One of the ironies of longevity – and The Doors have certainly enjoyed that, even if their charismatic frontman Jim Morrison was denied it – is that the social and political issues that sparked the classic songs inevitably recede from public consciousness.
Doug Sundling's ultimate guide to The Doors output is a chronological analysis of the band's complete catalogue. The songs are set in context of the times in which they were written, recorded and released, and their impact is shrewdly reassessed.
The Doors Revisited reanimates the threats of Vietnam and McCarthyism and touches on the many literary references that Morrison would use in his songs.
The whole package – Morrison's potent vision and the band's sometimes unacknowledged contributions to his songs – created a uniquely potent body of rock music fully deserving of Sundling's analysis.
The Doors Revisited is then both as assessment and a celebration of The Doors recordings and appearances... and it reminds us why their flame remains undimmed, forty or so years on.
