Live Pittsburgh Civic Arena — Red Vinyl

The red vinyl pressing of Live Pittsburgh Civic Arena, catalog number 8122-79970-7-2, was released by Elektra (2) in Europe in 2008, manufactured in the E.U. under license from The Doors Music Company. This is the limited edition variant, pressed strictly to 95 copies on red wax, and is an entirely different object from the standard black vinyl pressing and the CD edition issued concurrently. The source material is a live recording from May 2, 1970 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, captured during the band's final touring cycle with Jim Morrison.

The front cover is immediately striking. A circular, psychedelic illustration rendered in deep purples, blues, greens, and warm oranges frames a black-and-white live photograph of the band on stage. Morrison stands center-left, microphone in hand, the rest of the group visible behind him in the stage murk. The band name The Doors runs across the top arc of the circle in large, bubble-style lettering filled with gradient color, and below it the title Live Pittsburgh Civic Arena curves along the lower arc in a matching font. The date May 2, 1970 appears at the bottom of the circle. The overall aesthetic pulls directly from late-1960s psychedelic poster design, which suits the era of the recording well. A small circular sticker appears in the upper right corner of the sleeve, referencing the limited nature of this pressing. The spine and back cover carry the catalog number and legal text. The rear panel uses a dark brown-to-black gradient background and lists all four sides of the track listing in clean white type, with a small The Doors logo and the DMC logo visible near the bottom. Production credits name Bruce Botnick as producer and Jeffrey Lesser as recording engineer, with Anthony Saveall handling restoration.

The red disc itself is the defining feature of this variant. The wax is a solid, opaque red, with no translucency, and the surface pressing quality is consistent with EU manufacture of this period. The label design on each side shows the familiar Elektra butterfly logo in black on a white or off-white background, with matrix and pressing details etched in the dead wax. The label text identifies the sides clearly and matches the Discogs-confirmed track sequence. There are no inserts, lyric sheets, or additional materials included in this pressing, which is standard for this type of limited live release. The gatefold or inner sleeve is plain; the packaging is a straightforward single sleeve without bonus contents. The sleeve construction is card stock appropriate for a 2008 EU pressing, not heavy or boutique in weight, but serviceable. No original promotional materials or certificates of limitation appear to have accompanied these copies.

The Pittsburgh Civic Arena show from May 2, 1970 is one of the more fully documented concerts from the band's final tour, and this double LP spread across four sides captures a broad cross-section of the set. The opening pair of Back Door Man and Love Hides into Five To One and Roadhouse Blues on Side One sets a hard blues-rock tone that fans of the band's rawer live work will appreciate. Side Two moves into Mystery Train and Away In India before Crossroads Blues and Universal Mind, the latter being a track that doesn't appear on many live releases and adds real interest for collectors focused on Morrison-era concert material. When The Music's Over anchors Side Three, running alongside Break On Through and Push Push, with The Soft Parade Vamp closing that side. Side Four wraps with Tonight You're In For A Special Treat, Close To You, and Light My Fire. The recording quality, as restored by Anthony Saveall, is clear for a 1970 live source. Collectors who have spent time with releases like The Riot Show or Esta Vivo Grito Ella will have a realistic sense of what to expect from this era of Doors live tape. On Discogs, this specific red variant shows 19 collectors owning it and 144 wanting it, a want-to-have ratio that reflects just how difficult these 95 copies are to locate. It does not surface often, and when it does, pricing reflects the scarcity.

With only 95 copies pressed and a want-to-have ratio on Discogs that makes the math obvious, this red vinyl edition of Live Pittsburgh Civic Arena (Elektra 8122-79970-7-2, EU, 2008) is a genuinely rare piece. Collectors who missed this on initial release will find the secondary market thin. If you already own the black vinyl or CD and are considering whether the red wax justifies the premium, the answer depends entirely on how seriously you pursue color variant completeness. For those who do, this one belongs in the collection.