Sam Houston Coliseum,
Houston, Texas - July 10, 1968.
1.Break on Through 4:29
2.Backdoor Man - Once I had a Friend - We Tried so Hard - Fall Down Now 9:17
3.When the Music's Over - Confusion - Winter Photography - Talking, Waiting, Smoking - Feel Warm Days and Faces Come Again 15:49
4.The W.A.S.P (Texas Radio & the Big Beat) - Hello, I Love You 4:14
5.Little Red Rooster 6:21
6.Who Do You Love (cuts) 2:36
7.The Crystal Ship 2:52
8.Wake Up! - Light my Fire (cuts) 4:43

Comments:

"July 9, Jim Morrison and The Doors made their first appearance in Dallas. The show was enough to convince this reviewer that no other pop group can come near them. I say "Jim Morrison and The Doors" because Morrison’s personality totally dominated the performance as it may soon dominate the new rock scene. His dynamic fluctuations from hot to cold, his gyrations, kept his audience flowing with him, and the enthusiastic applause was a testimony to his staying power." (John Marken, "Morrison Dominates Doors’ Performance", Dallas Notes, July 16, 1968). The following night at Sam Houston Coliseum, Jim Morrison matched and perhaps in some respects even surpassed the previous night’s concert in Dallas – the Houston concert was everything and even more, as Jim had performed a dynamic theatrical show, heavily sprinkled with passages of poetic improvisations and driven by the group’s unique sound.,p> "It was Total Theatre, theatre-in-round, theatre of the absurd like Artaud never dreamed of, a staged act of such intensity that hands quivered and brows went damp in expectation. It was the Doors". (Nathan Fain, "Doors: Jim Morrison Gets Hysterical In Coliseum’s Ritual Freak-Out", The Houston Post, July 11, 1968).

Opening the show for the night included the standard warm up acts, The Matchbox and the Moving Sidewalks (later to become ZZ Top). The Doors arrived around 9:15 p.m, with Jim dressed in his leather pants, rough-out moccasins, a blue knit shirt and a black leather jacket with sheepskin lining around the collar.

Whilst the band made adjustments to their equipment, Jim politely spoke with audience members besides the platform and shook their hands.

"The world famous Doors"; the compere slowly introduced the group, as he tried to prolong the audience’s hysterical anxiety by stretching out those first four words.

"Look at him, look at him ! Ohh lord"; moaned one of the female audience members, sounding as though she just creamed her panties through sheer sexual visual ecstasy when Jim took to the microphone stand.

A brooding, menacing "Break On Through" fuelled by Robbie’s introductory guitar riff, opened up the concert. After completing the opening song that had been well received by the crowd, Jim asked the audience;

"Yeah ...... How ya doing ?"

Jim continued his monologue with the quiet audience;

"Yeah, you’re lookin good", Morrison said softly spoken.

"We’re lookin good ?!"; replied one of the female audience members.

The band started to play the first few opening notes to "Back Door Man", whilst Jim calculatingly created some sexual tension with his play of words and explicit physical gestures;

"Oh lord !"; orgasmically replied the same female audience member.

"Suck .... feel my hand".

Between the first and second verses of "Back Door Man", Jim blended in some rather rare portions of his poetry. Portions of Jim’s recitals were previously performed at venues such as The Matrix during March of the previous year, whilst other parts of the poetry were performed almost two years later at the Long Beach Sports Arena in February, 1970.

"Once I had a friend,
thought I had,
took him in,
gave him my bread,
now he’s messing
with my wife.
Oh, I’m mad
I’m mad !
Oh, come on ... yeah ....
Oh, I’m mad
Gentlemen, has been over,
crawling up the wall,
hiding under the bed,
what’s happening to my little head.
Aaaahh ............... ha
Aaaahh ............... ha
Softer,
feel it, softer
feel it, getting hard
What do you know, about my baby,
what do you know, about my girl,
has she found, her own true love,
searching around the world,
yeah.

Has she found, what she’s looking for,
the one who’ll open, her last door.

We tried so hard,
we tried so hard,
to drive the dogs into the yard,
maybe we tried too hard,
could be we tried just a little too hard.

Fall down now,
fall down now,
strange gods are coming,
strange gods are coming,
their shoes are soft,
their hair is long,
eyes are green,
the sea is mean,

yeah ...
Fall down
crawl all over me baby

Aaaaaaaaaahhhh .......
real soft,
getting real soft
work, buddy

getting it down,
get it down,
get it down,
ooohhh .....
aaaahh ....
oaaahh ....
aaaahh ....
oaaahh ....
get it down,
soft

Touch it,
touch it,
touch it,
touch it,
touch it,
touch it

C’mon baby, play with me.

At which point, the same female audience member was continually having troubles concealing her orgasmic release. The song returned to its standard second verse and was given received with an overwhelming reception by the audience.

During the next song, "When The Music’s Over", Jim continued to intersperse the song with more of his poetry, some of which was later performed during his March 1969 poetry recording sessions.

"Confusion,
con-fu-sion
All my world’s a bright delusion,
All my life’s a torn circus,
All my mind comes tumbling down.

Winter photography,
Our love’s in jeopardy
Winter photography,
Our love’s in jeopardy

Sit up all night, talking, smoking,
Count the dead and wait for morning

Feel warm days and faces come again,
Does the silver forest end"

Towards the climax of "When The Music’s Over",
Morrison screamed out;

"WE WANT THE WORLD AND WE WANT IT NOW ! "

Jim’s body, taut as if struck down by lightning, he finally collapsed on the platform with the microphone in hand and writhed about. The audience responded with Chuchillian V – for - victory signs.

"Hello, my name is oowww !"; screamed Morrison, causing the microphone to squelch with feedback. Between songs, Jim guzzled down a few Budweisers whilst he loitered around the stage.

The group’s next song was a rather interesting version of "Texas Radio & The Big Beat", which included a slow moving bass line and Jim’s quickly spoken lyrics. As part of the standard Doors 1968 set, "Hello, I Love You" was adjoined straight after "Texas Radio & The Big Beat", however on this occasion, this particular version was somewhat sloppy, the music wasn’t as tightly fused and Jim sounded a little lethargic, as he effortlessly dragged the song along.

The Doors musical pace had shifted down one gear as they opted for a small blues bracket, including "Little Red Rooster" and "Who Do You Love", respectively. During "Little Red Rooster", both Robbie and Ray played their solo riffs.

Opening on its first few notes, "Crystal Ship", had received a strong reaction and warm reception from the audience.

From L to R: Robby Krieger, Babe Hill, Jim Morrison, John Densmore & Ray Manzarek.

The grand finale for the night was "Light My Fire", preceded by "Wake Up!" – however, Jim sounded just a little bored and from what can be heard on the audience recording, the trio’s musical performance was just a bit above average.

None the less, the visual aspects of the show were spectacular as Morrison fell down onto the floor during the musical improvisation on "Light My Fire", slowly crumpled into a small ball and layed still for several minutes. The rest of the group kept "Light My Fire" going on for an extended solid 20 minutes. At one stage of the song, Jim got up and moved among the audience, which stressed out the police, before he made his way to the stage for the finale.

"He and the other Doors did disperse about an hour of excellent rock music and the people who came to hear that weren’t disappointed at all." (Jeff Millar, "Shucks, Jim Morrison Did Nothing Naughty", Houston Chronicle, July 11, 1968). Musical reviewer Nathan Fain summed up the show for the night;

"But whether the Doors deserve their esteem as a rock band is beyond dispute. They can cut it, and with style to spare".