho!,” alongside stage staples “Moonlight Drive” and “Five to One,” respectively from Strange Days and Waiting For The Sun. The track selection and running order are haphazard compared to other Doors compilations, but what’s fascinating to hypothesize in retrospect is the reverence the Japanese market had for this release, having been exclusive in their home country. 

The myth of vocalist Jim Morrison is often the focal point of fixation on both the Doors’ legacy and products, criminally undermining the efforts of keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. Instead of rehashing shots of the enigmatic frontman taken from Joel Brodsky’s ‘Young Lion’ photoshoot, Henry Diltz’s photo of the group under the Santa Monica pier on the front cover exemplifies the sense of unanimity the Doors held strong within their core. It's centered amongst a swirly psychedelic border and carnival-esque typography, with a common ‘67 era press photo underlayed on the back cover. Pasted inside the inner gatefold is a paper insert featuring a biography and a track-by-track breakdown written in Japanese. When the insert is flipped over, it reveals the lyrics in English and individual band photos. The purple hue of the jacket matches the purple vinyl, also bearing the Japan-exclusive blue Elektra label. While the packaging is exquisitely replicated, the glaring omission of a replica OBI strip, specifically on a Japanese-centered release, is a disappointment; Rhino, come on!

A D2C edition of Golden Doors Vol. 2 is also available on both Rhino’s and the Doors’ webstore. This version comes with a reissue of a Japan-exclusive EP, also titled Golden Doors Vol. 2. It’s merely The Soft Parade selections found on the long-playing compilation of the same name, squeezed onto a 7”. Peter Schaumann’s illustration from the inner gatefold of the album is fitting for the EP’s cover art, with English lyrics appearing on the inner gatefold; again, no replica OBI in sight (ugh!). The vinyl matches the compilation’s aesthetic of purple vinyl and blue Elektra labels. Bonus 7” aside, the jacket of the D2C version is a sturdy tip-on type, as opposed to the standard brick and mortar’s standard-weight board jacket. 

Between Kevin Gray's single-LP cuts for Rhino High Fidelity and Doug Sax's double 45s for Analogue Productions, The Doors’ catalog is often embraced within the audiophile community. Japanese pressings were EQ’d appropriately to the standards of the relative buying public, with crisping highs and a restricted lower end. One can speculate that a compilation reel, assembled from masters or copies that the Japanese division of Elektra possessed in 1970, was digitally transferred and became the source for this pressing. If so, Golden Doors Vol. 2 has its sonic ebb and flows. 

Some of Golden Doors Vol. 2’s sonic perks are the impeccable instrumental separation. On tracks like “Touch Me” and “You Make Me Real,” Densmore and the session bassist are on the left, and Manzarek and Krieger are on the right. Morrison tops the arrangement off, coming across prominently and centered. The supplementary arrangements on the material from The Soft Parade range from extreme to tame, specifically the impactful horns on “Tell All The People,” and the lush strings on “Wishful Sinful.” Morrison’s a cappella intro on “The Soft Parade” is airy, but the emphasis on the high frequencies takes away its bellowing conviction. However, the bass line within the main groove is highly seductive, and Morrison’s double-tracked vocal as the song progresses towards its climax is feral. 

On the downside, there’s a significant amount of grating distortion from the left channel, making Densmore’s drums lack definition or causing the acoustic intro of “Spanish Caravan” to sound anemic. This is not the result of Bernie Grundman’s reputable mastering abilities, but hypothetically, a faulty issue occurred during the plating done at GZ Vinyl. Although the purple vinyl pressed at GZ Media played back quietly, it may have been an issue during the plating process. Ironically, this discrepancy is evident on another Elektra 75 title, The Elektra Singles by Love (mastered by BG and plated at GZ).

This reissue of Golden Doors Vol. 2 is a hodgepodge all around, but is still an interesting inclusion to the Doors’ in-print catalog. It’s far from the byte size sampler new fans would seek, but more so a gap filler for completists and diehards who face the inevitability that originals are few and far between. What’s next, a reissue of another Japanese exclusive compilation, Twin Deluxe? To reference a line from “Roadhouse Blues” with a slight twist: ‘The future’s uncertain, and the end is NOWHERE near.’