The Doors - Self Titled
Elektra Records
Cat# EKS-74007
Many many releases/represses of this album so here are the matrix codes (all stamped)
SIDE A: EK S -74007 A -2C T
SIDE B: EK S -74007 B -2C T
US release
1967
Cover is in good (minus) condition, no tears, no seam splits, no names written but for sure there is obvious graphic wear to the front and rear, resulting in vinyl rings.
New inner clear plastic sleeve
Vinyl is in poor condition! I have carefully visually inspected both sides and although I can only see one light scratch (Side B) I can see signs of the dreaded "way too close to a heat source" which results in warping! Heat is the enemy of all vinyl and it was now only a matter of how bad the resulting warping may be.
I then played the ENTIRE album (yes you can play the whole album!) and the obvious issue is the "medium severity" warp, which is most dominant on the outer edges of both sides.
Generally, surface noise and click/pops are not an issue here - the playback is very nice and clean BUT Oh dear that warp!
Most obvious is the tonearm "dancing" up and down, although quite gently.
The initial track on each side (Break On Through & Back Door Man) show the warp effect the most and as the tonearm travels in towards the run-out, the "dancing" reduces.
How does it sound? On those initial tracks, there is an audible low level "thump" as the cartridge/styli "go down the other side of the "hill" on each revolution. For Side 1, this really isn't an issue but Side 2 has a slightly more severe "hill" and the poor old tonearm mistracks a couple of times (bounces back out of the groove!)
I also noticed that towards the run-out area on each side, there is a low level swishing with each revolution so the grooves seem to have been slightly damaged by this heat here as well.
OVERALL, this is still a very playable album although you may not wish to put on your $10,000 turntable/tonearm system! The audio is very nice and it is fantastic to hear Jim in good ol' analog sound!
New outer protective sleeve
TRACKS: Break On Through (To The Other Side), Soul Kitchen, The Crystal Ship, Twentieth Century Fox, Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), Light My Fire, Back Door Man, I Looked At You, End Of The Night, Take It As It Comes, The End
