Originally released as part of the box set The Complete Studio Recordings, The Essential Rarities essentially gathers a bunch of odds and ends, not just previously unreleased studio cuts, but also live cuts, composites, stage chatter, alternate takes, and demos.
In other words, it's a bunch of stuff that only hardcore fans need, and they've likely already purchased it as part of the box set or as bootlegs.
If not, this is a good way to get a bunch of pretty good cuts, highlighted by the 1969 outtakes "Woman Is a Devil" and "Who Scared You" and the 1965 demo "Moonlight Drive." It must be said, however, that this is really just for the hardcore fans since there just isn't anything (apart from possibly those three previously mentioned tracks, yet those still are specialized items) that is noteworthy for the casual listener.
As a way of tying up loose ends, The Essential Rarities is necessary for collectors, but for everybody else, it's hardly essential.
[By the way, there are almost no liner notes to speak of, only four photos (not counting the cover shot) and two track listings, only one with the sources.
The rest of the information details the reissue producers, but there are no liner notes to explain the origins of these cuts.].
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hello to the CitiesJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 00:59 | 2 MB | 5 MB |
| 2 | Roadhouse BluesJohn Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 04:32 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 3 | Hyacinth HouseJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 02:38 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 4 | Moonlight DriveJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 02:33 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 5 | Queen of the HighwayJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 6 | Someday SoonJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 7 | Hello, I Love YouJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 02:30 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 8 | Orange County SuiteJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 05:44 | 13 MB | 33 MB |
| 9 | The Soft ParadeJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 10:09 | 23 MB | 60 MB |
| 10 | The EndJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 17:48 | 40 MB | 108 MB |
| 11 | Woman Is a DevilJohn Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison | The Doors | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| 12 | Break On Through | The Doors | Play | 04:46 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 13 | Who Scared You | The Doors | Play | 03:54 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 14 | Whiskey, Mystics & Men | The Doors | Play | 02:22 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 69 mins | 159 MB | |||||
| 69 mins | 404 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Bock | Engineer |
| 2 | Bruce Botnick | Engineer, Mastering, Mixing, Producer |
| 3 | John Densmore | Composer, Drums |
| 4 | The Doors | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 5 | Richard Evans | Art Direction, Design |
| 6 | Todd Gray | Photo Archivist |
| 7 | John Haeny | Assistant Engineer |
| 8 | Robby Krieger | Composer, Guitar |
| 9 | Ray Manzarek | Composer, Keyboards |
| 10 | Jim Morrison | Composer, Vocals |
| 11 | Paul Rothchild | Producer |
| 12 | Danny Sugerman | Management |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |