Here's a thought. The Doors should never have worked out. The reason is simple:a flamenco guitarist, a jazz drummer and a classical music-educated pianist. And a wild frontman, Killer Opening Songs forgot that one. Rather than being a barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, the band should have been synonymous with total lack of organization or order, that is, chaos.
Instead, though, The Doors transformed music and became one of the most innovative pop groups ever. And it was their self-titled opera prima 'The Doors' that opened the floodgates of their creativity. Two songs stood out from the word go and they were 'Light My Fire' and 'The End'. The former, not just because of its quality, but also because of the famous Ed Sullivan episode, where lead singer, Jim Morrison, agreed to drop the line 'girl, we couldn't get much higher' from their live performance, yet changed his mind at the last minute. The Doors were never asked to come back. 'The End' is classic performance poetry. Throughout the years the song has been subjected to different interpretations and there's even been the suggestion of infatuation on the part of young Jim for his mother.
The track on which K.O.S. would rather concentrate tonight is the album's opener: 'Break On Through (To the Other Side)'. Not warmly received on its release (despite being the first single from the record), it became a concert staple pretty quickly. Its relentless energy is intoxicating and the synergy of the four disparate elements K.O.S. mentioned before gives the song its unique appeal. Ray Manzarek's entrance is catchy and funky, John Densmore's drumming is moderate and kept in check. Then, almost at the same time as Robby Krieger's guitar kicks in, Jim's voice makes its presence known. Controversy ensued over the line 'she gets high' (funny enough, it was kept in the video). When the single was released the line was changed to 'she gets/she gets' with Morrison wailing his lungs off afterwards. The clip, though primitive (this is well before Queen's innovative 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video), highlights the prowess of this band whose endurance and quality has outlived its existence - later reunions notwithstanding. And it was this Killer Opening Song that 'opened the door' to the work of one of the most fantastic and experimental rock groups ever.
© 2010
Next Post: 'Los Amantes del Círculo Polar/The Lovers of the Arctic Circle' (Review), to be posted on Thursday 9th September at 11:59pm (GMT)
Dionysian!
ReplyDeleteSuperlative album, great choice.
ReplyDeleteAnd now you've pointed it out, they shouldn't have worked, but man, they did!
Thank you for sharing, they were such a delight.
ReplyDeleteThey were great. There are only a handful of artists that all four of us can agree on when we are traveling together in the family car. Their music has truly stood the test of time. Thanks for sharing the clip.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Doors fan, Cuban. I think Doors, I think, Riders on the Storm. Thanks Cuban. I'm riding a bit of a storm myself at the moment.
ReplyDeleteWell, Cuban. I'm quite happy The Doors did work out. Organized chaos suits me just fine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, too. They are quite the classic band!
ReplyDeleteAnd happy to see you back from your holidays... at last! :-)
Nevine
True artists rarely limit themselves to one genre. It does not surprise me that musicians from such diverse backgrounds created such amazing music.
ReplyDeleteI first read about The Doors, among many other rock groups, two years ago -- my daughter was studying music (and other) aspects of the American life during the 60s and 70s. I didn't have a chance to research them any further, so it was a pleasant surprise to see them mentioned - and enjoy their one of their songs performed - in your blog . Thanks, Cuban!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to you all for your kind comments.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
No wonder The Doors has such original sound – I had no idea about their eclectic background. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI've just spend a couple of delightful hours listening (and listening again and again) to all your great music posts. I now have a HUGE list of musicians that I want to explore further and it's all thanks to you. I remember seeing the Doors back in the day. I was a 20-something with my boyfriend who was very enthusiastic about this "new band" he'd discovered. The place was pretty grotty, packed to the gills and Morrison was electric. After hearing him in person in the early days, I couldn't listen to his records. He really was one artist who was best in front of a live audience. Alas, as we know, the drink and the drugs too their toll but thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes! I'm in absolute agreement with your choice of thie week's KOS - The Doors were one of my favourite bands and like a million other fans, I mourned their talent cut short. Ah, what else would they have given us...?
ReplyDeleteI'm always delighted by your journalist's knowledge of your subjects, having had no idea of the backgrounds of the band members. Your posts are always excellent, Cuban.
Many thanks for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteI was always impressed by how well they sounded, really tight, so imagine my surprise when I found out about their different backgrounds. I guess that's people use dto call the X Factor in those days and not the rubbish that passes off for music these days.
Greetings from London.
Nothing like psycheledlic grooves to get you through the day! I'm a Doors Fan and I think "Love Me Two Times" is my all time fave.
ReplyDeletegood utube, Cuban, thank you
ReplyDelete