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A Tribute To The Doors

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Don't You Love Them Madly?

Forming in Los Angeles in 1965, The Doors are one of the most controversial and most loved bands in the history of Rock N Roll. With their mix of jazz and blues influences and the poetry of Jim Morrison's song writing, they were a unique sounding band that really summed up that crazy moment in time that the late sixties was.

Although the band was only around for six years as a complete four piece band, they created music that has stood the test of time for well over 40 years.

One Of The World's Most Influencial And Controversial Rock Bands Of All Time

The Doors formed in Los Angeles in 1965 after Jim Morrison (vocals) and Ray Manzarek (keyboards) met at film school. They left film school with no intention of forming a band until they bumped into each other again on LA's Venice Beach. After Ray heard some of Jim's lyrics that he had been writing, he was instantly impressed and they decided to form a band on the spot. They recruited some friends, John Densmore on drums and Robby Krieger on guitar and the rest was music history ready to be made.

They were a very controversial band mainly due to the somewhat perverted lyrics written by Morrison as well as his extreme stage antics and his drug use and alcoholism. But Jim was also a very charismatic and intelligent man who found followers wherever he went. People naturally gravitated towards his mysterious ways which helped to make the band the success that they were. He was an incredible poet who was well read in all sorts of unique and mysterious literature. This lead to the incredible and dark lyrics that the band had throughout their songs. The other band members were also very talented musicians so their music stood up in it's own right as well. Both of these factors contributed to making The Doors one of the biggest bands in the history of Rock n Roll music.

The Doors

Their self titled debut album

This was one of the band's best albums and was a great way to introduce music fans to the sound of The Doors. From the upbeat opening riffs of the first song "Break On Through" to the the bluesy cover version of Willie Dixon's "Back Door Man" and into the epic and moody "The End" with it's controversial lyrics, this is one magical album and one of the most played albums in my collection. Recorded in 1966 and released in January 1967, the album made a slow start on the American charts until the single "Light My Fire" was released and then it rocketed to number two where it peaked. It remains today one of their most popular and successful albums.

Light My Fire

This is one epic song. It is possibly the bands most famous song and the tune that really exploded their career for them. It was also controversial using the word "Higher" which many conservative people took to mean a drug reference. When the band played the Ed Sullivan show on TV they were ordered to change the lyrics, which of course they did not, infuriating the TV show executives. They were then told that they would never play on the TV show again, which did not really upset the band. The full album version of this song is brilliant but it is sometimes edited down to a lot shorter of a song for radio which cuts out all of the good solos in the middle part of the song.
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Songs From The Doors Album

Track Artist Album  
Light My Fire The Doors The Doors
Break On Through (To the Other Side) The Doors The Doors
Back Door Man The Doors The Doors
Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) The Doors The Doors
Soul Kitchen The Doors The Doors

Strange Days

This album was released in 1967 while their debut album was still in the top 10. The album contained many songs that had been written in 1965/66 but had failed to make the cut onto their first record. It is an album that the band was artistically happy with, but it was not as successful as they had hoped it would be after the success of their debut album. It was still popular enough to keep the band up there in the charts though and to maintain their momentum as one of the biggest bands in the country at the time. The highlights on this album are "People Are Strange" and "Love Me Two Times" which has been a very popular radio song for them over the years.

People are Strange

"When you're strange, no one remembers your name"

Well, I am not so sure about that line from this Doors song as Jim Morrison was definitely one strange dude, yet most people know his name. This video was one of the first music videos that I ever saw of The Doors and I have always loved it for the way it just seems to focus on random people in the street. The band are obviously portraying them as strange people and I always wondered what they thought of that!
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Songs From Strange Days

Track Artist Album  
People Are Strange The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
Love Me Two Times The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
Moonlight Drive The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
Strange Days The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)

The Doors Movies and Documentaries

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Waiting for the Sun

"Hello I Love You" was the stand out big hit song off this third Doors album. The song was the bands second number one hit song and the album also became The Doors first and only album to get to the number one position. The record was also the bands shortest length album and was the first album of theirs to break into the UK charts.

Other notable songs on the album are "Five To One" with it's dark lines like "Five to one baby, one in five, no one here gets out alive" and "the Unknown Soldier" which was a controversial protest song about the Vietnam War. The "no one here gets out alive" line was used as the title for a biography about Jim Morrison by journalist Jerry Hopkins. The title track for the album was not used until later on the Morrison Hotel album.

Songs From Waiting For The Sun

Track Artist Album  
Hello, I Love You The Doors Waiting for the Sun
Five to One The Doors Waiting for the Sun
The Unknown Soldier The Doors Waiting for the Sun
Not to Touch the Earth The Doors Waiting for the Sun
My Wild Love The Doors Waiting for the Sun
Spanish Caravan The Doors Waiting for the Sun

The Soft Parade

The 1969 Soft Parade album was indeed just that. A little soft compared to The Doors previous albums and it came under a bit of fire from fans and critics alike due to it's use of string and brass instruments on some of the songs. Nevertheless, one of those songs which feature those instruments is a great song called "Touch Me" which was a big hit at the time and one that is still a radio favourite all these years later. Jim Morrison's alcohol addiction had worsened around this time which added tension to the recording and writing process.

The album was their fourth straight album to get into the top ten in the American charts but it only reached a high of sixth place and was not a hit on the UK charts. It is one that I listen to every now and then, but not as often as some of their other albums. It still has some great songs though and is worthy of adding to your collection if you do not have it already. "Wild Child" and the lengthy "The Soft Parade" which ends the album with it's changing moods throughout the song are other stand outs on this album.

Wild Child

I always loved the tribal qualities of this song and it's video. As a teenager I used to love playing this song really loud and dance around like an Indian doing some sort of tribal rain dance or something. I must have looked like a real idiot but it sure felt good. It is a great song that was one of the heavier songs on the album and also one of my favourite Doors songs.
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Songs From The Soft Parade

Track Artist Album  
The Soft Parade The Doors The Soft Parade
Wild Child The Doors The Soft Parade
Touch Me The Doors The Soft Parade
Runnin' Blue The Doors The Soft Parade
Tell All the People The Doors The Soft Parade
Shaman's Blues The Doors The Soft Parade

So, how well do you know Jim Morrison and The Doors?

Test your skills here.

Morrison Hotel

Morrison Hotel was released in 1970 to a far better critical reception than their previous album had been. It was a return to their roots of some sort with a more stripped back sound with a lean towards the blues. Roadhouse Blues is by far the strongest and most well known song on the album but other good ones that I like are the soft and melodic "Indian Summer" which is a lot different to some of their other songs and like going on a transcendental meditation of sorts.

"You Make Me Real" is another good one that is a raucous party like tune as "Peace Frog' is another highlight of the album which is perhaps an early example of the move from the sixties sound into the sound of the seventies. It is a great album. Not one of my all time favourites in the world of rock n roll, but it showed where the band were going with their next album which was promising.

Songs From Morrison Hotel

Track Artist Album  
Peace Frog The Doors Morrison Hotel
Roadhouse Blues The Doors Morrison Hotel
Waiting for the Sun The Doors Morrison Hotel
Ship of Fools The Doors Morrison Hotel
Land Ho! The Doors Morrison Hotel
Indian Summer The Doors Morrison Hotel

L.A. Woman

L.A. Woman is by far my favourite Doors album and is one of my most favourite albums of all time amongst all artists. I love every song on the album which is mostly due to it being the most blues based record that they made. The song "L.A. Woman" is obviously a stand out on the album as it is well known and one of those epic songs that everyone knows, no matter what their taste in music. "Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The storm" are the other two big songs that were major hits and that have maintained their status as radio favourites throughout the years.

When the band set off to tour this album, they only got into their second gig before Jim Morrison broke down on stage refusing to keep performing. It was then decided by the band that they could no longer tour and perform live as Jim's antics had gotten out of hand too many times. By the time that the album was released in April 1971, Jim had already gone off to live in Paris and try and get his life back on track. This obviously failed as he was dead three months later. He went out with a bang after the band had recorded their best album in my opinion. Jim's life may have been deteriorating, but the band seemed to be at their peak and capable of more success. Sadly, it was not to be.

Songs From L.A. Woman

Track Artist Album  
L.A. Woman The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
The Changeling The Doors L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Mixes)
Riders On the Storm The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
Been Down So Long The Doors L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Mixes)
Love Her Madly The Doors L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Mixes)

This Is The End

Beautiful Friend

In March of 1971, after the recording of L.A. Woman was finished, Jim Morrison took a leave of absence from the Doors and moved to Paris, France with his girlfriend Pamela Courson. He had previously visited Paris and was interested in moving there to concentrate on his writing and to expand his mind. However, this was short lived as on July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison was found dead in a Paris apartment bathtub by Pamela Courson. The official cause of death has never been officially recorded as there was no autopsy, but has been unofficially recorded as "Heart Failure" and "Death By Misadventure".

Although he left us at the young age of 27, he left his mark on the world and more than 40 years after his death, Jim Morrison remains as popular as ever.

Jim Morrison's Grave

The Paris Pere Lachaise Cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried has become a major tourist attraction over the years and can be located quite easily from the amount of graffiti in the cemetery pointing the way to his burial site. It has also been the victim of vandalism over the years with numerous items such as a bust of Jim and a plaque stolen from the grave.
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Life After Jim

Do you think that the band should have called it a day when Jim died?

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Yes, I think that they should have stopped recording as The Doors as Jim was The Doors.

No, they were right to continue. The rest of the band still had good music in them and deserved to continue as The Doors.

 

The Doors After Jim's Death

The band continued for two more lesser known albums

The remaining band members continued with a further two albums after Jim's death, with Ray and Robbie taking Jim's place on vocals. As they had already written some of the songs prior to Jim's death and were even writing some at the time of his French "holiday" they decided to release the music. Not many people that are not Doors fans are aware that the band continued on without Jim.

They released "Other Voices" in 1971 and then "Full Circle" in 1972. These songs were very similar musically to previous Doors music, but they were more instrumentally focussed with little emphasis on strong lyrics, unlike their music with Jim whose words were a vital piece of their success. According to Ray Manzarek, some of these songs had been rehearsed with Jim prior to his leaving for France.

There is a mixed reaction among Doors fans as to whether or not these albums should have been released as The Doors or even at all. Some say that they perhaps should have released the music under a different name instead. Myself, I do not see the music as being of The Doors as the band in my mind will always be with Jim as the singer and main focus. But the band had every right to want to release the music that they had written.
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Jim Morrison

Interviews And Spoken Word

Track Artist Album  
"Stoned! But Articulate" (1968 Interview) Jim Morrison Jim Morrison of The Doors - The Ultimate Collected Spoken Words 1967-1970
Out of the Unconscious... Jim Morrison Jim Morrison of The Doors - The Ultimate Collected Spoken Words 1967-1970
Perceptual Notions Jim Morrison Jim Morrison of The Doors - The Ultimate Collected Spoken Words 1967-1970
To Be a Real Superstar [Interview Segment] Jim Morrison When You're Strange (Songs from the Motion Picture)
How Do You Think You'll Die? Jim Morrison The Complete Lost Interview Series - Featuring Jim Morrison

Tweets About The Band

  • RT @biblechurch1: There are things known, and there are things unknown. And in between are the doors. - Jim Morrison
  • There are things known, and there are things unknown. And in between are the doors. - Jim Morrison
  • Poems from Morrison put on music by the Doors,=== Jim Morrison - The Movie: http://t.co/r4X7E6zt via @youtube
  • 8 and 2: The Doors - Jim Morrison http://t.co/FL5GVqsy
  • RT @zenacostawrites: There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors. - Jim Morrison

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Only The Ones Featuring Jim Morrison

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Do You Love The Doors?

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  • uneasywriter May 25, 2012 @ 8:47 pm | delete
    Legends in every sense of the word! Great lens! I have featured this lens in my own "The Best Classic Rock Lenses".
  • tsp8ntball May 3, 2012 @ 11:59 pm | delete
    Fantastic. As are all your tribute lenses.
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