Post by darkstar3 on Mar 30, 2011 2:31:30 GMT
Lewiston Morning Tribune
November 12 1967
Free Lance Star
November 11 1967
By Mary Campbell
DOORS’ MUSIC IS ON THE DARK SIDE BUT TO THEM IT’S ‘CLEANSING’
‘ELECTRIC ECLECTIC’ OPENS DOORS SUCCESS
The Doors, who think philosophically a lot, see a dark side and a light side to life. Their music definitely comes from the dark side. And it is going over big with the public.
Early this year, their first single, “Light My Fire,’ reached the No. 1 spot on the best selling charts and their first LP, “The Doors,” went to No. 1 on album charts, a very unusual occurrence for first releases. “The Doors” album still is No. 3 and their second album “Strange Days” is No. 9 and climbing. The group records for Elektra.
Themes of both albums, lead singer Joe Morrison says, are love, travel and death. “The End,” an 11 ½ minute band on “The Doors,” contains all three. It’s a fantasy which can be viewed as Freudian about an Oedipus complex and murder.
Morrison says, “It was the first rock song to make a leap into drama. It is a primitive form of drama which one actor and the musicians as a kind of chorus. I think we may have introduced a new trend in pop music.”
The Doors don’t find their music depressing. According to Morrison, “It’s more cleansing, purifying.
“You go through a realm of cares and despondency, darkness and madness, and it builds to an unendurable climax and returns to peace and order. Somehow it’s a more stable order because you’ve gone through the whole other region.”
Speaking of influences on their music, organist Ray Manzarek calls their sound “electric eclectic.” It’s rock, but classical influences, jazz and blues can be heard and lyrics are on the literary side. There is also what has been called “spontaneity with a structure.” Morrison sometimes sets a basic outline and then the song is shaped and mostly created by all four Doors during a recording session, rehearsal or live performance.
The Doors – same personnel for the two years they’ve been together – are Morrison, 23 born in Melbourne, Fla.; Manzarek, 25, born in Chicago; guitarist Robby Krieger, 21, born in Los Angeles; and John Densmore, 22, born in Santa Monica Calif. All have attended college in Southern California.
The Doors say they don’t compose or perform chiefly to get commercial hits. Manzarek says, “What is important is, does the music ring that bell somewhere? What the musician is doing should be a complete delight to himself. If you are not knocked out by every note that you play, then something is wrong. On both our albums, for us, the bells are constantly ringing.”
Morrison says, speaking of the state of the world, “There is conflict. That’s why we have a war and flower children in the same reality.
“We’re part of everything that is going on today. We’re part of the war and part of the love-in, because it is happening.”
What about LSD and other drugs? Manzarek says, “When we tell our fans we’re not on drugs they act shocked or laugh like they don’t believe it.”
Morrison adds, “I think some of them think we’re burning ourselves on drugs, so they don’t have to do it. We do it for them. It’s part of the mystique of being musicians.”
As for where rock is going, Krieger says, “I’d say it was getting less melodic. The Beatles used to be very melodic, with “Michelle” and “Yesterday.” Now they’re starting to do things with one note. Jefferson Airplane have the new San Francisco sound, taken from India. Hardly any music at all, droning.”
END.
November 12 1967
Free Lance Star
November 11 1967
By Mary Campbell
DOORS’ MUSIC IS ON THE DARK SIDE BUT TO THEM IT’S ‘CLEANSING’
‘ELECTRIC ECLECTIC’ OPENS DOORS SUCCESS
The Doors, who think philosophically a lot, see a dark side and a light side to life. Their music definitely comes from the dark side. And it is going over big with the public.
Early this year, their first single, “Light My Fire,’ reached the No. 1 spot on the best selling charts and their first LP, “The Doors,” went to No. 1 on album charts, a very unusual occurrence for first releases. “The Doors” album still is No. 3 and their second album “Strange Days” is No. 9 and climbing. The group records for Elektra.
Themes of both albums, lead singer Joe Morrison says, are love, travel and death. “The End,” an 11 ½ minute band on “The Doors,” contains all three. It’s a fantasy which can be viewed as Freudian about an Oedipus complex and murder.
Morrison says, “It was the first rock song to make a leap into drama. It is a primitive form of drama which one actor and the musicians as a kind of chorus. I think we may have introduced a new trend in pop music.”
The Doors don’t find their music depressing. According to Morrison, “It’s more cleansing, purifying.
“You go through a realm of cares and despondency, darkness and madness, and it builds to an unendurable climax and returns to peace and order. Somehow it’s a more stable order because you’ve gone through the whole other region.”
Speaking of influences on their music, organist Ray Manzarek calls their sound “electric eclectic.” It’s rock, but classical influences, jazz and blues can be heard and lyrics are on the literary side. There is also what has been called “spontaneity with a structure.” Morrison sometimes sets a basic outline and then the song is shaped and mostly created by all four Doors during a recording session, rehearsal or live performance.
The Doors – same personnel for the two years they’ve been together – are Morrison, 23 born in Melbourne, Fla.; Manzarek, 25, born in Chicago; guitarist Robby Krieger, 21, born in Los Angeles; and John Densmore, 22, born in Santa Monica Calif. All have attended college in Southern California.
The Doors say they don’t compose or perform chiefly to get commercial hits. Manzarek says, “What is important is, does the music ring that bell somewhere? What the musician is doing should be a complete delight to himself. If you are not knocked out by every note that you play, then something is wrong. On both our albums, for us, the bells are constantly ringing.”
Morrison says, speaking of the state of the world, “There is conflict. That’s why we have a war and flower children in the same reality.
“We’re part of everything that is going on today. We’re part of the war and part of the love-in, because it is happening.”
What about LSD and other drugs? Manzarek says, “When we tell our fans we’re not on drugs they act shocked or laugh like they don’t believe it.”
Morrison adds, “I think some of them think we’re burning ourselves on drugs, so they don’t have to do it. We do it for them. It’s part of the mystique of being musicians.”
As for where rock is going, Krieger says, “I’d say it was getting less melodic. The Beatles used to be very melodic, with “Michelle” and “Yesterday.” Now they’re starting to do things with one note. Jefferson Airplane have the new San Francisco sound, taken from India. Hardly any music at all, droning.”
END.