Post by darkstar3 on Jan 30, 2011 22:54:45 GMT
The New York Post
1967
Doors Seek Nirvana Vote Here
By Alfred G Aronowitz
The best definition of pop is one that counts at the box office, but lion-maned Jim Morrison considers the Doors as something more than a hit rock ‘n’ roll group. “Think of us,” he like to say, “as erotic politicians.”
Mr Morrison is the 23 year old lead singer of The Doors, and the campaign for whatever it is he’s running for is directed as the same constituency as the Monkees’: Those 14 year old girls of America’s suburbs.
At the Hunter College Auditorium last night, he came out in a black leather jacket and skin tight black vinyl pants. He walked languidly to the microphone, the way Marlon Brando might have if he had started out in rock ‘n’ roll.
He grabbed the microphone with both hands and put one boot on the base. He closed his eyes and tugged on the microphone. First it was too high. Then it was too low. Then he opened his mouth as if he was about to sing. Then he changed his mind and closed his mouth again.
On his face, there was the look of suffering of someone who knows he is too beautiful to ever enjoy true love. Jim Morrison is a pop star with a vision. The vision is packaged in sex. His moto is “Nirvana now.”
There is not too much more to say about The Doors expect that they’ve had two hit singles now and both their albums, “The Doors” and “Strange Days” are in the top five of the pop charts. At Hunter College, they filled every seat in the house.
The program started out with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who, like The Doors, are from California but who play sweet old time music with acoustical instruments. The Doors, of course, are electric, with 25 year old Ray Manzarek providing the musical genius from his command post at the organ.
Mr Morrison writes the lyrics, and they are filled with the tension of his impatience: “Cancel my subscription to the resurrection….We want the world and we want it now…Deliver me from reason. I’d rather fly.
Like the drummer John Densmore and the guitarist Robby Krieger, who are both disciples of the Indian mystic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Mr Morrison considers himself consumed with spiritual concepts. The problem is that visions don’t have to be packaged, they have to shine through by themselves.
At last night’s concert, Mr Morrison introduced some new material. “Wait until the war is over,” he sang, “and we’ll both be al little older…Make a grave for the unknown soldier…”
Mr Krieger played a siren on his amplifier and the aimed the guitar at Mr Morrison while Mr Densmore rat-tat-tatted off a machine gun staccato. At the other end of the stage Mr Manzarek issued a blast from his amplifier and Mr Morrison shuddered, languidly.
Have The Doors become successful enough to start taking themselves seriously?
END.
1967
Doors Seek Nirvana Vote Here
By Alfred G Aronowitz
The best definition of pop is one that counts at the box office, but lion-maned Jim Morrison considers the Doors as something more than a hit rock ‘n’ roll group. “Think of us,” he like to say, “as erotic politicians.”
Mr Morrison is the 23 year old lead singer of The Doors, and the campaign for whatever it is he’s running for is directed as the same constituency as the Monkees’: Those 14 year old girls of America’s suburbs.
At the Hunter College Auditorium last night, he came out in a black leather jacket and skin tight black vinyl pants. He walked languidly to the microphone, the way Marlon Brando might have if he had started out in rock ‘n’ roll.
He grabbed the microphone with both hands and put one boot on the base. He closed his eyes and tugged on the microphone. First it was too high. Then it was too low. Then he opened his mouth as if he was about to sing. Then he changed his mind and closed his mouth again.
On his face, there was the look of suffering of someone who knows he is too beautiful to ever enjoy true love. Jim Morrison is a pop star with a vision. The vision is packaged in sex. His moto is “Nirvana now.”
There is not too much more to say about The Doors expect that they’ve had two hit singles now and both their albums, “The Doors” and “Strange Days” are in the top five of the pop charts. At Hunter College, they filled every seat in the house.
The program started out with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who, like The Doors, are from California but who play sweet old time music with acoustical instruments. The Doors, of course, are electric, with 25 year old Ray Manzarek providing the musical genius from his command post at the organ.
Mr Morrison writes the lyrics, and they are filled with the tension of his impatience: “Cancel my subscription to the resurrection….We want the world and we want it now…Deliver me from reason. I’d rather fly.
Like the drummer John Densmore and the guitarist Robby Krieger, who are both disciples of the Indian mystic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Mr Morrison considers himself consumed with spiritual concepts. The problem is that visions don’t have to be packaged, they have to shine through by themselves.
At last night’s concert, Mr Morrison introduced some new material. “Wait until the war is over,” he sang, “and we’ll both be al little older…Make a grave for the unknown soldier…”
Mr Krieger played a siren on his amplifier and the aimed the guitar at Mr Morrison while Mr Densmore rat-tat-tatted off a machine gun staccato. At the other end of the stage Mr Manzarek issued a blast from his amplifier and Mr Morrison shuddered, languidly.
Have The Doors become successful enough to start taking themselves seriously?
END.