Where many British Invasion bands tended to sound similar, or at least try to emulate American rock of the 50s, the American rock scene of the 60s produced some vastly different sounds.
This was evident in the microcosm of
And the Doors represented the darker side, the obsession with sex, death and pseudo-philosophy that the psychedelic experience could bring about. Highly controversial and commercially successful, the band influenced many musicians to come, redefined the role of the frontman and bestowed many classic songs that became part of the decade’s soundtrack long after it had ended.
As such, the Daily Vault has chosen the Doors as our October Artist of the Month.
UCLA film school students Ray Manczarek and Jim Morrison formed the Doors in 1965, taking their title from an Aldous Huxley book (The Doors Of Perception) and their sound from a wide variety of sources, chief among them blues, Indian mythology, jazz, Eastern melodies and pop. With a lineup that also included drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Kreiger, the band eventually signed to Elektra Records (where keyboardist Manczarek dropped the c from his last name) and released its eponymous debut album.
Standing as one of the best albums of 1967, The Doors was one of the most groundbreaking, unusual releases of that year, buoyed by the swirling “Light My Fire,” the dark pop of “Break On Through” and the haunting, chilling, disturbing “The End.” Followed with Strange Days and Waiting For The Sun, the Doors became a phenomenon on the strength of songs like “People Are Strange,” “Five To One” and “
Yet the public demand, the band’s own visions and Morrison’s alcoholism had already begun to wear on the band. The Soft Parade experimented with horns and received much critical and commercial backlash, and while Morrison Hotel was a return to form it betrayed exhaustion, summed up in the excellent “Roadhouse Blues.” However, L.A. Woman redeemed the band; playing the role of a grizzled bluesman, his voice shot by whiskey, Morrison majestically slurred his way through “Riders On The Storm,” “L.A. Woman” and “Love Her Madly.”
Morrison had become the focal point of the band once he found his confidence, but that soon turned into narcissism when the public began adoring him. Increasingly dependent on alcohol, Morrison was arrested for indecent exposure in 1969 in Miami and shortly after began gaining weight and growing a beard, withdrawing into a private world far away from the lithe lizard king of 1967. In 1971, Morrison died in a bathtub in Paris. He had finally broken on through.
The three remaining members released two more albums and called it a day, though different combinations have continued to re-form to play with new lead singers, and every so often a new box set or hits collection finds its way to the shelves. Forty years after their remarkable debut, the Doors are still a big seller, and while some of their music is dated and Morrison’s status as a rock god is sometimes overblown by critics, the band’s influence and success — and the rush of their best work — cannot be overlooked.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured over 5,000 reviews of over 2,400 artists covering almost the entire musical spectrum, written by a volunteer review staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including the Beatles,
