The Doors - What Do You Think Of Them?

[matt72582]

I always thought The Doors were the first real progressive rock group. Some might say The Beatles, but I don't think so.

First off, it's stunning that The Doors first album was in 1967, and L.A. Woman was released in 1971, which are both my favorite albums, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be "L.A. Woman".. "The Doors" self-entitled album starts with "Break on Through" and ends with one of my favorite songs by any group, "The End", but what's in the middle isn't as strong as L.A. Woman.

Back to "prog" - take all the different rhythms this band utilized in their very short time together.
-bossa nova
-Latin
-Tango
-Shuffle
-Military
-Jazz
-Tribal
-Rock
-Blues
-German Oompah
-Waltz
-Native American
-Disco (Peace Frog)
-Wild Child (whatever that is, during the verse, is awesome)
-Funky (The Changeling)
-Consistent Pounding on "Spanish Caravan"
-And whatever rhythm would be classified on "Love Me Two Times", going all over the toms, while keeping the beat

Musically, also very diverse. You had Robby with his flamenco, Middle-Eastern, Indiana influences, along with the bottleneck bluesy stuff, jazz, etc etc.... Ray with his classical influences, some boogie-woogie, jazz, etc., and with Jim's creativity, not just the lyrics, but how he delivered them rhythmically (with great melodies to accompany them), his pauses between lines that are simple, but always stuck with me, "Cops in cars, the topless bars, never saw a woman............ so alone"... speaking of L.A. Woman "motel, money, murder, madness" (I like alliteration), or unique phrases, hell, even interesting titles like "Peace Frog", "The Soft Parade" and many others.

Anyway, I'm sure many of you have things to add, so I'll stop there, but I'll post a cool interview of Jim, which is contrary to the lie that oliver stone movie was, and I'd advise the young people who haven't got "into" them to go to the primary sources - the band, not rumors of debauchery (Grace Slick admitting on Roseanne Barr's talk show she lied about having sex with Morrison, because her publisher paid her a million bucks) and second-hand rumors... Check out video, audio, print interview to have a good blueprint, and THEN read the books (Friends Gathered Together, Summer With Morrison)... Too many times (not here) I have discussions where someone references an inaccuracy from a movie, or whatever, and it sticks in their head, since it's been said that first impressions tend to stick the most, along with convenient fact, as opposed to truthful nuance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfr-BtcDII

[Dobb]

I liked the movie for the songs, but took the bio stuff with a grain of salt, since, after all, it's the screenwriter's interpretation and rendition. I'm a certified audiophile, and enjoy nearly every artist and style...each have their own place. I can't place one above the other unless I break them down into specific styles or moods. Music that moves me because of the sheer talent, or moves me because it takes me to a place and time which also moved me...those two things topping my list.

[Iroquois]

A bunch of goofs. "The End" still slaps, though.

[ynwtf]

I haven't seeiously listened to the Doors for a long time, and I'm ashamed to admit that. In high school I remember getting turned onto them maybe my junior year and could not put them down. Probably, that was the movie's influence. I loved the movie as a kid as I felt it was visual poetry. For good or bad, it opened doors (no pun intended) to a new music scene (new to me being stuck in rural alabama before the internet existed). I ordered a greatest hits double-CD of theirs and would fall asleep with that on repeat.


Crystal Ship might be my favorite with L.A. Woman, 5-to-1, The End, Spanish Caravan, Waiting for the Sun, and Break on Through following in a tight group behind it. Just from memory.


I need to revisit them all again. Nice topic.

[matt72582]

I haven't seeiously listened to the Doors for a long time, and I'm ashamed to admit that. In high school I remember getting turned onto them maybe my junior year and could not put them down. Probably, that was the movie's influence. I loved the movie as a kid as I felt it was visual poetry. For good or bad, it opened doors (no pun intended) to a new music scene (new to me being stuck in rural alabama before the internet existed). I ordered a greatest hits double-CD of theirs and would fall asleep with that on repeat.


Crystal Ship might be my favorite with L.A. Woman, 5-to-1, The End, Spanish Caravan, Waiting for the Sun, and Break on Through following in a tight group behind it. Just from memory.


I need to revisit them all again. Nice topic.


Nice :)


I didn't "break on through" until middle school, and I never heard them before, and the guy sitting to my right in class started recording me copies of his cassettes. I remember being excited, because this was the "cool" kid in our grade, and as soon as I got home, I got into my mom's car, put the tape in, and I remember expecting to hear heavy metal or something after the vibe I got from the classmate.. "Break On Through" was the first song, and I was hooked... I know somewhere in the middle since, I didn't listen to them as much, as I was probably too busy discovering and feasting on that, but for me right now, they're right behind Pink Floyd, and probably only because of longevity... Outside of music, I think Jim helped that inner conflict; rebellion, being an individual in a society full of conformity, etc., since it was the first time I could relate to someone.

[John W Constantine]

Knew a guy who was pretty into the Doors, was also very into Jim Morrison. I get the feeling now that he saw me as retarded as a human being because I didn't quite understand the pros of JM's lyrics. He now runs his own small business and has a child out of wedlock.

[Holden Pike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAvYUbtB3ro

[Dobb]

Thanks for the tutorial, Pike.
But my question is...Did the Doors use cowbell, and if so, did they need more? :)

[GulfportDoc]

I always thought The Doors were the first real progressive rock group. Some might say The Beatles, but I don't think so.
...
I believe that the first prog rock band was the Mothers Of Invention (Frank Zappa). The Beatles had done some progressive instrumentation on Rubber Soul from 1965, but they couldn't be considered a prog rock band, at least at that time.

Freak Out! by MOI was released in '66, which contained plenty of music which could be considered pure progressive. It was also one of the first double albums in rock, and a unique concept album. Take for example, Who Are the Brain Police?, Help I'm a Rock, and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.

From that point on, the MOI were pure prog.

[Wyldesyde19]

I believe that the first prog rock band was the Mothers Of Invention (Frank Zappa). The Beatles had done some progressive instrumentation on Rubber Soul from 1965, but they couldn't be considered a prog rock band, at least at that time.

Freak Out! by MOI was released in '66, which contained plenty of music which could be considered pure progressive. It was also one of the first double albums in rock, and a unique concept album. Take for example, Who Are the Brain Police?, Help I'm a Rock, and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.

From that point on, the MOI were pure prog.

Speaking of....did you ever meet the Beatles during your career? What did you think of them, as contemporaries? Did you get along with them?

[Mr Minio]

Doors are great. You go in and sometimes you go out. You'd have to go in and out through a window if it weren't for The Doors.

[the samoan lawyer]

Not as big a fan as i used to be but its always great revisiting. Ive been to Jim's grave and also been down Love Street, and seen the store where the creatures meet.

[Hey Fredrick]

One of my favorite bands. With the exception of the first two albums, Strange Days is like a sequel, they each have a pretty unique thing going on. My Dad always called them pot music. I didn't know if he meant that in a good way or bad but I know he listened to them because he always had a copy of L.A. Woman in his cars. That's my fav album from them and is always a part of any long road trip. Favorite song is from Morrison Hotel and that has to be Peace Frog.

The movie was eh. It's an Oliver Stone pic so you take it with a grain of salt. Oliver knows how to make a great looking film but he's usually a little loose with the facts to make things more theatrical. Just look at his version of the Ed Sullivan Show appearance. There wasn't any chaos. They just played the song. Now, who knows what was going on the control room, maybe they were going nuts, probably were, but the only thing you see on tv is Robby give a little smile after Jim sings "higher".

[GulfportDoc]

Speaking of....did you ever meet the Beatles during your career? What did you think of them, as contemporaries? Did you get along with them?
No, I never met either of the Beatles. They had quit touring by the time I was with MOI. Harrison was at our 200 Motels concert in 1968 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, but I never met him.

I was good friends with Brian Rooney, who was Ringo's driver, valet, right hand man, and we did some serious partying together, but I never met Ringo.

I didn't pay much attention to the Beatles when they first became popular because I was in the symphony then, and I thought the music was silly. But by the time Sargent Pepper's came out, I really liked their stuff. Zappa of course had lampooned that cover in an album entitled We're Only in It for the Money. The album cover was a riot, but Verve Records chickened out and switched the inside and outside cover pictures:
73030

But Paul McCartney is one of the greatest song writers of all time.

[Holden Pike]

Thanks for the tutorial, Pike.
But my question is...Did the Doors use cowbell, and if so, did they need more? :)
I fixed that link. The first one cut off the end of the song. :D

[7thson]

I love them almost as much as I hate them.

It is like they try too hard, but sometimes it pays off.

[Jinnistan]

I believe that the first prog rock band was the Mothers Of Invention (Frank Zappa). The Beatles had done some progressive instrumentation on Rubber Soul from 1965, but they couldn't be considered a prog rock band, at least at that time.

Freak Out! by MOI was released in '66, which contained plenty of music which could be considered pure progressive. It was also one of the first double albums in rock, and a unique concept album. Take for example, Who Are the Brain Police?, Help I'm a Rock, and The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.

From that point on, the MOI were pure prog.
I think that's as safe a choice as any, the second disc especially. 1966 was a special time. The Factory-era Velvets could make "The End" seem like "Love Me Do". I might consider adding some obscurities like Red Krayola, Holy Modal Rounders, AMM or The Godz, but none of them had the cultural impact of Zappa an the Mothers. Unfortunately, I don't believe that any of the legendary 1966 UFO shows by Pink Floyd or The Move have ever surfaced, but they were reportedly more adventurous than what they were putting on record at the time.

Harrison was at our 200 Motels concert in 1968 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, but I never met him.
I didn't remember you being in the later 200 Motels film, so that answers the Ringo question.

Zappa of course had lampooned that cover in an album entitled We're Only in It for the Money. The album cover was a riot, but Verve Records chickened out and switched the inside and outside cover pictures
I kinda like the decision of an anti-Sgt Pepper album turning its iconic cover art inside out. I'm sure it must have hurt sales though.

It's fitting since Freak Out's list of influences on the inner sleeve directly inspired the Pepper cover in the first place.

[Jinnistan]

As for The Doors....they're ok.


I like quite a bit of their work, but the 68-69 stretch is such a bore, and I'm still convinced that Morrison's appeal is primarily more about his sexual charisma than poetic insight. As a writer, I think he's well beneath peers like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison or Leonard Cohen.

[GulfportDoc]

...
I kinda like the decision of an anti-Sgt Pepper album turning its iconic cover art inside out. I'm sure it must have hurt sales though.

It's fitting since Freak Out's list of influences on the inner sleeve directly inspired the Pepper cover in the first place.
Yeah, Verve was concerned that they'd get sued over having an album cover that obviously lampooned Sargent Pepper's (and possibly could be mistaken for the Beatles' album). But Frank had phoned McCartney and told him what they were planning with the "Money" album cover, and McCartney said it was okay, and to go ahead. Still, Verve was too skittish.

[Sedai]

While I adore many bands from that era, I could never get into The Doors. They clearly had their own sound and approach to songwriting, but their music never did anything for me on an emotional level, and in truth, I find most of it fairly annoying sonically.

[John McClane]

Knew a guy who was pretty into the Doors, was also very into Jim Morrison. I get the feeling now that he saw me as retarded as a human being because I didn't quite understand the pros of JM's lyrics. He now runs his own small business and has a child out of wedlock.
I feel like this is a common theme amongst Jim Morrison fanatics. If you don't know who he is and think of him as a song writing God you have a soul deficit. That's usually when I ask for a little of whatever they're smoking.

I have several of The Doors albums in my collection and have listened to them all once or twice, but these days I usually hit the skip button when they come on. Except for Roadhouse Blues. That will always be one of my favorite driving songs ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pEMd1SdkAE

[Redapplecigz]

They are a polarizing band. Personally I love some of their songs.

Though I remember when I was a teenager one of my friends was playing “people are strange” and a teenage girl reaction was “what?!… Are you serious?” and thought it was terrible.

Different tastes for different people, I suppose.

[honeykid]

They're about as good as it gets for me. They're also probably the only act where I love all their work. I will add I mean the four of them, not the post Morrison stuff. Not that it's bad, just that it's not The Doors.

[matt72582]

They're about as good as it gets for me. They're also probably the only act where I love all their work. I will add I mean the four of them, not the post Morrison stuff. Not that it's bad, just that it's not The Doors.


Same. I've listened to "Other Voices" and "Full Circle", but there's only one good song from each album, and I would have expected better. But just like sports, one guy can change how the others perform.

[honeykid]

They were a unit, they bounced off each other and prompted each other. Like a comedy duo or troupe. They knew it too and it's why Jim always corrected anyone who called them Jim Morrison and The Doors or implied that he was more important than the others. He was the vocalist and the frontman (which as you know he wasn't comfortable with either) but he wasn't The Doors.

[matt72582]

They were a unit, they bounced off each other and prompted each other. Like a comedy duo or troupe. They knew it too and it's why Jim always corrected anyone who called them Jim Morrison and The Doors or implied that he was more important than the others. He was the vocalist and the frontman (which as you know he wasn't comfortable with either) but he wasn't The Doors.


All true.. I liked after reading Jim going to the emcee to go back and introduce them properly as "The Doors".

[KeyserCorleone]

I always felt that they were much better than what they did than most psychedelic bands. Of course, before I heard the debut album I thought Light My Fire was dorky. I guess I just had to get more familiar with them. :P

[Redapplecigz]

I always felt that they were much better than what they did than most psychedelic bands. Of course, before I heard the debut album I thought Light My Fire was dorky. I guess I just had to get more familiar with them. :P

Yeah I still think “Light my fire” and “people are strange” are both really dorky songs.

[matt72582]

The best part of "Light My Fire" was excised in the single.

[hownos]

Underrated song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klrKliyfHKs&ab_channel=TheDoors-Topic

[Nausicaä]

<3<3<3<3 The Doors, one of my all time favourites.

[Siddon]

I don't care for them...I think they were more image than substance and if they came along 10-20 years later they would be relegated to the Chicago/Genesis/Pearl Jam corner of the music world..at best.

[mrblond]

The Doors - What Do You Think Of Them?

Definitely one of the notable acts of the first time period in Rock music history.
I know them since the late 80's. Saw the Oliver Stone movie in theatre when it came out and I liked it a lot then. I've examined their catalog in depth in around 2010-12.
I put 10 to 15 of their tracks in all time Hall of Fame and these been always welcomed on my music playlists.

Here is part of research work, what the World thinks about The Doors in the post 2010 period (The Digital Era):
(Spotify platform is used)

I▷
1 • Riders on the Storm (1971) • certified 3x🏆Royal (Net Worth $ 1,172,000)
2 • People Are Strange (1967) • 3x🏆Royal
3 • Break On Through (To the Other Side) (1967) • 3x🏆Royal

4 • Light My Fire (1967) • 2x🏆Royal
5 • Roadhouse Blues (1970) • 2x🏆Royal

6 • Love Her Madly (1971) • 🏆Royal
7 • L.A. Woman (1971) • 🏆Royal
8 • Touch Me (1969) • 🏆Royal
9 • Love Me Two Times (1967) • 🏆Royal

10 • Peace Frog (1970) • certified 🏵️Rosette (Net Worth $ 294,000)
---
▽
Total World's Top 10 Doors' Songs Net Worth: $ 6,642,000

Notes:
🏆Royal Certificate = 100M+ streams
🏵️Rosette Certificate = 50M+ streams

(verified on 22.Feb.2024)

[nyctc7]

I like them a lot. One of the greatest Classic Rock bands. I'll add to this discussion that Jerry Garcia hated The Doors, and I always suspected it was because he was jealous of Jim Morrison. Jealous of his good looks and sex appeal.

During a 1981 interview with Blair Jackson of BAM Magazine in the midst of one of many Doors-revivals...

JACKSON: we're doing an issue of bam magazine on the doors

GARCIA: i never liked the doors. i found them terribly offensive...when we played with them. it was back when jim morrison was just a pure mick jagger copy. that was his whole shot, that he was a mick jagger imitation. not vocally, but his moves, his whole physical appearance were totally stolen from right around mick jagger's 1965 tour of the states. he used to move around alot, before he started to earn a reputation as a poet, which i thought was really undeserved. rimbaud was great at eighteen, nineteen, and verlaine. those guys were great. ****in jim morrison was not great, i'm sorry. i could never see what it was about the doors. they had a very brittle sound live., a three piece band with no bass- the organ player (manzarek) used to do it. that and that kinda raga-rock guitar style was strange. it sounded very brittle and sharp -edged to me., not something i enjoyed listening to. i kind of apreciated some of the stuff they did later, and i appreciated a certain amount of morrison's sheer craziness, just because that's always a nice trait in rock n roll. no, i never knew him, but richard loren, who works for us, was his agent and had to babysit him through his most drunken scenes and all the times he got busted and all that crap. he's got lots of storeies to tell about morrison. i was never attracted to their music at all, so i couldn't find anything to like about them. when we played with them, i think i watched the first tune or two, then i went upstairs and fooled around with my guitar. there was nothing there that i wanted to know about. he was so patently an imitation of mick jagger that it was offensive. to me, when the doors played san francisco they typified los angeles coming to san francisco., which i equated with having the look right, but zero substance. this is way before that hit song, light my fire. probably at that time in their development it was too early for anyone to make a decent judgement of them, but i've always looked for something else in music, and whatever it was, they didn't have it. they didn't have anything of blues, for example , in their sound or feel.

JACKSON: DID you sense the negativity?

jerry: no, not really. all i sensed was sham. as far as i was concerned, it was surface and no substance. then we played with them after the light my fire thing, when they were headliners. we opened for them in santa barbara some years later, when they were a little more popwerful. their sound had gotten better- they'd gotten more effectively amplified, so manzarek's bass lines and stuff like that had a little more throb, but their sound was still thin. it wasn't a succesful version of a three piece band, like the who or jimi hendrix, or cream, or any other guitar power trio type three piece bands. it's an interesting concept, a three piece band that's keyboard, guitar, drums, but it was missing some element i thought was vital. i couldn't say exactly what it was, but it was not satisfying for me to listen to them. when they were the headliners, it was sort of embarrasing for us to open for them, cause we sort of blew them off the stand with just sheer power. what we had with double drums and phil's bass playing-it got somewhere, and when they played there was an anticlimax feeling to it, even with their hits. in the part of my life when i was impressionable along that androgynous input, for me the people that were happening were james dean and elvis. early rock and roll- i'm like first generation rock and roll influence. for me, james dean was a real important figure. he was the romantic fulfillment of that vision.



I'm a Deadhead and I like the Doors!