The Doors

[Kapitan]

Keeping it classy, Van Dyke Parks.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Feb 12, 2022 13:39:48 GMT Kapitan said:

Keeping it classy, Van Dyke Parks.

WTF? That's one of the greatest intros in rock history! Of all things to take a shot at Ray/The Doors for. And on Ray's birthday.

[kds]

Just confirms my opinion of Van Dyke as a bitter, pretentious old prick.

[Kapitan]

It's an example of how I think social media is a curse on humanity. I don't care what VDP thinks of the intro to "Light My Fire." If he thinks it sucks (despite being universally known), that's fine. Every one of us has unpopular opinions.

But without social media, you say that kind of thing to your friend, maybe over a beer or while you're hanging out listening to music. Your friend probably argues (because it IS an unpopular opinion, after all), and life goes on.

With social media, you take the opportunity to share that opinion with the world on the man's birthday, presumably just because you can also name-drop (he "came to our home"). Why? Why tell the world not just that Manzarek and you were acquaintances, but oh, by the way, THIS THING YOU [probably] LOVE SUCKS?

[kds]

I don't think social media itself is the problem. Its the users. It's like that old Cosby bit about how cocaine brings out your personality, "What if you're an asshole!"

You're right, its the prickish way VDP presents it. I know quite a few people who aren't into The Doors. But, they don't broadcast it with a minor ego stroke on a deceased band member's birthday.

[Kapitan]

Feb 12, 2022 16:18:54 GMT kds said:

I don't think social media itself is the problem. Its the users. It's like that old Cosby bit about how cocaine brings out your personality, "What if you're an asshole!"

You're right, its the prickish way VDP presents it. I know quite a few people who aren't into The Doors. But, they don't broadcast it with a minor ego stroke on a deceased band member's birthday.

I agree that social media isn't the cause, but it helps us amplify our worse natures. Sometimes I think there should be a 12-hour time delay before posts appear, and you have to reauthorize them!

(Not seriously, obviously. In the end, I believe we're each responsible for ourselves. But I think we're increasingly proving ourselves wildly irresponsible.)

[sockit]

Whew!  I am so glad VDP pointed this out after 50+ years.  Geez, somebody had to!  All this time I thought that intro was a classic iconic sound from a bygone era, but now I can't even listen to it.  Thanks, VDP, you've provided a huge service for the music industry!

(BTW, this is all sarcasm on my part.  I'm not ready to sell off my Doors vinyl collection....)

[Sheriff John Stone]

Remembering Jim Morrison, who passed away 51 years ago today...

[Kapitan]

Sheriff John Stone in particular might be interested to know that Rick Rubin recently (posted July 5) interviewed Robbie Krieger and John Densmore for his and Malcolm Gladwell's Broken Record podcast. They begin with a discussion of Love's Forever Changes, which seems odd but makes sense as this is apparently considered a follow-up to the previous episode, which covered that album.

open.spotify.com/show/6UsuhRMTD9O71DznRP8540

[Sheriff John Stone]

Jul 12, 2022 18:50:10 GMT Kapitan said:

Sheriff John Stone in particular might be interested to know that Rick Rubin recently (posted July 5) interviewed Robbie Krieger and John Densmore for his and Malcolm Gladwell's Broken Record podcast. They begin with a discussion of Love's Forever Changes, which seems odd but makes sense as this is apparently considered a follow-up to the previous episode, which covered that album.

Thanks for posting that, Kapitan. Yes, I guess the interview's purpose was to continue a discussion of Forever Changes by Love. Obviously Robby and John knew, not just the album well, but some of the band members, too. And, they made room for some old Doors and Jim Morrison stories! Can never get enough of them.

Robby is 76 now and John is 77, but they still interview pretty well. I'm glad those two ex-Doors were able to reconcile, though I wish it would've happened much earlier when Ray Manzarek was still alive. And, you gotta love Rick Rubin. I always appreciate the way he is such a fan and historian of those early/earlier days of rock & roll. He seems like a cool guy to hang out with.

[Kapitan]

I thought it was a pretty interesting interview, even if ended up probably half about Love. (It's funny how the purported topic ended up being just a topic, but I suppose the chance to slide over into the Doors' early years was irresistible and inevitable.)

[jk]

Sheriff, there's a new band biography by their road manager Vince Treanor called Behind The Doors. Apparently, it's being published in December. Any thoughts?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Aug 12, 2022 9:54:55 GMT jk said:

Sheriff, there's a new band biography by their road manager Vince Treanor called Behind The Doors. Apparently, it's being published in December. Any thoughts?

A little background on Vince Treanor...Vince was 6-7 years older than Jim, Robby, and John. He wasn't there at the beginning of The Doors; he joined the team in December 1967 and soon became their Road Manager. Vince was considered an amazing technician who not only serviced The Doors' stage equipment but built much of it. He was unceremoniously fired by Doors' Manager, Bill Siddons, in 1972.

I have read and seen interviews with Vince Treanor, and he always appeared to be articulate, interesting, and knowledgeable. He WAS there. Vince is now in his mid-80's. I'm not sure why it took this long for him to write a book or what he has to offer...there are so many Doors' books out there. However, again, he was very close to the band so he must have seen and experienced things that few others did.

[kds]

I've been on a mild Doors kick lately, so I started reading Robbie's autobiography. I'm about 30% through it so far. He tells the story in a non linear style, and I'm really not too much of a fan of that.

But, I found one tidbit interesting about Love Me Two Times. He said that he played a benefit for Vietnam vets in the 1980s, and before he played the song, he said he wrote it about a young man about to be shipped to Vietnam. However, in the book, he states that wasn't really the motivation in writing the lyrics, but he got caught up in the moment at that show in the 80s, and that's the story that has stuck with the song ever since.

After reading Densmore's second book where he stated he was very much against Ray and Robbie going on the road as The Doors of the 21st Century, I'm very interested to hear read Robbie's take on that series of events.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Ray Manzarek's 1965 student film, Induction, when he was attending UCLA with Jim Morrison (Jim appears at 5:14 and 7:01). One of the co-stars, Dorothy Fujikawa became Mrs. Ray Manzarek.