Morrison Hotel Sessions — Record Store Day

The Morrison Hotel Sessions, released on Elektra/Rhino (catalog R1 645865 / 603497845033) for Record Store Day on June 12, 2021, is a strictly limited double LP pressed on 180-gram vinyl, manufactured in Germany and distributed in the US. The worldwide edition is numbered to 16,000 copies, with 7,500 units allocated for the US market. This is a distinct release from the standard Morrison Hotel album and should not be confused with any standard reissue; the RSD sticker on the shrink wrap and the "Made in Germany" sticker on the back cover are the immediate identifiers on a sealed copy.

The packaging is a glossy gatefold jacket, and the production quality is strong for an RSD release. The front cover photograph, reproduced on this pressing, is the iconic image from the original 1970 album: a figure seated inside the lobby of the Morrison Hotel, partially silhouetted, the large letters "MORRISON HOTEL" visible through a sun-bleached window above. The warm amber and sepia tones of the photograph dominate, giving the cover a grainy, street-photography quality that suits the raw session material inside. The text "THE DOORS" and "MORRISON HOTEL SESSIONS" appear on a sticker in the upper right corner in clean white lettering, and the Record Store Day badge is visible in the lower right of the front cover image. The sticker identifies the contents, listing track highlights and the "Limited Edition of 16,000" designation. The back cover reproduces the equally recognizable band photograph from the original Morrison Hotel LP: the four members of The Doors, Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore, standing and crouching in front of the Morrison Hotel entrance sign, the large numerals "1246" prominent above them. Above the photograph, the full track listing is printed in small white text against a dark background, organized by session groupings. The inner sleeves are black anti-static poly-lined, which is a practical and appreciated detail for protecting the vinyl. The pressing itself is 180-gram, and the four sides are laid out cleanly across two records. No separate insert or booklet is included beyond what the gatefold itself provides, which is a limitation worth noting for collectors who prioritize extensive liner note documentation, though the session-organized track listing does a reasonable job of contextualizing the material.

What separates this release from anything else in a Doors collection is the content itself. These are studio outtakes drawn from the recording sessions for Morrison Hotel, presented as a so-called fly-on-the-wall experience, meaning the recordings include false starts, inter-take chatter, and the organic disorder of a working session rather than polished alternate versions. The track listing is almost entirely devoted to two songs: "Queen of the Highway" and "Roadhouse Blues," spread across multiple distinct sessions, with the sessions themselves labeled and sequenced. Side A alone features five takes or take groupings of "Queen of the Highway" from two separate sessions. Side B continues with a third session of the same song before transitioning into the first Roadhouse Blues session with Take 14. The remaining sides work through four Roadhouse Blues sessions, including warm-up covers of "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Rock Me Baby" on Side C, before closing with the Peace Frog/Blue Sunday session on Side D. Take 14 of "Queen of the Highway" on Side A features a Robby Krieger guitar overdub added for this release, which gives completists a reason to pay attention even if they already own other archival Doors material. Collectors who have worked through The Doors Complete Studio Recordings box set will find some overlap in spirit, but the session-by-session presentation here is distinct. On Discogs, 4,728 collectors have logged this pressing and 527 have it on their want list, which reflects solid demand for an RSD release of this size. At 16,000 copies worldwide, it is not scarce in the way something like The Doors might be, but it moves consistently and sealed copies at reasonable prices are becoming less common. The German pressing quality is generally reliable, and RSD releases from Rhino in this period have held up well physically. This is not the kind of archival release that surfaces in every used bin; finding a clean copy requires some attention.

For any serious Doors collector focused on studio documentation, this is a worthwhile addition. The 180-gram German pressing is well-executed, the session-organized format adds genuine listening value, and the 16,000-copy limitation keeps it from being something you can pick up casually at any time. It is an official Rhino/Elektra release, the content is legitimate, and RSD pressings of this quality have earned their place in a focused collection. Recommended, particularly while copies remain at non-inflated prices.