This one is a great sounding recored. Still it doesn't beat the Monarch OG, but I would place it right next to second Monarch press with "RE" in the deadwax. Kevin Grey did the best possible job with this almost 60 years old tape.

Genuinely up there with the best of the series so far and im not just saying this to sell a copy! I seem to either love or hate the Rhino Hifi cuts (assuming its also not been pressed badly). This has put paid to my AP45rpm (which i despised for its terrible choice of mix) and it just edges the 2010 Bernie 33rpm. This recording needs clarity and EQ at the top and bottom to sound even listenable and thankfully this mix and KPG's mastering has both. It has just a smidge more clarity over the Bernie G cut. Theres very little in them to be fair, at least at the start of each side but i found the KPG to stay more consistent to the end of sides where the Bernie cut suffers more (these are quite long sides at the end of the day!).
I still recommend a narrow tip to get the best out of these 33's.

Its also good to get an unwarped and non fill free copy. Not a given with Optimals work on this series!

No complaints and all positives with one caveat.... i wish it was a double 45rpm!!!

I have a copy of this release, record is in condition NM/NM – 75 $.
Link to photo of the cover and record Google Disc:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uGGu2dwZXXK4vqYLDnO73IWiOiUhtuN8?usp=drive_link

Variant 1— side 2 throughly trounces my 1st press monarch. I’ll be looking for a Variant 5 from now on.

Does anyone else get a bit of IGD/distortion on Light My Fire? All other tracks sound incredible but my turntable is struggling with that one

Quite a bit of gunk in the tracks, especially on side B. After cleaning the vinyl this album sounds, at least to my ears, excellent. I’m yet to listen to an original pressing, curious to hear if there’s a huge difference in quality.

This is definitely the best this album has ever sounded. It’s not exactly an audiophile album to begin with, but Kevin Gray was able to really squeeze everything he could out of the tape he had to work with, and it really presents this album in its best light. It’s still available on Rhino’s site as an unnumbered edition, and is really worth it in my opinion.

On this first Butterfly label (1971? No Warner W logo on rimtext) is the originally mix for The End: Jim's vocals at the song's climax are uncensored.

Love this 1st monarch pressing and the best way to hear the mono mix! I have a 1st stereo monarch as well but enjoy the punch and full sound of this mono. I don't hear the distortion in the mix others mention. Break on Thru, Soul Kitchen & Twentieth Century Fox kick ass on this pressing!

Ok, I'm split....with VMP going under i wanted to snag this 2nd hand before the VMP stuff skyrockets due to there never being another pressing.

What everyone below says is correct for me. The packaging is amazing and definitely a collectors item for "The Doors" fans. Now the record itself have a lot of distortion on the treble (no I do not have a Mono cart but am about to upgrade my table and will have dual tonearms and one will have a Mono cart for albums like this.)

I also have the AP 45rpm and Rhino Hi-Fi copies. Stereo is the way to go. BUUUT for some reason I kinda like the grit and crappiness in this sound....I don't know why but to me it adds a harshness and brashness that kinda works. I imagine back in the day playing this album on worn out needles, with half blown speakers in a basement, this is how it sounded.

So I guess my take is, if you want clarity, audiophile perfection, look elsewhere. If you want some grit and almost nostalgic roughness, get this. I don't know. I added this to my collection as I had always wanted it, fully well knowing it would sound bad, but crazily I like the "badness" of it. And who knows what a Mono cart is going to do. This is a pickle for me for sure. I expected to hate it, but i guess it more boils down to, I kinda hate how much I like it...