Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Jan 8, 2012 15:09:05 GMT
The Doors: John Tobler & Andrew Doe
Review from my fanzine
A rare Brit book from the 80’s which is based loosely around a series of BBC interviews that John Tobler carried out for BBC Radio One it gives a interesting European perspective of The Doors from the point of view of a fan who was a journalist and actually interviewed Morrison famously at The Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970.
Tobler who was one of the brains behind the excellent 70’s Zig-Zag rock fanzine, which was read avidly in pubs when I was a youngster, was a bit star-struck when he talked to Jim just before Jimi Hendrix walked onto a British stage for the last time but his fumbling's managed to bring out some highly perceptive views on music from the lead singer of The Doors and rank among the more fascinating interviews that survive of Jim Morrison.
The book takes a decent in depth look at The Doors career and does not baulk at a critical evaluation of the bands catalogue.
Each album is disassembled and some interesting and not commonly know facts and foibles are unearthed about the sessions and the background of the records.
The difficult circumstances of the ‘Waiting For the Sun’ album to The Soft Parade coming in for some scathing criticism culminating in ‘Do It’ being nominated for the worst Doors song ever. But the writers are not anti Doors just passionate enough about the subject to get angry at what they saw as The Doors not fulfilling their potential from the point of view of fans who were there at the time. Indeed the final two Morrison Doors outings are highly praised for their bluesy style and the Genesis of The Doors talked about with awe and reverence.
The Doors concerts are scrutinized and here we find another reference to ‘Riders On The Storm’ having been played in Dallas in 1970 fuelling the debate as to whether it ever saw the light of day on stage. The general feeling of their worth live seemingly that they were an important concert act that never really lived up to the expectation that the promise of their first couple of years led people to expect. The demon drink being one of the reasons for that.
The dark side of Jim is hinted at but thankfully not examined to closely here (later efforts would do that side to death) but of course the Miami concert and Jim’s legal wrangles are touched upon as is the obligatory dip in the waters of Paris and Jim’s death but this book is more about The Doors life than its death and more enjoyable because of that.
An added bonus is it’s one of the very few books that examines what happened after Jim died in any depth and gives a very good insight into the making of Other Voices, Full Circle, The Doors split in London in 1973 and the splinter group John and Robby formed The Butts Band.
The book also looks at Ray and Robby’s solo careers, the making of American Prayer and Ray’s short lived band Nite City.
Indeed The Butts Band story is examined in depth from the Brit line up that promised so much to the dire all American line up that should have been drowned at birth.
There are some excellent photos included in this offering some of which were new to Doors fans at the time and the book overall presented an enjoyable look at The Doors that could easily be read and understood by a newcomer to the band. Sadly this kind of thing has been replaced by the ‘sensation’ of books by Kennealy, Butler, Davis and Ashcroft that prefer to delve into unsubstantiated rumour than try to just examine ‘the facts’…..
Scorpywag rating 9/10 well thought out an executed mini bio of the worlds greatest band. AP
Review from my fanzine
A rare Brit book from the 80’s which is based loosely around a series of BBC interviews that John Tobler carried out for BBC Radio One it gives a interesting European perspective of The Doors from the point of view of a fan who was a journalist and actually interviewed Morrison famously at The Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970.
Tobler who was one of the brains behind the excellent 70’s Zig-Zag rock fanzine, which was read avidly in pubs when I was a youngster, was a bit star-struck when he talked to Jim just before Jimi Hendrix walked onto a British stage for the last time but his fumbling's managed to bring out some highly perceptive views on music from the lead singer of The Doors and rank among the more fascinating interviews that survive of Jim Morrison.
The book takes a decent in depth look at The Doors career and does not baulk at a critical evaluation of the bands catalogue.
Each album is disassembled and some interesting and not commonly know facts and foibles are unearthed about the sessions and the background of the records.
The difficult circumstances of the ‘Waiting For the Sun’ album to The Soft Parade coming in for some scathing criticism culminating in ‘Do It’ being nominated for the worst Doors song ever. But the writers are not anti Doors just passionate enough about the subject to get angry at what they saw as The Doors not fulfilling their potential from the point of view of fans who were there at the time. Indeed the final two Morrison Doors outings are highly praised for their bluesy style and the Genesis of The Doors talked about with awe and reverence.
The Doors concerts are scrutinized and here we find another reference to ‘Riders On The Storm’ having been played in Dallas in 1970 fuelling the debate as to whether it ever saw the light of day on stage. The general feeling of their worth live seemingly that they were an important concert act that never really lived up to the expectation that the promise of their first couple of years led people to expect. The demon drink being one of the reasons for that.
The dark side of Jim is hinted at but thankfully not examined to closely here (later efforts would do that side to death) but of course the Miami concert and Jim’s legal wrangles are touched upon as is the obligatory dip in the waters of Paris and Jim’s death but this book is more about The Doors life than its death and more enjoyable because of that.
An added bonus is it’s one of the very few books that examines what happened after Jim died in any depth and gives a very good insight into the making of Other Voices, Full Circle, The Doors split in London in 1973 and the splinter group John and Robby formed The Butts Band.
The book also looks at Ray and Robby’s solo careers, the making of American Prayer and Ray’s short lived band Nite City.
Indeed The Butts Band story is examined in depth from the Brit line up that promised so much to the dire all American line up that should have been drowned at birth.
There are some excellent photos included in this offering some of which were new to Doors fans at the time and the book overall presented an enjoyable look at The Doors that could easily be read and understood by a newcomer to the band. Sadly this kind of thing has been replaced by the ‘sensation’ of books by Kennealy, Butler, Davis and Ashcroft that prefer to delve into unsubstantiated rumour than try to just examine ‘the facts’…..
Scorpywag rating 9/10 well thought out an executed mini bio of the worlds greatest band. AP
