Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Dec 26, 2004 23:06:47 GMT
DEAR GUITAR HERO: The Doors' Robby Krieger
He was Jim Morrison's right-hand man and wrote "Light My Fire," but what Guitar World readers really want to know is ..........
Is it true that you'd been playing guitar for only six months when you joined the Doors? How did you grasp the instrument's vocabulary so quickly?
(Eddie Roy, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)
RK: Actually, I had been playing electric guitar for just six months when I joined the group; I'd been playing folk and flamenco acoustic for three or four years before then. When I started to play the electric, I just used the same fingerpicking style that I used on the acoustic. That's the only method that I used when I played with the Doors, but about 20 years ago I learned to use a pick for playing speedier runs. Now I'm half and half.
You are one of my favorite guitarists, but I am really disturbed that you and Ray Manzarek have restarted the Doors without John Densmore. It loses the whole spirit with a new drummer and a -- gasp! bass player. What were you thinking?
(Gregory Gomez, Riverside, CA)
RK: We wanted to let our fans see and hear something as close as possible to what the Doors would sound like today. We wish John would join us, but Angelo Barbera [bass] and Ty Dennis [drums] have played in my band for years and have meticulously studied the parts. If you closed your eyes, you really wouldn't know the difference. If you're offended that we're doing this, don't come to the show. But if you do come, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I love the composition of "Peace Frog," which features many sections, including a great bridge. Were the parts written all at once? And how did you get that great tone for the solo?
(Richard Trelles, Hialeah, FL)
RK: I wrote the basic form for the music and breaks. They were then given the "Doors" treatment by the three of us and Harvey Brooks, who was playing bass. We recorded the rack before the lyrics were written, which is not how we normally did things. We cut it, and then Jim and [producer] Paul Rothchild went through Jim's poetry books and found a poem called "Abortion Story," which had all the stuff about "blood in the streets." The two of them came up with a vocal line to fit the music. As far as the sound on the solo, I used a Twin Reverb turned up really loud. The echo was created with a tape delay. At the time, there wasn't a pedal that could create that effect.
Have you ever thought of creating an alter ego with an anagram of your name, as Jim did with Mr. Mojo Risin? You could be Reb Kirby Gore, if you want to become a rabbi. Or, if you buy a motorcycle, you could be Biker Rob Grey!
(Anthony Jones, Kingston, WA)
RK: I never thought of that. Those are pretty good. Thank you, Anthony.
Why did you have such an affinity for the Gibson SG? (Ace, via email)
RK: I wanted a big red Gibson, like [the ES-335] Chuck Berry used to play, but I could only afford a Melody Maker, which, at 200 bucks, seemed close enough. I used it on the first Doors album, and then I got an SG.
You've said that Jim was funnier than people realize. Could you describe a typical joke of his?
(Chuck Showalter, Pittsburgh, PA)
RK: In the early days, when we were all taking a lot of acid, we were at a party, and this guy who had just dropped a ton of the stuff showed up. Jim started flicking the lights off and on really fast. Actually, the guy freaked out pretty bad. But it was funny.
Jim never seemed to change his leather pants. Did they smell? (Al Hunter, Taylor, MI)
RK: I never got close enough to find out, but they were capable of standing up by themselves.
I love your solo in "When the Music's Over." Which scale did you use, and what effect gives it that great distortion?
(Thiago Ravache, Blumenau, Brazil)
RK: There is no scale; the whole point of that solo was to not use a scale. I tried to play like John Coltrane and just go as far out as possible. It's actually two guitars: we recorded four tracks and then picked the pair that intertwined the best. Paul got that fuzz violin-type sound by sticking a little resistor in the board.
The best questions must be those that none of us have enough knowledge to ask. How about telling us a Doors anecdote to a question you haven't been asked yet?
(Jeff Kelly, via email)
RK: Unfortunately, all the questions have been asked
Guitar World January 2004
He was Jim Morrison's right-hand man and wrote "Light My Fire," but what Guitar World readers really want to know is ..........
Is it true that you'd been playing guitar for only six months when you joined the Doors? How did you grasp the instrument's vocabulary so quickly?
(Eddie Roy, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)
RK: Actually, I had been playing electric guitar for just six months when I joined the group; I'd been playing folk and flamenco acoustic for three or four years before then. When I started to play the electric, I just used the same fingerpicking style that I used on the acoustic. That's the only method that I used when I played with the Doors, but about 20 years ago I learned to use a pick for playing speedier runs. Now I'm half and half.
You are one of my favorite guitarists, but I am really disturbed that you and Ray Manzarek have restarted the Doors without John Densmore. It loses the whole spirit with a new drummer and a -- gasp! bass player. What were you thinking?
(Gregory Gomez, Riverside, CA)
RK: We wanted to let our fans see and hear something as close as possible to what the Doors would sound like today. We wish John would join us, but Angelo Barbera [bass] and Ty Dennis [drums] have played in my band for years and have meticulously studied the parts. If you closed your eyes, you really wouldn't know the difference. If you're offended that we're doing this, don't come to the show. But if you do come, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I love the composition of "Peace Frog," which features many sections, including a great bridge. Were the parts written all at once? And how did you get that great tone for the solo?
(Richard Trelles, Hialeah, FL)
RK: I wrote the basic form for the music and breaks. They were then given the "Doors" treatment by the three of us and Harvey Brooks, who was playing bass. We recorded the rack before the lyrics were written, which is not how we normally did things. We cut it, and then Jim and [producer] Paul Rothchild went through Jim's poetry books and found a poem called "Abortion Story," which had all the stuff about "blood in the streets." The two of them came up with a vocal line to fit the music. As far as the sound on the solo, I used a Twin Reverb turned up really loud. The echo was created with a tape delay. At the time, there wasn't a pedal that could create that effect.
Have you ever thought of creating an alter ego with an anagram of your name, as Jim did with Mr. Mojo Risin? You could be Reb Kirby Gore, if you want to become a rabbi. Or, if you buy a motorcycle, you could be Biker Rob Grey!
(Anthony Jones, Kingston, WA)
RK: I never thought of that. Those are pretty good. Thank you, Anthony.
Why did you have such an affinity for the Gibson SG? (Ace, via email)
RK: I wanted a big red Gibson, like [the ES-335] Chuck Berry used to play, but I could only afford a Melody Maker, which, at 200 bucks, seemed close enough. I used it on the first Doors album, and then I got an SG.
You've said that Jim was funnier than people realize. Could you describe a typical joke of his?
(Chuck Showalter, Pittsburgh, PA)
RK: In the early days, when we were all taking a lot of acid, we were at a party, and this guy who had just dropped a ton of the stuff showed up. Jim started flicking the lights off and on really fast. Actually, the guy freaked out pretty bad. But it was funny.
Jim never seemed to change his leather pants. Did they smell? (Al Hunter, Taylor, MI)
RK: I never got close enough to find out, but they were capable of standing up by themselves.
I love your solo in "When the Music's Over." Which scale did you use, and what effect gives it that great distortion?
(Thiago Ravache, Blumenau, Brazil)
RK: There is no scale; the whole point of that solo was to not use a scale. I tried to play like John Coltrane and just go as far out as possible. It's actually two guitars: we recorded four tracks and then picked the pair that intertwined the best. Paul got that fuzz violin-type sound by sticking a little resistor in the board.
The best questions must be those that none of us have enough knowledge to ask. How about telling us a Doors anecdote to a question you haven't been asked yet?
(Jeff Kelly, via email)
RK: Unfortunately, all the questions have been asked
Guitar World January 2004