The History Of The Doors Vol. 2

The Doors' 1991 German 3-CD set History Vol. 2 has low demand, no bonuses, and modest collector interest.

The History Of The Doors Vol. 2, released in 1991 on Elektra with catalog number 7559-61108-2, is a German-pressed three-CD box set compiling the band's final three studio albums in full: The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel, and LA Woman. This is the second volume of a two-part series, with the label's promotional language describing it as presenting "The Doors' music complete in two historical volumes," each set containing three CDs. The German origin is confirmed by the Elektra pressing details tied to that catalog number, placing it firmly within the European market rather than any domestic US issue.

The packaging follows the format typical of early 1990s European budget-oriented compilation sets, where function took priority over luxury presentation. The outer housing holds three individual discs, each corresponding to one of the three source albums. German Elektra pressings from this period generally used sturdy cardboard slipcases or clamshell-style boxes rather than elaborate digipak construction, and the printing on European Doors releases of this era reflects the slightly cooler, more muted color reproduction common to continental European pressing plants of the time. The cover art and disc label design would draw from existing Elektra catalog materials, keeping the presentation consistent with the broader Doors back-catalog aesthetic rather than introducing anything original or newly commissioned. There are no indications of an expanded booklet or newly written liner notes specific to this German pressing; the set is a packaging convenience rather than an archival document. The discs themselves, pressed in Germany, carry the standard silvery Elektra pressing quality expected from early 1990s European CD production, which is generally solid and reliable. Collectors familiar with German pressings of this period will know they tend to hold up well physically, with consistent lacquer application and minimal pressing defects compared to some other regional variants. The insert materials, if any, are expected to be minimal, likely a single folded sheet or a slim booklet covering basic track and copyright information rather than anything substantive in the way of photography or annotation. For collectors who prioritize presentation over content, this is a utilitarian release rather than a showcase piece. The emphasis is entirely on getting three complete studio albums into one purchasable unit at an accessible price point for the European market in 1991.

The content here is straightforward: the full track listings of The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel, and L.A. Woman are reproduced without alteration, bonus tracks, or alternate mixes. That means you get every track from the band's late-period catalog, including essential cuts like "Roadhouse Blues," "Riders On The Storm," and "Love Her Madly", which also had its own European single release history worth cross-referencing. Nothing here has been remixed or edited for this compilation context; these are the album versions as previously released on Elektra. The three-disc structure means each album retains its original sequencing and track count without any trimming, which is the correct approach for a completist-oriented set. The German market framing matters for collectors because Elektra's European licensing at this time produced pressings with subtly different mastering chains in some cases, though this set does not appear to have been singled out for any notably distinct mastering compared to contemporaneous UK or US pressings of the same albums. On Discogs, this specific pressing shows 15 collectors having it and 5 wanting it, which puts it firmly in the low-demand category. It is not scarce by any reasonable measure; it simply has not attracted significant collector interest, and given that the underlying album content is widely available through numerous other pressings and formats, that is not surprising. Anyone looking for the standalone studio albums will find better options through original pressings or the various remastered reissues that followed. For comparison, collectors interested in how The Best Of The Doors compilations handled similar track selections across different regional releases will find useful context there. This volume does not include the first four albums, which were covered in Vol. 1 of the same series, making the two sets complementary rather than overlapping. The 1991 release date places it squarely in the post-Morrison commercial revival period when Elektra was actively repackaging the catalog for European audiences.

This German pressing of The History Of The Doors Vol. 2 (catalog 7559-61108-2) is a serviceable but unremarkable three-CD compilation with minimal collector appeal beyond its convenience as a single-purchase way to own The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel, and L.A. Woman in one package. With Discogs numbers this low, it is not fetching any meaningful premium, nor should it. If you already own the individual albums in any decent pressing, this adds nothing. If you are building a comprehensive catalog of German Elektra Doors releases from the early 1990s, it belongs in your collection, but that is a niche pursuit even among dedicated collectors.