Absolutamente En Vivo

Absolutamente En Vivo, released on Elektra catalog number GWEA-5046 in Mexico, July 1970, is the Mexican pressing of the double live LP better known internationally as Absolutely Live. What sets this specific variant apart immediately is its bilingual presentation: track titles appear in both Spanish and English across the sleeve, making it one of the more distinctive regional pressings of this record to surface from that era. It is a four-sided release on two LPs, consistent with the standard international configuration of the album.

The cover of the Mexican pressing carries the same fundamental design concept as its US counterpart, centering on that striking high-contrast black and white live photography of Morrison on stage, all raw energy and theatrical presence. However, collectors who have handled both will notice differences in print quality and color saturation typical of Mexican pressings of this period. Elektra's Mexican licensee at the time generally produced sleeves with slightly warmer ink tones and occasionally softer paper stock compared to the American originals. The spine and rear panels display the bilingual track listing, which is the primary visual differentiator any collector will clock immediately when flipping through a crate. The catalog number GWEA-5046 is printed on the label and typically on the rear sleeve, and this is your first confirmation you have the right object in your hands. The labels themselves follow the Elektra butterfly label design standard for the period, though the pressing plant and matrix information stamped into the dead wax will reflect Mexican manufacture rather than the Monarch or Presswell plants associated with US copies. Examining the dead wax etchings closely is always worthwhile when authenticating any regional pressing. The inner sleeves, if present, are typically plain white or generic Elektra stock without the custom printed inners sometimes found with the US edition. A complete copy with both LPs, both inner sleeves, and the outer gatefold in solid shape is not always easy to find, as Mexican pressings from 1970 have had fifty-plus years to accumulate ring wear and seam splits.

The track sequence on GWEA-5046 mirrors the original Absolutely Live configuration: Side One opens with "Who Do You Love" followed by the medley running through "Alabama Song," "Back Door Man," "Love Hides," and "Five to One"; Side Two carries "Build Me a Woman" and the extended "When the Music's Over"; Side Three features "Close to You," "Universal Mind," and "Break On Thru, No. 2"; Side Four closes with "The Celebration of the Lizard" and "Soul Kitchen." There are no bonus tracks or alternate mixes specific to this pressing; the audio content is consistent with the standard international release. What this pressing offers is not sonic exclusivity but geographic and cultural specificity. The bilingual titling is the genuine draw here, and it makes this copy a legitimate variant rather than simply a repress. Collectors building a comprehensive survey of Absolutely Live pressings from around the world will want this one in the stack alongside the UK, European, and various other regional editions. On Discogs, 61 collectors report owning a copy and 129 have it on their want list, a want-to-have ratio that reflects steady demand without tipping into the frantic territory of truly scarce pressings. That ratio suggests this surfaces regularly enough to be acquirable but not so commonly that you should expect to find it without some patience. Pricing on the open market tends to run modestly above standard US reissue copies of the same album, reflecting the regional premium collectors attach to Latin American pressings from this period. Condition, as always with Mexican vinyl from 1970, is the primary variable. Quiet pressings in VG-plus or better are the ones worth pursuing at a premium; noisy copies are better left in the bin.

If you are focused on building out a complete regional pressing survey of Absolutely Live variants, GWEA-5046 is a necessary addition. It is not a rare record in absolute terms, but it is specific enough and sufficiently in demand that you will not stumble across it at every show. The bilingual sleeve makes it visually distinctive on the shelf, and it represents a legitimate slice of how The Doors were marketed and received in Mexico in 1970. Recommended for the regional pressing collector; casual fans are better served starting with one of the more accessible pressings before hunting this one down.