Morrison: A Feast Of Friends

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Frank Lisciandro goes one better with this look at Jim Morrison through the eyes of a group of his friends whose voices are rarely heard above the cacophony of Ray Manzarek's endless money grubbing over Jim Morrison.

These people are what Ray never really was. Jim Morrison's friends and they look with different eyes to people like Ray.
They did not see a rock god or a shaman. They saw Jim Morrison a person.

Their story is as absorbing as any of the lurid tales The Doors tell but in a more human way.

My favourite is where Babe Hill tells the tale of Morrison being invited to a poetry seminar and his humility among peers he felt total respect for in knowing he was only there because he was a celebrity.

So much for the self centred ego maniac of DiCillo/The Doors garbage portrait When You're Strange.
Morrison had plenty of faults but being self centred was not one of them.

A complex man in an insane time. Elevated to God hood by his fans and band mates he could be forgiven for letting it all go to his head.
But the real Morrison shines through here and that was not one The Doors and their greed seem to have seen much after 1966.
Thanks to Frank we are able to glimpse a Jim Morrison that really existed rather than the cartoon Jim portrayed by those who profit most from him.

Yes he was an alcoholic and sometimes a complete arcehole but the view depicted in things like When You're Strange and dozens of books but he wasn't like that everyday and could be forgiven much of that considering the people he worked with and for.



Any of you got any thoughts on this excellent book.

[casandra]

In Feast of friends, Jim Morrison appears as a more human guy. The stories are written with love and friendship by people who knew him well, who preferred to give a positive view of his friend. I liked it when I read it. The stories are more realistic and show other look about Jim Morrison’s personality.

I agree with you, Babe Hill’s story shows Jim Morrison completely different, humble and respectful with the poets.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Scorpywag Fanzine review from 2001/2002

‘A Feast of Friends ’ by Frank Lisciandro.

Second of the excellent collections of essays by Jim’s friend and college buddy takes a look at Morrison’s life from the viewpoint of those on the periphery of the Doors universe.
Vince Treanor tells of his first sight of The Doors in August ‘67 (little knowing he would end up as their Road Manager), band publicist Leon Barnard, manager Bill Siddons and his wife Cheri
and the authors wife Kathy( The Doors secretary) all give their own unique insight into the Jim Morrison they knew from inside the bands organisation.

Friends from school and UCLA as well as the guy who made Jim’s snakeskin suit reminisce about the time they spent in the superstars company and the oddest thing of all is that not one of them is talking about the same person.
Like ‘An hour for magic’ this book shows what a truly charismatic and bizarre human being Jim Morrison was.

Scorpywag rating 9/10 great reading, superb photo’s (but why is there never one of him with a cat.) AP

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

This is the photo used for the French cover

[jonnybgoode82]

Has anyone tried out the 'new' Frank Lisciandro book, Friends Gathered Together? It is pretty much the same basis as the original book but twice the length with the interviews being near complete, with only the slightest amount of editing. There are rave reviews for the book on Amazon.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

A more modern French copy


A 2007 photo exhibit in Paris.