Strange days

"If Strange Days is framed much like The Doors was - opening statement of intent, psycho-sexual croons anchored by a more free-form central restatement of intent (Horse Latitudes and Moonlight Drive representing both sides of The Doors' coin at this point), a closing epic destined for stamina-testing live workouts - it also caught them more confidently deploying their tricks.A shame, then, that the same comparison couldn't be made with the previous reissue. With studio outtakes seemingly exhausted long ago, fans and label appear to be reliant solely on live recordings for unheard material. Their absence here is keenly felt, giving new meaning to Morrison's "strange scenes inside the goldmine".The music may not be over, but if The Doors' legacy is to continue in this day and age, someone needs to find more of it".

"Many of the songs on Strange Days had been written around the same time as the ones that appeared on The Doors, and with hindsight one has the sense that the best of the batch had already been cherry-picked for the debut album. For that reason, the band's second effort isn't as consistently stunning as their debut, though overall it's a very successful continuation of the themes of their classic album".

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