"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear as it is, infinite"
Jim Morrison, way back during his college days, once heard this quote somewhere, and that was when he and his pal at UCLA, Rick Manzarek were discussing forming a band. And thus was born Doors.
Most music fans will agree that the 60's was the most influencial decade of music ever, and one of the most influencial bands of that era was Doors. In the midst of all the British Invasion, this was one original American group.
The band started in 1965, and it virtually was dead in 1971 along with the death of Jim Morrison. In its short lifetime of just about 6 years, the band stamped its indelible mark on the future course of rock'n'roll music for years and years to come.
Despite all the hype and aura surrounding Jim Morrison, it was Ray Manzarek who was largely responsible for the Doors' different musical sound. The unique blend of rock, blues, jazz, classics and poetry was so trademark of them.
Jim Morrison was just a songwriter and vocalist, did not play any instruments, and was almost always stoned in concerts and recordings and did more harm to the repute of the band than good. Numerous times he got arrested for indecent exposure on the screen, once he was arrested for having sex backstage during a concert with a young girl. Numerous times he would be stoned during a concert and the other band members would have to take over from him. Hardly a man who deserves the adulation that he has earned. And in fact fate did take its toll on him when one fine day in 1971 his girlfriend found him dead in his bathtub, quite presumably of a drug overdose. His death was quite controversial, there were endless speculations over how he died. There was no autopsy performed on his body before he was buried. His girlfriend later admitted that she was the one who introduced him to drugs, and because he had a fear of needles, she was the one who injected him his last fatal dose! And a couple of years later she herself died of a drug overdose.
Ray Manzarek is, in my view, the most talented keyboardist in rock music ever. And apart from keyboards, he was multifariously talented. When the group started out, Morrison was very shy. As a result, Manzarek had to sing on a lot of the songs. Also very often Morrison would get stoned just before a concert, and Manzarek had to take up the mantle. His keyboard playing was most innovative. In many songs he would play the organ on one keyboard and bass on another keyboard simultaneously. Some of his keyboard leads like Light my Fire would put any lead guitarist to shame. And Robby Krieger's guitaring would blend so well with his keyboarding. Krieger had quite a distinctive guitaring style, unlike usual rock guitarists, he was mild and subdued, willingly giving the limelight to Manzarek.
On to my favourite Doors songs:
Riders on the Storm: My favourite. Manzarek is simply exhilarating in this song. Most amazing piano, well complemented by Krieger on guitar. This was the last song Jim Morrison recorded before his death.
Light my Fire: Signature song of the band. The best keyboards extended leads ever on a song. Keyboarding just cant get much better than this song.
Roadhouse blues: This song has an amazing bluesy feel to it. It came out of a random jam session where they were just experimenting with playing some blues. Beautiful juxtaposition of organs and guitars. The kind of song that just gets on to you with repeated listening.
Break on through to the other side: This was the first song on The Doors first album, and also their first single. A typically trademark Doors song, with amazing bass.
People are Strange: Another typical Doors song. Legend goes that Jim Morrison was depressed and went to Robbie Krieger's house, they went to a canyon to watch a sunset, at which time Jim realized he was depressed because "if you're strange, people are strange." He then wrote the rest of the lyrics of this song.
Hello, I love you: This song also has a funny anecdote to go with it. While Morrison and Manzarek were walking on the beach in California, they passed an African-American girl, and Morrison wrote the lyrics to this song in a single night, referring to the girl as the "dusky jewel". The music of this song is quite similar to The Kinks' "All Day And All Of The Night". In fact I think either the Kinks sued them, or they contemplated suing them and the Doors had to pay royalties to the Kinks.
Love her Madly: This one is a very mushy song. It was written by Robbie Krieger. It is about the numerous times his girlfriend threatened to leave him.
Love me Two Times: Again Robbie Krieger wrote the lyrics. There might be some reference, though very indirect, in the song about American soldiers going to Vietnam. Or it could even just mean a lustful innuendo. Nonetheless the song is extremely groovy and the guitaring is more pronounced than in any other Doors song IMHO.
LA Woman: Morrison recorded the vocals to this song in the studio bathroom to get a fuller sound. The words "Mr. Mojo Risin'" in the song are an anagram for "Jim Morrison"
Other noteworthy songs - Waiting for the Sun, The End, Strange Days, Spanish Caravan, Alabama Song...
And those of you who thought Doors were dead with Jim Morrison in 71, Ray Manzarek is still alive and rocking. He with Krieger and others in 2002 created a new band called The Doors 21st Century. There was a movie in 91 by Oliver Stone called The Doors where Val Kilmer played Jim Morrison. Its an extremely sad movie about drugs. Ray Manzarek is planning to release a movie in 2005 called Riders on the Storm.
But then those 6 years from 65 to 71 was the golden era of rock-n-roll, and Doors shall live on in the hearts and CD players of millions of their fans for ever.
