The Golden Scarab

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).

The Golden Scarab
Studio album by Ray Manzarek
Released	March 28, 1974
Recorded	1973
Studio	Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California, United States[1]
Genre	Blues rock psychedelic rock jazz fusion rhythm and blues electronic rock
Length	45:17
Label	Mercury
Producer	Bruce Botnick, Bob Brown
Ray Manzarek chronology
The Golden Scarab (1974) The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control (1974)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Uncut	[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]

Joe Viglione of AllMusic gave The Golden Scarab a rating of three out of five stars.^[2] 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.^[2]

In contrast, Uncut magazine wrote a scathing review, ridiculing, "It sucks ... Even Jim at his dumbest, stinkiest drunk would have pissed himself laughing."^[3]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Ray Manzarek except where indicated:^[5]

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"He Can't Come Today"	4:40
2.	"Solar Boat"	5:58
3.	"Downbound Train" (Chuck Berry)	5:31
4.	"The Golden Scarab"	6:42

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Purpose of Existence Is?"	6:38
2.	"The Moorish Idol"	5:38
3.	"Choose Up and Choose Off"	4:43
4.	"Oh Thou Precious Nectar Filled Form" ("A Little Fart")	4:57

CD bonus tracks

1. "Whirling Dervish" (Manzarek, Paul Davis) *
2. "I Wake Up Screaming" (Manzarek, Danny Sugerman) *
3. "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.^[6]

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
• Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone
• George Bohanon – trombone
• Steve Forman – tuned cowbells, whistles, guiro, tuned wood blocks
• Patti Smith – vocals on "I Wake Up Screaming"