The Doors were not stars when they arrived at the Matrix Club for five shows in March 1967. They were basically a club band, and the crowds were minimal. Six months later, “Light My Fire” was the number one song in the United States.

The Matrix usually recorded their acts, and so The Doors’ performances have been preserved. Much of this music had been released in bootleg form over the years, but 2008’s Live At The Matrix 1967: The Original Masters officially presented the Doors near their beginnings, ahead of all the hype that would soon follow.

The only real negative to the release is the sound; recorded in 1967 in a small club, by today’s standards it is barely adequate. This type of sound was normal for a lot of small clubs back in the day and, in an odd way, adds to the experience.

Mot of the tracks are from the performances of March 7 and March 10, so there is some repeating of songs, but not as many as you would expect.

There are some well-known songs from their early career catalogue: “Light My Fire,” “Break On Through,” “People Are Strange,” “Soul Kitchen,” “The Crystal Ship” and “Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)” are all present in their recognizable finished form. “The End” is performed as a work in progress.

The interesting songs are those that quickly disappeared from their live performances as more material was created. The old standard “Summertime,” “I’m A King Bee,” “Summer’s Almost Over,” “Twentieth Century Fox,” and “Woman Is A Devil,” are all worth hearing. Add such early rock standards as “Money,” “Who Do You Love,” and “Gloria” and you have a good example of The Doors’ early concert career.

Rating: B+

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