Artists of the Week: The Doors! - VGF

Vinny · 03-14-2005, 05:33 PM

Bio:
The Doors formed in 1965 when UCLA film school students Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore decided that they wanted to get involved in the world of music. They never added an official bass player, instead hiring different bass players for albums and tours. They took their name from an Aldous Huxley book (author of the acclaimed "Brave New World," one of the defining novels of political satire of the 20th century) entitled "The Doors of Perception," which deals with Huxley's experimentation with the at-the-time new hallucinogenic drug, mescalin. The sound of the band was driven by Jim Morrison's deep voice reciting poetic lyrics and by Ray Manzarek's electric organ work. Their first single, "Light My Fire," became a very big hit, and the subsequent debut album, "The Doors," still stands today as one of the best and most groundbreaking albums from the 1960s psychedelic era.

Their sound was completely different from everything else around at the time; it's hard exactly to explain what the sound of The Doors is to one who hasn't heard it. They had a noticeable blues influence that they combined with psychedelic, Eastern, and classical styles to form a unique combination. Songs like "The End" had not been heard before and have not been heard since.

Their first album was probably their best, and they've been criticized of selling out and not going for the same groundbreaking sound that they achieved on their first album, and it is true that the same formula may not have worked so well after repeated use. Which is why for their last two albums, "Morrison Hotel" and "L.A. Woman," The Doors hit critics back hard with a collection of great songs that were mostly blues-influenced, but also had their psychedelic touch (i.e. "Riders on the Storm).

Discography:
The Doors, January 1967
Strange Days, October 1967
Waiting for the Sun, July 1968
The Soft Parade, July 1969
Morrison Hotel, February 1970
L.A. Woman, April 1971
An American Prayer (Jim Morrison Solo Album), 1978

You might like this band if you like:
The Beatles
Jefferson Airplane
The Grateful Dead
Cream
Jimi Hendrix

Essential songs:
"When the Music's Over"
"Riders on the Storm"
"People Are Strange"
"L.A. Woman"
"The End"

Gotta love this band. They're so incredibly different from anything else I've ever heard. Jim Morrison was quite simply the epitome of cool, and people often forego the great musicianship that backed Jim up. Sure, albums like "The Soft Parade" may have been disappointing for their overall content, but every album has some very good songs in it, particularly "The Doors" and "L.A. Woman." Psychedelia rules.

[ March 14, 2005, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Disraeli Gears ]

Brandon2390 · 03-14-2005, 06:58 PM

I gave Neko an in-depth artist of the week about a month or so ago. I dont know why it was never put up, but I'll PM you it Vinny in a little if you need the info and everything. If not, just ask Neko to make mines next. Thanks.

Vinny · 03-15-2005, 03:43 AM

Well, it's Neko's turn next week, so he should be doing it. It was my turn this week, but I've been really busy so the Flaming Lips have been up there quite a while.

GRENTLEMEN · 03-15-2005, 05:25 AM

I did a Bio report on Jim Morrison for school, once. Only other person I actually bothered with one of those on was David Bowie. Otherwise, I just opted to fail the damn reports. He's definitely something of a legend.

Koga · 03-15-2005, 06:52 AM

I haven't heard that much of the Doors, but I liked what I did hear. My brother is somewhat of a fan, though.

***CaptHayfever*** · 03-15-2005, 01:14 PM

I've got 'em rated pretty nicely on my Launch station.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

imported_Andrew · 03-23-2005, 05:45 PM

Extremely overrated. Like a Kurt Cobain basically. Mediocre lyrics and singing abilty.

Erdawn Il Deus · 04-03-2005, 02:01 AM

This is the end, my only friend; the end

I nominate King Crimson for next Artist: they had a rather large impact on Rock, specifically as an art form.

Vinny · 04-04-2005, 12:02 PM

^I'm so glad you brought that up

.

Um... Neko hasn't updated, so I guess I'll do the updating again.

Nekoscat · 04-18-2005, 09:03 PM

uhg, im totally on it ^^
I had a vaction week xP

Neko^^

Vinny · 04-21-2005, 04:30 PM

*COUGHWE'REWAITINGNEKOCOUGH*

Valentine · 04-29-2005, 05:35 AM

Check me out, bumping an old topic.

Ive only just recently let my hair grow long and two random people have came up to me and said I look like Jim Morrison. It's a compliment sure, but I look nothing like him!

03-14-2005, 05:33 PM	#1
Vinny Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home for incurable tyrants and kings Posts: 7,262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Points: 15,266.86 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 15,766.86 Donate	Bio: The Doors formed in 1965 when UCLA film school students Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore decided that they wanted to get involved in the world of music. They never added an official bass player, instead hiring different bass players for albums and tours. They took their name from an Aldous Huxley book (author of the acclaimed "Brave New World," one of the defining novels of political satire of the 20th century) entitled "The Doors of Perception," which deals with Huxley's experimentation with the at-the-time new hallucinogenic drug, mescalin. The sound of the band was driven by Jim Morrison's deep voice reciting poetic lyrics and by Ray Manzarek's electric organ work. Their first single, "Light My Fire," became a very big hit, and the subsequent debut album, "The Doors," still stands today as one of the best and most groundbreaking albums from the 1960s psychedelic era. Their sound was completely different from everything else around at the time; it's hard exactly to explain what the sound of The Doors is to one who hasn't heard it. They had a noticeable blues influence that they combined with psychedelic, Eastern, and classical styles to form a unique combination. Songs like "The End" had not been heard before and have not been heard since. Their first album was probably their best, and they've been criticized of selling out and not going for the same groundbreaking sound that they achieved on their first album, and it is true that the same formula may not have worked so well after repeated use. Which is why for their last two albums, "Morrison Hotel" and "L.A. Woman," The Doors hit critics back hard with a collection of great songs that were mostly blues-influenced, but also had their psychedelic touch (i.e. "Riders on the Storm). Discography: The Doors, January 1967 Strange Days, October 1967 Waiting for the Sun, July 1968 The Soft Parade, July 1969 Morrison Hotel, February 1970 L.A. Woman, April 1971 An American Prayer (Jim Morrison Solo Album), 1978 You might like this band if you like: The Beatles Jefferson Airplane The Grateful Dead Cream Jimi Hendrix Essential songs: "When the Music's Over" "Riders on the Storm" "People Are Strange" "L.A. Woman" "The End" Gotta love this band. They're so incredibly different from anything else I've ever heard. Jim Morrison was quite simply the epitome of cool, and people often forego the great musicianship that backed Jim up. Sure, albums like "The Soft Parade" may have been disappointing for their overall content, but every album has some very good songs in it, particularly "The Doors" and "L.A. Woman." Psychedelia rules. [ March 14, 2005, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Disraeli Gears ]

03-14-2005, 06:58 PM	#2
Brandon2390 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10,366 Thanks: 5 Thanked 18 Times in 15 Posts Points: 37,361.62 Bank: 853.44 Total Points: 38,215.06 Donate	I gave Neko an in-depth artist of the week about a month or so ago. I dont know why it was never put up, but I'll PM you it Vinny in a little if you need the info and everything. If not, just ask Neko to make mines next. Thanks.

03-15-2005, 03:43 AM	#3
Vinny Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home for incurable tyrants and kings Posts: 7,262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Points: 15,266.86 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 15,766.86 Donate	Well, it's Neko's turn next week, so he should be doing it. It was my turn this week, but I've been really busy so the Flaming Lips have been up there quite a while.

03-15-2005, 05:25 AM	#4
GRENTLEMEN Retro Nintendo Supermod Art & Literature Mod Metroid Mod Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 15,886 Thanks: 456 Thanked 1,151 Times in 628 Posts Points: 6,541.33 Bank: 1,830,360.28 Total Points: 1,836,901.61 Donate	I did a Bio report on Jim Morrison for school, once. Only other person I actually bothered with one of those on was David Bowie. Otherwise, I just opted to fail the damn reports. He's definitely something of a legend.

03-15-2005, 06:52 AM	#5
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 176 Times in 118 Posts Points: 104,328.41 Bank: 17,752.41 Total Points: 122,080.82 Donate	I haven't heard that much of the Doors, but I liked what I did hear. My brother is somewhat of a fan, though.

03-15-2005, 01:14 PM	#6
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 19,283 Thanks: 161 Thanked 734 Times in 475 Posts Points: 105,566.96 Bank: 923.79 Total Points: 106,490.75 Donate	I've got 'em rated pretty nicely on my Launch station. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

03-23-2005, 05:45 PM	#7
imported_Andrew Banned Join Date: Dec 1969 Posts: 0 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 8,102.00 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 8,602.00 Donate	Extremely overrated. Like a Kurt Cobain basically. Mediocre lyrics and singing abilty.

04-03-2005, 02:01 AM	#8
Erdawn Il Deus Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Threading the jeweled thrones of earth under my sandalled feet Gender: Posts: 2,983 Thanks: 4 Thanked 45 Times in 39 Posts Points: 22,327.93 Bank: 742.97 Total Points: 23,070.90 Donate	This is the end, my only friend; the end I nominate King Crimson for next Artist: they had a rather large impact on Rock, specifically as an art form.

04-04-2005, 12:02 PM	#9
Vinny Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home for incurable tyrants and kings Posts: 7,262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Points: 15,266.86 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 15,766.86 Donate	^I'm so glad you brought that up . Um... Neko hasn't updated, so I guess I'll do the updating again.

04-18-2005, 09:03 PM	#10
Nekoscat Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: http://www.theafterlifels.com/ Gender: Posts: 2,690 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Points: 3,710.00 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 4,210.00 Donate	uhg, im totally on it ^^ I had a vaction week xP Neko^^

04-21-2005, 04:30 PM	#11
Vinny Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home for incurable tyrants and kings Posts: 7,262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Points: 15,266.86 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 15,766.86 Donate	COUGHWE'REWAITINGNEKOCOUGH

04-29-2005, 05:35 AM	#12
Valentine Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Rural NZ. There are lots of sheep here. Gender: Posts: 6,933 Thanks: 22 Thanked 60 Times in 43 Posts Points: 14,062.45 Bank: 69,121.41 Total Points: 83,183.87 Donate	Check me out, bumping an old topic. Ive only just recently let my hair grow long and two random people have came up to me and said I look like Jim Morrison. It's a compliment sure, but I look nothing like him!