speed of dark

I was completely smitten by the Doors in my last years of high school, particularly with Strange Days, which was released in 1967. Their overwrought images of weary debauchery were irrestible to me.

When I wore the grooves down on the first LP, I bought another one. I still have both. Maybe at some point I'll rip those original tracks into MP3s. Meanwhile you can get both from Amazon and from iTunes the remastered versions of the original recorded tracks. I'm still trying to figure out if I like them or not. They don't sound quite like what I'm used to.

These covers from Strange Days aren't at all what I'm used to either, but it's interesting to see what other bands do with these fantastical journeys into the mind of Jim Morrison.

Spahn Ranch get the spooky part exactly right in this percussion-heavy goth-romp with the title song, while Joan Jett gives her good old regular rock workout. Diabolique channel Julie Cruise in a languid "Twin Peaks" treatment of "Unhappy Girl."

Echo and the Bunnymen stay pretty faithful to the original "People Are Strange" until they give it their own kick near the end. I think they are a little more interesting on "Soul Kitchen" from the Door's first album.

The last track is something I would usually pass over: an instrumental piano tribute version of "Break On Through"--except it is surprisingly lovely and interesting in a Chistopher O'Reilly kind of way.

From Strange Days:
Spahn Ranch: Strange Days from Darken My Fire-A Gothic Tribute to the Doors (2006)
Joan Jett: Love Me Two Times from The Hit List (1990)
Diabolique: Unhappy Girl (Jack Kerouac mix) from Uses of Disorder (2005)
Echo and the Bunnymen: People Are Strange from Crystal Days 1979-1999

From The Doors:
Echo and the Bunnymen: Soul Kitchen from Crystal Days 1979-1999
Fully Furnished: Break On Through from Mood Piano Tribute to the Doors (2005)