The Doors - Hype or killer band?

[Dave_G]

Sitting here looking at my Doors cd collection.

I have four of the DCC versions: L.A. Woman, doors, Waiting for the Sun, and Strange Days.

I have Morrison Hotel and The Soft Parade on the regular remasters.

I think these old studio records are absolutely fantastic.

I still even like Riders on the Storm even tho radio tried to ruin it for me like they did Roundabout. But somehow Riders...Storm can still make me sit up and listen.

Anyway I think Jim was a great performer and his voice on certian songs like The Wasp, Hyacinth House, Strange Days, etc., were something else.

I have yet to find a live recording of theirs though that keeps my interest - too much noodling and all, you had to be there I guess.

Anyway I think their studio recordings were/are outstanding. Killer band they were.

What do you think?

Dave

[newtrix1]

Sitting here looking at my Doors cd collection.

I have four of the DCC versions: L.A. Woman, doors, Waiting for the Sun, and Strange Days.

I have Morrison Hotel and The Soft Parade on the regular remasters.

I think these old studio records are absolutely fantastic.

I still even like Riders on the Storm even tho radio tried to ruin it for me like they did Roundabout. But somehow Riders...Storm can still make me sit up and listen.

Anyway I think Jim was a great performer and his voice on certian songs like The Wasp, Hyacinth House, Strange Days, etc., were something else.

I have yet to find a live recording of theirs though that keeps my interest - too much noodling and all, you had to be there I guess.

Anyway I think their studio recordings were/are outstanding. Killer band they were.

What do you think?

Dave

OK, I'll comment on this one, since I'm more familiar with the Doors than the "Bullfrogs".

Hype or Killer band??? Definitely not "hype" but "killer band" is probably going too far. The music of the Doors (minus Morrisons lyrics and vocals) isn't anything groundbreaking (exceptions of course like the song "The Soft Parade"). Lots of basic blues/rock tunes, but Morrisons lyrics and vocals (& personality) were part of the band, and were brilliant enough to transcend the Doors to a truly great status in R & R history.

They pumped a lot of albums out in their short life as a band without any duds.

Yup, real deal Rock & Roll band IMO!

[Troy]

I've always been a Doors fan for as long as I've been aware of music.

I love that organ sound and the way it replaced the bass guitar. it was quite innovative at the time. It opened up the music to even more experimentation. To this day, there are very few (if any) rock bands without a bass player.

I've never bought the whole mystical "lizard-king" jive persona that Morrison laid on us. I thought it was kinda silly, but the music has a very dark and sinister vibe to it. Many of their songs tend to be slow and brooding and that helps to feed that image. And I happen to like slow and brooding music.

The first Doors album is one of my top 5 desert driving albums. "The west is the best, ride the snake" to me is about the road and nothing more.

[Dusty Chalk]

I agree -- "Riders on the Storm" never gets old, as much as they try.

[mad rhetorik]

Their debut and Strange Days were both great albums, and one of the most prominent punk and post-punk influences. The Stooges, Joy Division, Echo And The Bunnymen, and Bauhaus arguably wouldn't have been born without Jim Morisson.

I really liked how The Doors had a psychedelic sound, but it was a dark psychedelia unlike most other flower power bands of the day. While they could belt out a bar rock/cabaret tune like nobody's business ("Back Door Man," Roadhouse Blues," "Love Me Two Times"), they could also be ominous and moody ("The End," "End Of The Night"). Morrison was a very charismatic frontman and he wrote good lyrics, though frankly I always thought the "shaman" crap was a bit silly. Ray Manzarek is one of my favorite organist/pianists of all time, and guitarist Robby Kreiger had a pretty unique style. The lack of a bass never hindered these guys.

Despite being played to death on the radio, "Light My Fire" is one of my faves. A shame they had to edit that wonderful organ solo. Sort of like screwing with the smile on The Mona Lisa.

[tentoze]

Dave

No matter how the media ebbs and flows on The Doors, I think they were pretty special, in context. Morrison formed the charge, obviously, but had a competent group of musicians behind him. They made music like nothing else before them. I had 3rd (or 5th or close) row seat tickets to see them in Jacksonville 2 days after the dash-yer-doodle incident in Miami. Concert was cancelled (no duh). Another small side note- my 1st wife's orthodontist was Morrison's uncle- he didn't like his nephew AT ALL.

[nobody]

I don't listen to the Doors much these days, but occasionally still pull something of them out. I think they were a great band. The pretentiousness of Morrison can get old at times, but if you stop trying to judge the guy and the band by his overly ambitious notions of art and poetry and all that, ignore the ego-centric crap, and just judge them against a typical rock band, I think they were something special. I absolutely agree on their being a huge influence on the whole post-punk thing. Waiting for the Sun is my favorite Doors record, but all of them have at least something that jumps out as top notch.

So...major incfluence on a pretty vast, and still-expanding musical style, unique bass-less lineup, enigmatic front man, pop hits mixed with more creative stuff, overflowing musical and lyrical ambition. Yup, absolutely more than hype there. I'm gonna go so far as to say, killer band.

[Swish]

to go and steal my thunder. Why I oughta....

I was never a huge Doors fan, but they certainly had some worthy tunes. I don't think many of them stand up today, although LA Woman still rocks pretty well and Light My Fire will always be considered one of the best songs in the history of rock. Manzarek's keyboard and Morrison's vocals are dead on perfect.

Swish

[jack70]

A little overhyped IMHO. (I'll take the contrarian view on this thread)

The Doors got huge media attention during their hey-day, in large part because of a few hit songs, and a very wild & charismatic, good-looking lead singer. Death (Jim) made the Doors popular to whole new audiences of punks... in the 70's, 80's, goth and gloom bands etc. I've talked to loads of younger people who know the Doors well, but are absolutely clueless about dozens of other bands from that era that are way above them in most musical areas (sound of my head banging the wall here).

I think a lot of it is a matter of style and celebrity. Image, good-looks, and celebrity worship are all leading edge indicators in our popular culture (sad but true). No different than with Princess Di or any number of similar celebrities & pop-stars. 90% of them are real morons... nearly as many are lacking major talent as well (look at some of today's best-selling pop stars).

I used to like the Doors material quite a bit (I grew up with it). But the older I got, the more I saw it as dated and second rate. I'm not saying it's not cool... or nice to listen to.... just that it's overhyped in retrospect, and pretty musically inferior (well, cheesy to be honest). They were OK for their time, but hardly musically original, talented, or special. In fact one could make a good case that they were really bad. I won't go that far, but I could write such an opinion for a debate, if I really cared. The reason I really don't care... is that it's more a matter of taste, and there are plenty of musical nitwits that I love too. So I'll be nice.

Morrison was someone who was more a poet, who used/got into the pop-singer thing as an outlet for his pent up subconscious artistic urges. I'm pretty sure he wasn't a musician, and his band mates were pretty much journeymen musicians too. I think the aspect about him that's most disturbing to me is his unrealized potential... the fact that he never reached his peak as a poet or singer. Of course, he was an alchoholic, although there are many of that stripe who contributed to the art world over the centuries. All in all, a shame... and ironic, because the Dead Jim surpassed all that with his post-death celebrity worship. Die young & pretty and become an icon. What a crazy world eh?

[3-LockBox]

Their music was and still is, unique. They are probably the first real art rock band and their musicianship ranks among prog rock's best, with Morrison's lyricism unmatched. But pop culture has all but ruined their legacy, what with the focus on Morrison as rock's first bad boy and all the associated antics and indulgences. The rest of the Doors members faded into obscurity much the same way Hendrix's Experience did after Jimi's un-timely death.

Hey, has anyone heard of what's become of the new Doors with the front man from...I think from the Cure?

[nobody]

It's the guy from the Cult...Ian Astbury.

I saw 'em on TV and the fella does a killer Jim Morrison vocal impersonation. And, ya gotta say he's got some guts to even attempt to step into the front man spot for those guys.

I don't know what they're up to and never really heard if it was just a thing to play some gigs or if they actually intend to make a record.