Post by tzinana on Jul 28, 2005 6:32:34 GMT
Rockin' With Nietzsche
By MICHAEL E. ROSS
The New York Times
March 24, 1991
In an era when Vietnam consumed the national
attention, Jim Morrison may well have been rock's
point man in the cultural free-fire zone of the 60's.
As lead singer and chief lyricist of the Doors,
Morrison's dark lyric vision, dramatic stage presence
and leonine visage electrified the rock world. When he
died -- at the age of 27, probably of a heroin
overdose, in July 1971 -- many refused to believe he
was gone. If ever a rock star was capable of
resurrection, it was Jim Morrison. The Doors' records
continue to sell well, in many instances better than
they sold when Morrison was alive. His presence
returns anew in Oliver Stone's film "The Doors" and in
books chronicling his life. In JIM MORRISON: Dark Star
(Viking Studio, $29.95), the journalist Dylan Jones
charts the star's rise and fall and offers some fresh
insights into his motivations and early influences. To
his credit, Mr. Jones explores Morrison's embrace of
Nietzsche's thought, calling "The Birth of Tragedy"
the key to understanding Morrison and the Doors. But
there's often a sense that the book has been rushed
into print, and it offers us little beyond the
boilerplate tragedy. "Dark Star" flickers
occasionally, but it will probably take its place with
other books on other stars whose grip on the popular
imagination extended beyond their lives -- another
well-intentioned example of cashing in on a dead
legend.
By MICHAEL E. ROSS
The New York Times
March 24, 1991
In an era when Vietnam consumed the national
attention, Jim Morrison may well have been rock's
point man in the cultural free-fire zone of the 60's.
As lead singer and chief lyricist of the Doors,
Morrison's dark lyric vision, dramatic stage presence
and leonine visage electrified the rock world. When he
died -- at the age of 27, probably of a heroin
overdose, in July 1971 -- many refused to believe he
was gone. If ever a rock star was capable of
resurrection, it was Jim Morrison. The Doors' records
continue to sell well, in many instances better than
they sold when Morrison was alive. His presence
returns anew in Oliver Stone's film "The Doors" and in
books chronicling his life. In JIM MORRISON: Dark Star
(Viking Studio, $29.95), the journalist Dylan Jones
charts the star's rise and fall and offers some fresh
insights into his motivations and early influences. To
his credit, Mr. Jones explores Morrison's embrace of
Nietzsche's thought, calling "The Birth of Tragedy"
the key to understanding Morrison and the Doors. But
there's often a sense that the book has been rushed
into print, and it offers us little beyond the
boilerplate tragedy. "Dark Star" flickers
occasionally, but it will probably take its place with
other books on other stars whose grip on the popular
imagination extended beyond their lives -- another
well-intentioned example of cashing in on a dead
legend.
