Getting into the Doors

[I. Spaceman]

Should I get another Doors album if I don't really care for the first two releases? 

No.

[Sheriff John Stone]

This thread prompted me to get out my Doors' comps in my car, not that I needed the additional motivation. So, I have a long question...

Regardless of what you think of The Soft Parade, meaning the material, the horn/string arrangements, and its comparison to the first three Doors' albums, you can't deny how great Jim's vocals were on that album. I think it was the peak of his "voice". I'm referring to the clarity, strength, his phrasing, his crooning, basically everything. I mean, Jim's singing didn't get much better than on "Touch Me", "Shaman's Blues", "The Soft Parade", "Wild Child", and even his part of "Runnin' Blue".

So I'm now listening to Maggie M'Gill from Morrison Hotel, the follow up to The Soft Parade, and his voice is so different. Listen to the way he growls the opening verses. "Miss Maggie M'Gill, she lived on a hill, her father got drunk and left her the will so...she went down, down to Tangy Town...". Then he growls, "People down there really like to get it on...." Where did THAT come from? I love the rasp, the growl, the blues. He literally did transform his voice, transform himself. Some biographies state that he was losing his voice. I don't agree (listen to "L' America", "Love Her Madly" and "Riders" from late 1970); he was intentionally changing. Maybe like Dylan, maybe like B. Wilson, maybe like Sinatra, who knows. Maybe he just wanted to sing the blues.

Morrison uses that growling blues voice a few other times on Morrison Hotel, but he retains the romantic crooning style on "Blue Sunday", "Indian Summer", and even on "The Spy". But you can tell something was happening. OK, here's the question.

The Doors only recorded six studio albums, but there are now a lot of live albums out there, thanks to Bright Midnight. So, maybe there's about 100 different songs on record, sung by Jim Morrison. Let's assume, for the sake of argument and discussion that Elvis Presley is the greatest singer in the rock and roll era. After Elvis, Is Jim Morrison the greatest singer of the rock and roll era? If not Jim, who would get your vote?

[rab2591]

I know too little about rock singers to answer your question, but...

Personally, Jim Morrison is one of my favorite singers, period: he has the power to hypnotize you with poetry in a calm voice, then the next minute he is screaming beautifully into a mic (while still hypnotizing you). example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txWoEPAeBeA

[I. Spaceman]

 Let's assume, for the sake of argument and discussion that Elvis Presley is the greatest singer in the rock and roll era. After Elvis, Is Jim Morrison the greatest singer of the rock and roll era? If not Jim, who would get your vote?

John Lennon. But I love Morrison's voice too.

[Jason]

If someone dared try to say someone other than Elvis was the greatest singer in rock 'n roll music, well...let's just say it wouldn't end well!

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Elvis is THE greatest singer in rock and perhaps of all-time (sorry Carl)!

And it goes well beyond the plain power and raw sex he exuded in his singing. In my opinion, he is the single BEST song interrupter of all-time as well. No one, and I mean NO ONE has ever sang out lyrics so innocently and full of genuine belief than Elvis. No one's ever seemed to MEAN what they are singing more than Elvis. He had something I feel I can honestly make the claim that no one else had. It was bordering on supernatural. It almost seemed like the only way he could really exists and understand the world was through singing. Therefore the words he sang (that others wrote: which is key) were almost sacred to him....... The Beatles didn't even have this! Most performers/writers have this sort of intellectual distance from even their own material. With Elvis: nothing separated himself or his ego from what he sang. There were no walls.....

All the evidence one could ever need:

http://youtu.be/2xtfazXu45U

[Sheriff John Stone]

Fellas, fellas. If you read my post, I said, "Let's assume, for the sake of argument and discussion that Elvis Presley is the greatest singer in the rock and roll era." Nobody's saying that he wasn't. But, you could start a thread debating that if you wish.

I wanna know, if Jim Morrison isn't the greatest singer - after Elvis - who is? I don't think there is anybody. But, we got a vote for John Lennon, and I can certainly understand that. Does anybody else have an opinion?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I'd say Morrison has it over Lennon! I do think Lennon is close, but for me it's early Lennon that rules a bit over later Lennon, if that makes any sense.

I think it will be a while before Morrison gets his true due because of all the drugs/lizard king/Val Kilmer nonsense seems to have muddied up the picture.

I'd have to say Chuck Berry should be be next in line after Elvis because both guys just SOUND LIKE what rock n roll is.

[18thofMay]

Fellas, fellas. If you read my post, I said, "Let's assume, for the sake of argument and discussion that Elvis Presley is the greatest singer in the rock and roll era." Nobody's saying that he wasn't. But, you could start a thread debating that if you wish.

I wanna know, if Jim Morrison isn't the greatest singer - after Elvis - who is? I don't think there is anybody. But, we got a vote for John Lennon, and I can certainly understand that. Does anybody else have an opinion?

Being a massive Morrison/Doors fan I must say that in my opinion he was at first a poet and rock and roll star second. I love his voice, his look his presence etc as for one of the greatest "singers" well I think he was very good but I would rate other singers higher. Elvis, Lennon would certainly be higher.. He could certainly sing though.. Crystal ship , moonlight drive, not to touch the earth (live version is breathtaking) and his/their version of Gloria off the top of my head are all superb. As pedestrian as Light my Fire sounds from a vocal point I would love to hear how it would have sounded with his "older" voice, in the studio

[Heysaboda]

'back in the day I bought all their sh*t.  I soon decided that L.A. Woman was amazing.  I like a lot of their lesser songs too like "The Cars hiss by my Window".  It's basically just good blues stuff.  They were a high quality band, the 'gimmick' of their sound never really got old.  He could write a song about nothing and you'd still enjoy it. 

You gotta check out some of their live stuff they did too of course.  15 minute long "Light My Fire" s, Break on through with the "Dead Cats" intro, all the poetry stuff he did in concert, the awesome versions of Gloria (when the band didn't screw up, or Jim didn't screw it up). 

Such a phenomenal band, you really can't go wrong with any of their cd's although I'm not familiar with the wealth of stuff that's been released in the last 10 years. 

Oh, btw, didn't see many people talking about the Soft Parade.  Awesome album!

Spot on about "Cars Hiss by My Window".  The Doors could take a totally nothing song and turn it into a tune that won't leave your head EVER!

Love Street, Crystal Ship, Indian Summer.... nothing like it, before or since.

And yeah, Soft Parade is a GREAT album.

[Heysaboda]

Should I get another Doors album if I don't really care for the first two releases? They're good, but there are other Doors-like bands that are more to my liking, namely HP Lovecraft.
Strange Days is a solid album, and I think a few of the songs are great, Unhappy Girl especially, but it just doesn't do it for me. Is it worth my time to listen to any of the other albums they put out?

YEAH try another!

I would DEFINITELY give Morrison Hotel a try.  It's one of their craziest, rocking-est, most exuberant/extroverted albums.

[DonnyL]

there's a vinyl comp called 'Weird Scenes Inside the Goldmine' that's a good overall representation of the band.

my favorite of their orig. albums are 'The Doors', 'Soft Parade' and 'Strange Days'.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I'd say all the doors albums are indispensable and as complete a body of work as any band could ever be proud of.

And Other Voices, Full Circle, American Prayer fit in as intriguing footnotes.

[Newguy562]

Doors
Strange Days
Morrison Hotel

Don't get waiting for the sun & L.A. Woman because they have too many filler songs.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

erm.... I got them all for $30, deal of the century?

[Sheriff John Stone]

erm.... I got them all for $30, deal of the century?

Pretty neat, pretty neat, pretty good, pretty good...alright!

[I. Spaceman]

erm.... I got them all for $30, deal of the century?

Pretty neat, pretty neat, pretty good, pretty good...alright!

"Build Me A Woman?"

[Sheriff John Stone]

And Other Voices, Full Circle, American Prayer fit in as intriguing footnotes.

Very intriguing, as is some of their solo stuff, especially Ray's. I just picked up a CD by the Ray Manzarek/Roy Rogers Band called Translucent Blues. It includes a great cover of "Game Of Skill" by Nite City. Remember that band? I wish that album would come out on CD.

Actually, last night and tonight, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger are/were performing at The Borgata in New Jersey. I should've went...I'm glad to see they ditched those corny group names and are now simply going by their names. They earned that right.

There's a cool video on YouTube of Ray and Roy performing "Game Of Skill". If I can figure out to post it, I will.

[Sheriff John Stone]

erm.... I got them all for $30, deal of the century?

Pretty neat, pretty neat, pretty good, pretty good...alright!

"Build Me A Woman?"

And you included the question mark...A true fan....

[Aegir]

I don't listen to the Doors, but I've been reading this thread and maybe I should see what all the fuss is about.

[halblaineisgood]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxMaE8dPfQs

The mono 45 of Light my fire is the sh*t!

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

WOW that's a good song, gotta get a better turntable