Post by darkstar on Jan 31, 2005 11:46:10 GMT
Doors Ham It Up In Concert
by: Tim Boxell
Minneapolis Daily Newspaper
November 1968
The Doors latest album, Waiting For The Sun, wasn't half what it
would have been if the original plan included Jim
Morrison's "Celebration Of The Lizard" had succeeded.
With this in mind, I looked forward eagerly to The Doors' concert.
Even as influenced as it was by too much Hamm's beer (throughout the
concert, The Doors, particularly lead singer Morrison, kept swigging
from sixteen-ounce cans), it was something else.
People who came to hear cuts from their albums flawlessly dupilcated
must have been disappointed, for Morrison seemed quite bored by all
the old Doors' material, which with the beer and the standard
performers' response to playing sleepy old Minneapolis added up to
ineffectively delivered numbers laden with ad libs and vulgarities.
The appearance of local blues harpist Tony Glover and a change to
blues material brought Morrison around. Ray Manzarek, organist for
The Doors, seemed to respond well.
Backed by Densmore's beat, Morrison managed to do some of the singing
that he has become known for. The standard closing "Light My Fire"
was a return to Morrison's lethargy in spite of a dynamic effort by
the rest of the group.
The concert was a success only by grace of Morrison's inital effect
as a superstar and a very good poet and by the hard work of the rest
of the band. Morrison broke off in nearly every song after the first
couple of stanzas, leaving it up to the others to improvise until he
was ready to sing again. This may be one reason why the rest of the
group is so good.
Watching Morrison himself was a great part of the show, and he could
hold your attention sitting down, but in the rows farther back people
were more dependent on their ears than their eyes and it must have
really dragged at times.
Yet a concert by The Doors is supposed to be something out of the
ordinary. People come to see The Doors as much for their
unpredictability as for their music. The Doors come to affect you and
create a response, and the one they created depends on you and on
what they want to do.
Morrison instrumented the effect this time. He didn't give the
audience what they expected. He gave them what they wanted. He gave
them The Doors.
by: Tim Boxell
Minneapolis Daily Newspaper
November 1968
The Doors latest album, Waiting For The Sun, wasn't half what it
would have been if the original plan included Jim
Morrison's "Celebration Of The Lizard" had succeeded.
With this in mind, I looked forward eagerly to The Doors' concert.
Even as influenced as it was by too much Hamm's beer (throughout the
concert, The Doors, particularly lead singer Morrison, kept swigging
from sixteen-ounce cans), it was something else.
People who came to hear cuts from their albums flawlessly dupilcated
must have been disappointed, for Morrison seemed quite bored by all
the old Doors' material, which with the beer and the standard
performers' response to playing sleepy old Minneapolis added up to
ineffectively delivered numbers laden with ad libs and vulgarities.
The appearance of local blues harpist Tony Glover and a change to
blues material brought Morrison around. Ray Manzarek, organist for
The Doors, seemed to respond well.
Backed by Densmore's beat, Morrison managed to do some of the singing
that he has become known for. The standard closing "Light My Fire"
was a return to Morrison's lethargy in spite of a dynamic effort by
the rest of the group.
The concert was a success only by grace of Morrison's inital effect
as a superstar and a very good poet and by the hard work of the rest
of the band. Morrison broke off in nearly every song after the first
couple of stanzas, leaving it up to the others to improvise until he
was ready to sing again. This may be one reason why the rest of the
group is so good.
Watching Morrison himself was a great part of the show, and he could
hold your attention sitting down, but in the rows farther back people
were more dependent on their ears than their eyes and it must have
really dragged at times.
Yet a concert by The Doors is supposed to be something out of the
ordinary. People come to see The Doors as much for their
unpredictability as for their music. The Doors come to affect you and
create a response, and the one they created depends on you and on
what they want to do.
Morrison instrumented the effect this time. He didn't give the
audience what they expected. He gave them what they wanted. He gave
them The Doors.
Interesting reference to Neil Young, Alex, and very appropriate. Jim said it in more than once on stage to the audiance, even in Miami--he questioned what the audience expected of him. I think Jim was giving his all in concert and felt it wasn't enough, whether that feeling came from within or from the demands of the audiences. And, I can see where he went farther and farther into that "ditch" Neil Young talks about.