The Doors

This is the 1988 German CD reissue of The Doors debut album, pressed on Elektra and carrying the catalog number 7559-74007-2. That number is the key identifier separating this pressing from the earlier German Elektra issues and from the standard international variants circulating at the same time. It was manufactured and distributed in Germany, and collectors who track this specific release on Discogs will find it listed under the 1988 Germany entry with that precise catalog designation.

The front cover reproduces the iconic original Joel Brodsky photograph in its familiar square composition. Jim Morrison dominates the left foreground, his face partially lit and partially in shadow, rendered here in the characteristic dark olive-green and near-black tones that define this album's visual identity. The group name appears at the top in the familiar thin, lowercase green lettering, with the word the sitting above the stylized doors logotype. Two other band members are visible in the soft-focus background on the right side of the frame, their figures receding into shadow. The overall color palette is muted and cool, with the contrast between Morrison's illuminated face and the dark surround giving the image a theatrical, almost cinematic quality. The back cover is where this pressing earns its collector footnote: Robby Krieger is incorrectly credited as Bobby Krieger. This printing error appears in the rear panel text and is a consistent feature of this specific 1988 German pressing, making it immediately identifiable for anyone who knows to look. The disc itself follows the standard Elektra CD design of the period, with the label area carrying catalog and track information in clean type. There are no inserts beyond the standard jewel case tray card, and the jewel case is the conventional late-1980s variety. No booklet is included, which was typical for budget and catalog reissues of this era coming out of Germany. The overall print quality on the rear panel is competent but unremarkable, consistent with European catalog reissues of this period rather than any premium repackaging effort.

What makes this pressing genuinely interesting to collectors is the combination of the non-standard catalog number and the Bobby Krieger misprint. Errors of this kind in official pressings are always useful for pinpointing manufacturing batches, and this one is documented clearly enough that it has become a minor identification marker within the collector community. The catalog number 7559-74007-2 differentiates this from other contemporary German Elektra issues of the debut, and anyone building a complete regional variant collection of the first album needs this pressing to be accurate. The Discogs community has logged 119 copies owned and 222 on want lists, which reflects a reasonably active secondary market without the scarcity of truly limited pressings. It is not rare in the strict sense, but it is a specific variant with a documented quirk, and that combination keeps collector interest steady. The content itself is the standard eleven-track debut configuration: Break On Through (To The Other Side) through The End, with no bonus tracks or alternate mixes. This is not the place to find anything beyond the canonical album sequence. Collectors interested in deeper catalog exploration from the same period might look at the Alive, She Cried reissue variants or the various pressings of Waiting For The Sun for a broader picture of how Elektra managed European CD distribution during the late 1980s. For those tracking Jim Morrison's image across official releases, the Brodsky cover photography here connects to broader discussions catalogued in entries like Jim Morrison: The Lizard King. Regional pressing differences from this era, including European catalog number variants, are also touched on across several related entries including The History Of The Doors Vol. 2. The audio transfer reflects the standard late-1980s CD mastering of the debut, without any remastering work; what you hear is what Elektra was distributing across European markets at the time.

For collectors specifically assembling a pressing history of The Doors debut on CD, this 1988 German Elektra pressing with catalog number 7559-74007-2 is a worthwhile acquisition, primarily because of the documented Bobby Krieger misprint and the distinct catalog identifier. It is an official release, not a bootleg or unofficial repackaging. Discogs activity confirms ongoing demand, and the misprint gives it a specificity that generic reissues lack. It will not break budgets, but it fills a real gap in any thorough regional variant collection.