The Golden Scarab is the debut studio album by former Doors member Ray Manzarek as a solo artist. It was recorded in 1973 and released in 1974 on the Mercury label, one year after the Doors breakup (at that time a trio formed of the surviving members of the band: Manzarek himself, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore).
Contents
Reception
Joe Viglione of AllMusic gave The Golden Scarab a rating of three out of five stars. He considered it to be the "best embodiment of the Doors by one of the three surviving members", concluding:
It is amazing that such a fine work as The Golden Scarab escaped the masses, and shameful that classic hits stations don't add this to their incessant repertoire. Had Jim Morrison lived, this is the path the music of the Doors should have taken. Smooth and demanding of repeated spins.
In contrast, Uncut magazine wrote a scathing review, ridiculing, "It sucks ... Even Jim at his dumbest, stinkiest drunk would have pissed himself laughing."
Track listing
All tracks composed by Ray Manzarek except where indicated:
CD bonus tracks
"Whirling Dervish" (Manzarek, Paul Davis) *
"I Wake Up Screaming" (Manzarek, Danny Sugerman) *
"Bicentennial Blues (Love It or Leave It)" *
Bonus tracks taken from Manzarek's 1974 LP The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control.
Personnel
Ray Manzarek – lead vocals, keyboards, piano, organ, synthesizer, kalimba
Larry Carlton – guitar
Tony Williams – drums
Oscar Brashear – trumpet
Mayuto Correa – wood block, bongos, congas
Milt Holland – pandeiro, cabasa, quica, African cowbell
Jerry Scheff – bass guitar
Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone
George Bohanon – trombone
Steve Forman – tuned cowbells, whistles, guiro, tuned wood blocks
Patti Smith – vocals on "I Wake Up Screaming"