The Doors

[Jagger69]

Just finished reading Stephen Davis' bio of Jim Morrison and it provoked a lot of reflection on the amazing impact that The Doors had (and continue to have) on music over the incredibly short time that we were blessed with their presence. If you think about the music that was prevalent at the time, (their first album, simply The Doors, was recorded in August, 1966) it is mind-blowing to consider how revolutionary their music really was. To put it in perspective, this was Billboard's #1 song for 1966:



In January, 1967, this song was released as the lead cut on side #2 of The Doors' debut album (turn up your speakers!):



Fuck! No wonder my parents were freaking out when they heard me suddenly listening to this stuff!!!

Remarkable in their synergy whose sum was so much greater than their parts. Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore were every bit as revolutionary as Jim Morrison (even more so from a musical standpoint) but he was the straw that stirred the drink. His ability to act as a shaman who controlled his audiences in an almost hypnotic fashion is legendary. Tragically, when Jim died, so did the magic that was The Doors. I would have given anything to see them live in concert.

For anyone who shares a similar passion for them, please post any of your favorite cuts along with comments and take part in the poll. Oh....and if you don't happen to like The Doors, I would kindly request that you don't bother to post it in this thread. Thanks....

 

[Elwood70]

Man, I used to love The Doors. I had a jacket with the logo hand-drawn by me on the back with the words "Jim Morrison will Live Again!" (Considering this was in 1985-87 before the Oliver Stone movie came out and sparked a resurgence in their popularity, I was half right - or, I'd like to think I was)...

I'm not into them nearly as much as I was, but I still like their music that hasn't been beaten to death by "classic" rock radio. I still catch myself singing "Peace Frog" every once in awhile - like when I saw this thread.


I also sang "Roadhouse Blues" once at a work Christmas party karaoke, and brought the house down, or so I was told. I was drunk enough to make Jim proud.

I see those clips of Jimmy Fallon and just go "meh"....

 

[Chopper3000]

A band before my time, but a band I love. Loads of great songs but for me I think Peace Frog off Morrison Hotel is just brilliant.

 

[ApolloBalboa]

I got into them at a fairly young age; my dad put on Morrison Hotel when I was about 7 and I remember thinking "this shit is fucking amazing". Well, maybe not that verbatim, but something similar. They're one of the few rock bands I can think of that didn't use a bass guitar, but I believe that worked in their favor because Manzarek's keyboards contribute so much to their psychedelic and jazz sounds. Morrison's lyrics are more poetry than anything else, delving into iambs, metonymy and whole verse, and inspire imagery far beyond what most songs can do today. Their career is unlike any other group's, really only encompassing 5 years (involving the quartet), but producing 6 groundbreaking albums (5 studio, 1 live).

 

[Jagger69]

They're one of the few rock bands I can think of that didn't use a bass guitar, but I believe that worked in their favor because Manzarek's keyboards contribute so much to their psychedelic and jazz sounds.

Yes. Interesting side note on this is that the manager of Whisky a Go Go in LA did not want to contract the Doors to play there since they had no bass player and he didn't think the kids would dance to their music (the go-go girls hated "The Crystal Ship" since it had no bass and was sooooo slow). So Robby Krieger's dad sprang for a 24-key bass keyboard that Ray used as a bottom for the band to make it sound like they had a regular bass player. Without that, they might have never played the club nor achieved the notoriety and fame that they did.

Also, I posted songs that most casual fans would recognize so I love "Peace Frog" as an alternative favorite. It's impossible for me to pick a favorite since it varies depending on how light or dark my mood is at the time. I love "Moonlight Drive" for personal reasons but the dramatic Wagnerian overtone of "The End" just sends chills up my spine every time I hear it. I think that song really represents Jim more than any other (including the profane Oedipus references). The imminent inevitability of death was always beside him since he was always testing limits in everything he did. It was that life quality of his that ultimately killed him....he pushed the limit and finally found it.

 

[Rex Hermaykup]

"Crystal Ship" is my favorite Doors song.

 

[ApolloBalboa]

Yes. Interesting side note on this is that the manager of Whisky a Go Go in LA did not want to contract the Doors to play there since they had no bass player and he didn't think the kids would dance to their music (the go-go girls hated "The Crystal Ship" since it had no bass and was sooooo slow). So Robby Krieger's dad sprang for a 24-key bass keyboard that Ray used as a bottom for the band to make it sound like they had a regular bass player. Without that, they might have never played the club nor achieved the notoriety and fame that they did.

Also, I posted songs that most casual fans would recognize so I love "Peace Frog" as an alternative favorite. It's impossible for me to pick a favorite since it varies depending on how light or dark my mood is at the time. I love "Moonlight Drive" for personal reasons but the dramatic Wagnerian overtone of "The End" just sends chills up my spine every time I hear it. I think that song really represents Jim more than any other (including the profane Oedipus references). The imminent inevitability of death was always beside him since he was always testing limits in everything he did. It was that life quality of his that ultimately killed him....he pushed the limit and finally found it.

Interesting. I think keyboards are a somewhat underrated instrument, but using them in such a way as to replace/compliment an instrument is hard to do without its presence becoming overwhelming. The only other people that were able to do that (that immediately come to mind) was John Locke of Spirit and Jan Hammer of Mahavishnu Orchestra.

One of my favorites is "Strange Days", I love the Moog throughout. I like how after Jim Morrison stops singing a stanza, we hear an abrupt transition into a build-up of synthesizer, which almost sounds reminiscent of some kind of carnival tune to me.

 

[Jagger69]

John Locke of Spirit and Jan Hammer of Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Wow....you sure you are only 22?

 

[ApolloBalboa]

Wow....you sure you are only 22?

I cut off my leg and counted the rings, so I'm relatively sure. My parents had good taste in music, a collection of probably over 300 records between the two of them, and we didn't have a CD player until I was about 10 years old. That means learning how to put the needle on a record from a young age, and being exposed to just about anything and everything they put on vinyl from the 40's on.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I voted for, "The End"...I think it speaks a lot to the life of Jim himself. I wish the radio hadn't ruined this band, like they do with so many. Not to mention thew movie...which according to Manzarek was a total load of shit. Jim was the original extremist in that era of music, he was a tortured soul....and it worked to perfection. Any other musicians, and he would have sucked. At least that's my opinion.

In the studio, they always had a bass player, but never for live gigs, Ray covered that. What I don't get is why they never thought of bass pedals.

Another of my favorites is the "Alabama Song". Funny, more albums were released AFTER Jim died, then before. Looks like Tupac, and Biggie weren't the first to pull that move off either.

 

[Briana Lee]

I liked them in this....

 

[bahodeme]

Other - I like L.A. Woman, but for me it's The Changeling

 

[Jagger69]

I cut off my leg and counted the rings, so I'm relatively sure. My parents had good taste in music, a collection of probably over 300 records between the two of them, and we didn't have a CD player until I was about 10 years old. That means learning how to put the needle on a record from a young age, and being exposed to just about anything and everything they put on vinyl from the 40's on.

Your parents did right by you. My son grew up on vinyl as well so he has a similar appreciation for music from the '60s and '70s. :thumbsup:

I voted for, "The End"...I think it speaks a lot to the life of Jim himself. I wish the radio hadn't ruined this band, like they do with so many. Not to mention thew movie...which according to Manzarek was a total load of shit. Jim was the original extremist in that era of music, he was a tortured soul....and it worked to perfection. Any other musicians, and he would have sucked. At least that's my opinion.

In the studio, they always had a bass player, but never for live gigs, Ray covered that. What I don't get is why they never thought of bass pedals.

Another of my favorites is the "Alabama Song". Funny, more albums were released AFTER Jim died, then before. Looks like Tupac, and Biggie weren't the first to pull that move off either.

Yes. If the song called for a bass line in the studio, they brought someone in. Never used one live to the best of my knowledge.

And, yeah, The Doors movie basically sucked from my perspective except for Val Kilmer's performance. Jim Morrison would be a really hard character to play and the fact that Kilmer did it so well as far as the vocals go is very admirable.

"Alabama Song" is terrific. "Show me the way....to the next....whiskey bar" could have been written on Jim's tombstone.

Other - I like L.A. Woman, but for me it's The Changeling

Oh yessss....awesome!! Jim truly was a changeling!!

 

[RASQ]

Ladies and gentleman....from Los Angeles California...THE DOORS!



I'm so going to miss music when I succumb to death.

 

[siffert]

Queen of the Highway
We Could Be So Good Together
Spanish Caravan
Love Her Madly
Hyacinth House
Moonlight Drive
Love Me Two Times
Take It as It Comes
The Soft Parade

 

[feller469]

Always loved the way "L. A. Woman" rose and fell. Friends in a local band used to play it and it is such a great song live. Ray's keyboards were amazing, Jim's lyrics were gold. Jagger, thanks for this poll. Gonna have to introduce the boy to some Doors this weekend. (When the boy was 2 he did show and tell at pre-school by singing along to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and by the time he was 3 he knew most of "Master of Puppets" from Metallica.)

 

[Smallville22]

Roadhouse Blues

 

[Jagger69]

I also sang "Roadhouse Blues" once at a work Christmas party karaoke, and brought the house down, or so I was told. I was drunk enough to make Jim proud.

I see those clips of Jimmy Fallon and just go "meh"....

I would have loved to have seen that!!! Being drunk would certainly be appropriate to mimic Jim. :1orglaugh

Agree about Jimmy Fallon....should just leave it alone, man.

 

[Rex Hermaykup]

Interesting post Appollo Balboa! More insight into music here on FO than on other music sites I belong to.
There is one guitar oriented site that I belong to where most of members dismiss Doors and have nothing good at all to say about them.

Robby Krieger was (is) an inventive talented guitarist, Densmore a dynamic drummer and Ray Manzarek a brilliant musician who was architect of Doors sound.
Jim was true original, a poet and one of the most charismatic and dynamic voices in rock history.
The band was short lived, but put an amazing amount of quality material out in a short time. J
I recently saw on VH1 "Doors Live at Hollywood Bowl" and that live performance made me like them even more than I already did.

 

[bahodeme]

Interesting post Appollo Balboa! More insight into music here on FO than on other music sites I belong to.

If you do a search, you will find threads for just about every genre except Gospel and Bluegrass (I might be wrong, there may be).