Post by mortsahlfan on Feb 13, 2021 18:40:11 GMT -5
Down Beat Magazine
May 28 1970
"Behind The Doors: Jim Morrison on the perils of success and other matters"
by Michael Cuscuna.
Several months ago, I received a call from the publicity department of Elektra records. "Are you still writing for Down Beat? Good, because Jim Morrison wants to be written up in that magazine. He'll be in Philadelphia for a concert soon, and you can talk to him then."
Dismayed at the prospect of encountering another rock ego, yet curious to meet the well-publicized leader of a group that had undergone so many changes in style, I set out to meet Morrison in his hotel room prior to his Philadelphia appearance.
The Doors - with Love, Country Joe and the Fish, and
Jefferson Airplane - were among those who created the rock underground, and turned the deaf, overconfident recording industry around. With their first album, the Doors brought many innovations to rock. Essentially, it was the first successful synthesis of jazz and rock. No one wrote about it; there were no posters or ads to that effect. Nevertheless, organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore comprise a tight musical unit that is equally rooted in the spirit of rock and the feeling of jazz. The Doors were the first group to introduce the theatre song and its derivatives into the realm of current popular music. Listen to their The End and Morrison's version of Kurt
Weill and Bertold Brecht's Alabama Song. Morrison
delivers such material with a passion for theatre.
Indirectly, the Doors opened up the public's ears for the
later work of Judy Collins, David Ackles, Van Dyke
Parks and Randy Newman.
The inclusion in the Door's repertoire of Willie Dixon and Howling Wolf's Back Door Man foreshadowed the white blues revival that was to dominate the rock scene for well over a year.
The group's second album, Strange Days was one of the
first concept albums in the underground, and certainly
the most subtle. It strongly resembled the first
album in quality and style. The third disc, Waiting For
The Sun, sounded as if the now successful Doors were
trying to imitate themselves. The Soft Parade was an
over-produced and over arranged collection of obvious songs. The spirit of the Doors had all but disappeared.
Jim Morrison rested on his motel bed. "I am not an
avid or knowledgeable jazz fan, but I do read Down
Beat regularly, because it deals with music. Most of
the so-called music magazines cover everything but
music. They are fan magazines and sensation-seekers. I
have been written about in all of them - but so what,"
he said.
The antithesis of his extroverted stage personality, the private Morrison speaks slowly and quietly
with little evident emotion, reflectively collecting
his thoughts before he talks. No ego, no pretentions.
I expressed my feelings about the evolution of the
Doors. With a half smile, he said, "Really? Hmm, I
really like all four albums equally. But I really am
proud of our second record because it tells a story, it
is a whole effort. Someday it will get the
recognition it deserves. I don't think many people are aware of what we were doing."
In response to my statement that the Doors had lost much of their spirit and creativity on the third and fourth albums, he explained: "Most of the songs on the first two records had been written when we were still playing club six nights a week. When it came time for the recording of Waiting For The Sun we were just working concerts and had no chance to work out new material. In fact, some of the songs on that album were written right in the studio. One thing about the fourth album that I am very proud of, is that Touch Me, which is also a single, was the first rock hit to have a jazz solo in it, by Curitis Amy on tenor saxophone. I guess Tell All The People was a dumb song, but everyone wanted me to do it, so I did. Soon we are going to put out a live concert album, and that may bring back the feeling that you were talking about."
The live album has been delayed in deference to the new Morrison Hotel, an intriguing and unusual collection of Morrison originals performed by the Doors with such great artists as John Sebastian on harmonica and Lonnie Mack on bass. It is not the old Doors,
nor it is the new current commerical Doors; it is Jim
Morrison singing some excellent songs, covering territory that the group had not heretofore explored.
As we conversed, Morrison's opinions of the Doors'
music fluctuated, but he remained constant in his
lamentation of the group's situation. "When we were working clubs," he explained, "we had alot of fun and could play a lot of songs. A lot of things were going on. Now we just play concert after concert, and we have to
play the things the audience wants to hear. Then we
record and go out into concert halls again. The people
are very demanding, and we don't get to do a lot of
new or different things. I really want to develop my
singing. You know, I love the blues, like Joe Turner and
Freddie King. I would like to get into that feeling and
sing some old standards like St. James Infirmary."
May 28 1970
"Behind The Doors: Jim Morrison on the perils of success and other matters"
by Michael Cuscuna.
Several months ago, I received a call from the publicity department of Elektra records. "Are you still writing for Down Beat? Good, because Jim Morrison wants to be written up in that magazine. He'll be in Philadelphia for a concert soon, and you can talk to him then."
Dismayed at the prospect of encountering another rock ego, yet curious to meet the well-publicized leader of a group that had undergone so many changes in style, I set out to meet Morrison in his hotel room prior to his Philadelphia appearance.
The Doors - with Love, Country Joe and the Fish, and
Jefferson Airplane - were among those who created the rock underground, and turned the deaf, overconfident recording industry around. With their first album, the Doors brought many innovations to rock. Essentially, it was the first successful synthesis of jazz and rock. No one wrote about it; there were no posters or ads to that effect. Nevertheless, organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore comprise a tight musical unit that is equally rooted in the spirit of rock and the feeling of jazz. The Doors were the first group to introduce the theatre song and its derivatives into the realm of current popular music. Listen to their The End and Morrison's version of Kurt
Weill and Bertold Brecht's Alabama Song. Morrison
delivers such material with a passion for theatre.
Indirectly, the Doors opened up the public's ears for the
later work of Judy Collins, David Ackles, Van Dyke
Parks and Randy Newman.
The inclusion in the Door's repertoire of Willie Dixon and Howling Wolf's Back Door Man foreshadowed the white blues revival that was to dominate the rock scene for well over a year.
The group's second album, Strange Days was one of the
first concept albums in the underground, and certainly
the most subtle. It strongly resembled the first
album in quality and style. The third disc, Waiting For
The Sun, sounded as if the now successful Doors were
trying to imitate themselves. The Soft Parade was an
over-produced and over arranged collection of obvious songs. The spirit of the Doors had all but disappeared.
Jim Morrison rested on his motel bed. "I am not an
avid or knowledgeable jazz fan, but I do read Down
Beat regularly, because it deals with music. Most of
the so-called music magazines cover everything but
music. They are fan magazines and sensation-seekers. I
have been written about in all of them - but so what,"
he said.
The antithesis of his extroverted stage personality, the private Morrison speaks slowly and quietly
with little evident emotion, reflectively collecting
his thoughts before he talks. No ego, no pretentions.
I expressed my feelings about the evolution of the
Doors. With a half smile, he said, "Really? Hmm, I
really like all four albums equally. But I really am
proud of our second record because it tells a story, it
is a whole effort. Someday it will get the
recognition it deserves. I don't think many people are aware of what we were doing."
In response to my statement that the Doors had lost much of their spirit and creativity on the third and fourth albums, he explained: "Most of the songs on the first two records had been written when we were still playing club six nights a week. When it came time for the recording of Waiting For The Sun we were just working concerts and had no chance to work out new material. In fact, some of the songs on that album were written right in the studio. One thing about the fourth album that I am very proud of, is that Touch Me, which is also a single, was the first rock hit to have a jazz solo in it, by Curitis Amy on tenor saxophone. I guess Tell All The People was a dumb song, but everyone wanted me to do it, so I did. Soon we are going to put out a live concert album, and that may bring back the feeling that you were talking about."
The live album has been delayed in deference to the new Morrison Hotel, an intriguing and unusual collection of Morrison originals performed by the Doors with such great artists as John Sebastian on harmonica and Lonnie Mack on bass. It is not the old Doors,
nor it is the new current commerical Doors; it is Jim
Morrison singing some excellent songs, covering territory that the group had not heretofore explored.
As we conversed, Morrison's opinions of the Doors'
music fluctuated, but he remained constant in his
lamentation of the group's situation. "When we were working clubs," he explained, "we had alot of fun and could play a lot of songs. A lot of things were going on. Now we just play concert after concert, and we have to
play the things the audience wants to hear. Then we
record and go out into concert halls again. The people
are very demanding, and we don't get to do a lot of
new or different things. I really want to develop my
singing. You know, I love the blues, like Joe Turner and
Freddie King. I would like to get into that feeling and
sing some old standards like St. James Infirmary."
Morrison has interests outside of music. He because most animated during our conversation when the subject of film was brought up. The Doors' 40-minute Feast Of Friends has already been shown, to mixed critical and audience reactions. Morrison is also producing and starring in Hiway, a color film now nearing completion. He is a former U.C.L.A. film student and has a real passion for the cinema. Thus the remainder of the interview consisted of our exchanging accolades for Bunuel, Fellini, and other outstanding directors. After dinner, we parted so the group could prepare for the concert.
A few hours later, the Doors appeared on stage, greeted by a mass of screaming fans, and began an exciting set of jazz rock. The rhythm section was burning as the stage Morrison (loud, mystical, dramatic) belted out some of the group's better known songs. Shades of the exciting and innovative Doors of old!
In Jim Morrison, I found to my surprise a beautiful human being who, not unlike Charles Mingus, has been a victim of sensational publicity and harrassment by silly journalists. This same Jim Morrison seems trapped in the routine of success, with a public image to live up to, while his best musical and cinematic talents and ambitions remain stifled and/or untapped.
Whatever part of their musical history appeals to you - if any - the Doors are one of the most important forces in rock. Without the demands that success and hit records make on a group, they might have continued their truly creative work. The promise shown in their new album could indicate a return to the development of music for the Doors' sake, not for the hit-conscious public's sake.
Meanwhile, Morrison was eagerly awaiting publication of his book of poetry, The Lords and The New Creatures,
issued by Simon and Shuster this spring. And meanwhile, dedicated rock fans go back nostalgically to the startling, dynamic album that a then unknown Los Angeles rock group quietly released some four years ago on a relatively small folk label called Elektra.
In Jim Morrison, I found to my surprise a beautiful human being who, not unlike Charles Mingus, has been a victim of sensational publicity and harrassment by silly journalists. This same Jim Morrison seems trapped in the routine of success, with a public image to live up to, while his best musical and cinematic talents and ambitions remain stifled and/or untapped.
Whatever part of their musical history appeals to you - if any - the Doors are one of the most important forces in rock. Without the demands that success and hit records make on a group, they might have continued their truly creative work. The promise shown in their new album could indicate a return to the development of music for the Doors' sake, not for the hit-conscious public's sake.
Meanwhile, Morrison was eagerly awaiting publication of his book of poetry, The Lords and The New Creatures,
issued by Simon and Shuster this spring. And meanwhile, dedicated rock fans go back nostalgically to the startling, dynamic album that a then unknown Los Angeles rock group quietly released some four years ago on a relatively small folk label called Elektra.