MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOU LIVE AT "THE MATRIX": THE PERFORMANCE

The Doors play from the 7th to 10th of March 1967 a series of concerts at the famous San Francisco venue "The Matrix". This is one of the very few live recordings of the group in their early period. In fact, we are in the months between the release of the first LP ("The Doors", January 1967) and the start of the recording sessions for the second album ("Strange Days", released in September 1967).

Also appearing on these live recording is "My Eyes Have Seen You", a song that had already been recorded in February '67 and would be the track number 9 on the "Strange Days" LP.

The performance basically follows the version we find on the album, however there is one important difference between the two versions.

On the one featured on the album, keyboardist Ray Manzarek plays the modified piano and the clavinet. Their combined sound is often overpowered by the distortions applied to Robby Krieger's guitar, achieved through studio work and overdubs. These sounds are joined by the vehement and bold electric bass of Doug Lubahn (called in to play as a session man).

This process was impossible to be replicated on stage as well as the sound given by the combination of the two keyboards used by Manzarek. In fact, at “The Matrix” he plays the electric organ, along with a keyboard that reproduces the sound of the electric bass (called the Fender Rhodes Piano Bass).

This difference in instrumentation greatly affects the overall sound of the song, which on "The Matrix" version comes across as less powerful and less thick, while still maintaining a high Rock charge.

The electric organ dominates the arrangement with its clear and smooth chords, taking charge of filling the voids left onstage by the absence of the rich arrangement that marks the LP version. 

Morrison sings with passion, not detaching himself from the LP vocal line, but delivering the emotions steeped in lysergic toxins that characterize this period of his career.

To sum up, at "The Matrix" we witness a fine version of "My Eyes Have Seen You", which nevertheless can be enjoyed even more in its official release on the "Strange Days" album.