The Doors: Classic or Dud?

I read the Densmore book; it's okayish though anything post-Doors (or even late Doors) doesn't really hold my attention

I kind of feel like The Doors were sort of the middleman between Love and the Stooges; is there any Doors song that really stands up punk-wise to "7 and 7 Is" or "No Fun"?

I don't think you're too far off but their mid-point was relative Love's softer/poppier side, not their garage rock side. The Doors' material never got as willfully stupid/crude as the songs you mention.

I do recall lol'ing at Iggy's line that you might as well call him "Jim Jagger or Mick Morrison"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BhszZ53SEC8

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/903111_4865280425971_368924073_o.jpg

aw

lol

perfect

It sort of looks like he's a cardboard cutout.

Dark times at Maine Labor Department

^^^unreleased Doors jam from the LA Woman sessions.

somebody get that poor old man a reacher grabber. he's going to fall and break his hip.

I saw The World of Jacques Demy last night--some footage of Morrison visiting the Donkey Skin set. (YouTube clips blocked, but this seems to work.)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb2poa_jim-morrison-tres-court-a-regarder_music

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BeyHAEVCEAA6e3k.png

http://i.imgur.com/8Mt7Bv2.jpg

what the

dudes trying to look like Jimbo will never not be funny

The Door(k)s

secret heroes of rock music: all the session dudes who played bass on the doors records, they had a lot of sweet basslines

classic beyond words

I know no one cares about them anymore, but Other Voices, at least the parts without vocals, is actually pretty good.

I once admitted to liking (not loving) both post-Morrison Doors LPs on an ILX thread.

they are not a great band but I always have time for them. la woman (the song) is a masterpiece too

The Doors rule, time for a Doors renaissance.
I really want the Strange Days mono for RSD

Robbie Krieger is the most underrated guitarist of 60s rock, either him or Jorma from Airplane

they are not a great band but...

Yeah, I would argue this. Lots of ILM hate, and they're often pretentious, or goofy, or both at the same time (The Doors, not ILM) but they had a unique and immediately identifiable sound.

the Matrix 1967 shows are really exciting...before all the craziness, when they were just starting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqjaPNVXfYM

my dad saw em in LA pretty early on, and he said they were a seriously exciting live band, and that the records didn't quite get that across.

i'm super into the doors lately and i dunno if you kind of approach them with a sense of humor and the ridiculousness of the whole thing, they are pretty amazing

i love lots of things about them, they are so L.A., a real sleazy form of very LA psych that's very 60s but very non-hippie, violent etc

yeah i almost think of them in the same way as black flag, kinda south bay beach scuzz

that matrix show is nice because it shows them before the "bloated lounge act" accusations that they still suffer today took over

tbf some of that bloated lounge act stuff they did is awesome and enduring imo

eg la woman

sibalibagubbaboudanowaago

is my favorite moment of their catalog

also Densmore and the host of amazing session dudes who played on the albums are one of the great rhythm sections

They have plenty of fans on ILM btw.

I love it all! I just tire of all the stale old jokes...if they were good enough for Iggy and the Bunnymen, they're good enough for me!

i saw an interview with Johnny Ramone once and he said they were the only American band of the 60s he thought was any good

also it's kinda funny how Led Zeppelin is (rightfully so) at a real high point of general esteem as a great band, but the Doors are somehow viewed as turgid or overwrought or rambling or saddled with bad adolescent poetry and it's like I LOVE zep but i don't see how they are much above the doors in those departments....or a singer who may be a "bit much" at times

^^^ yes, though Zep does get some gentle ribbing here for their more OOT aspects.

Doors records generally don't sound as good as Zep's tbh

Not sure what you mean there? If you mean production, then I think the Doors' albums are pretty splendid.

yeah the doors records always sound better (production-wise) than most of the west coast 60s bands, to my ears.

when asked why they don't like an act, people have a tendency to list qualities that aren't actually dealbreakers in other contexts, so yeah, on that front it's unfair for a led zep fan to say the doors are some rambling band with bad teenage lyrics. but it's like comparing a lava lamp to a laser show - yes, both are just shiny lights but one is far more likely to knock you on your ass.

also the difference in importance placed on lyrics in the doors vs led zep is pretty extreme

I've never marveled at the engineering on a Doors record. Doors records aren't recorded poorly (although sometimes poor arrangement decisions were made), but I've never been struck by any odd details or unusual approaches the way I have been with Zep's catalog. Page's studio-rat nature really comes through in those recordings, and the Doors didn't have anyone similar (afaik) in their camp. Don't think the rhythm section comes close to Zep's either but that's more of a personal taste thing.

xp

The Doors: two great albums (the debut and L.A. Woman), one very good album (Morrison Hotel), maybe four or five good songs scattered among the other three albums (with Morrison - I've never heard the post-Morrison records).

Led Zeppelin: three-and-a-half great albums (I, II, IV, the first disc of Physical Graffiti), one really good album with a wad of indigestible crap on each side (Houses of the Holy), at least a full album's worth of great songs scattered among the rest of the catalog.

xp i dunno, it's bruce botnick who engineered all those door records i think - they're definitely great sounding, if not as adventurous/innovative as LZ.

yeah I think the Doors records sound great, plus you're also largely comparing a 60s band and a 70s band (w/some overlap) so there's just some basic recording differences...

I didn't want this to turn into Doors v. Zeppelin, just saying it's funny how perception works....I think Zep is a better band on the whole but I dunno the more I listen to the Doors the more I like them. very musical band, very cool players...

I also think Strange Days is a great album to add to the debut and LA Woman, also think that Waiting for the Sun is a good, solid album and honestly I kinda dig the ludicriousness of Soft Parade in a way