The Doors Music

Apocalypse Now

With The Doors

If you're like me, you were forced to read “The Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad in high school literature class. If you're really like me, you found it grimly intriguing despite being forced to read it. If you're exactly like me, you went on to watch “Apocalypse Now” a number of years later after shooting a bunch of cans in the back yard of a house outside London with an air pistol while smoking Cuban cigars lit by a souvenir Chairman Mao lighter that played “Star of the Orient” every time you opened it. But if anyone out there is that much like me, that would be even creepier than the story.

“Heart of Darkness” is about an English sailor who goes up-river in Africa to bring back a mad genius named Kurtz, who has turned himself into a jungle warlord complete with an army of devoted natives and a fence of severed heads.

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"Hello, I Love You"

Doors Pop Song

The Doors are often most remembered for the songs they should probably be least remembered for, and for the simple reason that those songs are the most accessible. Songs like “Hello, I Love You” and “Light My Fire” are far from being their most interesting work either musically or lyrically. They are basically darker interpretations of the popular genre of empty-headed 60s love songs.

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"Soul Kitchen"

Covered By X

X was one of the more well-behaved of the early Los Angeles punk bands. On the documentary “Decline of Western Civilization,” you can even see them talking about how clubs like to book them because they don't cause trouble, unlike the other LA punk bands. They were also a little bit more musically polished, with the ability to produce a scorching guitar solo that most punk bands simply didn't have (or even approve of, for that matter).

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Jim Morrison- Poet?

Lyrics Can Be Poetry, But The Bar Should Be Set High

Was Jim Morrison a poet? He certainly wanted to be seen that way, but does his work really deserve the name of poetry? That's a complicated question, because it raises the issue of whether song lyrics are poetry in the first place.

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People Are Strange

Echo and the Bunnymen

I had no idea the Doors had ever existed until I saw “The Lost Boys” when I was 15 or 16. The soundtrack contains a cover of “People are Strange” as re-interpreted by New Wave band Echo and the Bunnymen. As a strange kid with a taste for the dark aesthetic, I related to both the movie and the song with great intensity. I had always been into whatever old rock albums my folks had around- the Beatles, Buddy Holly, and so forth- but “People Are Strange” spoke to something none of those artists ever did.

When I referred to the song as being by Echo and the Bunnymen, a coworker informed me (with some condescension!) that it was actually by the Doors. I picked up a Doors album at the mall the next chance I got, and they immediately became my favorite band.

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Cleansing the Doors of Perception

The Doors took their name from a book by Aldous Huxley called “The Doors of Perception,” by he took his title from an older and much stranger work, the “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” by William Blake. Here's the phrase in its original context:

When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors

It’s not a secret that I love The Doors. I’m probably not the biggest fan out there, but I have enjoyed all of the music and like to think that I know quite a bit beyond the standard trivia. I did watch a great documentary the other day on Netflix that I hadn’t seen before. While it didn’t offer anything that I didn’t already know, the film was put together in a fantastic way.

“When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors” was put together by Tom DiCillo. The narration by Johnny Depp adds to the films mystique, and the use of live footage from concerts and interviews brings the viewer’s right into the life and time of The Doors.

The film was originally released for several film festivals, to high acclaim, in 2009. It did play in theaters across the world, but in limited release. After the success at the various film festivals the film was released on DVD to the general public. It’s now available on Netflix through instant watch.

Unlikely Influence

Just when I think I’ve heard every possible rendition of any Doors song, I stumbled on this. While at first I didn’t really care for it, the second and third time I listened to it I realized how amazing it really was.

The Doors were only together and performing for just under 5 years. They disbanded more than 35 years ago. And yet, here’s a tribute video that shows just how far-reaching their influence has been. I’m willing to bet that the group that created this isn’t even die-hard Doors fans. The influence that Morrison had on the world of music has reached out to tickle musicians from all walks of life. The impact can be heard in modern rock groups like Stone Temple Pilots to artists like Nick Cave and everything in between. I’ve heard the influences in modern country music, jazz and even hip-hop.

So exactly what was it about The Doors that created this global impact on music that has survived almost four decades? It’s hard to know for sure. Many people connect with the tenacious compositions of the songs that somehow managed to melt rock, blues and pop into a single song. For others the poetic lyricism that Morrison possessed is the real draw. And I’m sure for a lot of people the ‘anti-machine’ lifestyle and in your face antics that Morrison was famous for created a pull.

Whatever the reason, the music world has been forever changed. And even though The Doors were before my time, I can appreciate the contribution they made when I listen to them today. Especially when I hear fantastic, outside the box compositions like this one.

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The Birth of Tragedy

Nietzsche's Influence on Jim Morrison

L.A. Woman

Did you know that "Mr. Mojo Risin'" was just an anagram of "Jim Morrison"? Sneaky, Jim. Anyway, here's a jam for the ages. No video, just audio, photos, and lyrics.