What book(s) is/are the most unbiased, detailed and fullest insights on Jim Morrison, both a person and an artist?

I find Stephen Davis: "Life, Death, Legend" the best researched, mythbusting, yet entertaining tome on Mr Mojo Risin' that I've read, and I've read a lot of them. He's talked to people close to Jim, including his family, but he's not pussy-footing around. Highly recommended. Stay away from that "No One Here Gets Out Alive"-crap!

Danny Sugerman"s one is quite good,so is his autobiography.

no one here gets out alive is a great read but there's alot of fiction mixed with fact. as well as ray manzarek's book light my fire. ray has a very selective memory . john densmore's riders on the storm is more accurate and a better read.

Not sure how easy it is to find, and its not as complete an autobiography as some of the others, but I always liked Jim's friend Frank Lisciandro's book 'An Hour For Magic'.

A couple of years ago, some person called A.R. Graham, supposedly a former brother-in-law of Jim Morrison posted some stories on Usenet that I think were quite interesting. I think he also has them in a book.

One of my favorite ones was one that I quote this from:

"Rain was coming down like frozen needles. We walked across an open green and Jim said "Be quiet", and then he disapeared into an alcove. I waited there like a fool in the painful rain, and then I heard him say "Why don't you come inside?". This was starting to get weird, but I stepped inside anyway. Jim was leaning against the wall with a lighter in his hand. He didn't say anything for a minute, he just kept staring at me, and then he lit the lighter and lowered it down the wall. My eyes slowly followed the light until it stopped and I read...

"Marilyn Monroe: 1926 - 1966"

I froze awe-struck, she was buried in the wall, and this was a mausoleum that the son of a bitch had taken me to, and he was laughing his ass off as we walked back to the car."

I think that's real funny.

Despite some fiction I liked most No One Here Gets Out Alive which makes you realize that Jim Morrison is fiction
And the best biography is to read his own poetry which gives you a feeling of the time his live and anxiety.

Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison by James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky.
I read this book in the late 90's and I found it to be rather interesting.

This is a photo of the books about the Doors I bought when I was in LA
I posted it some months ago on copsnrobber's thread :

[www.iorr.org]




I would say Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugerman
Riders on theStorm by Densmore

But imo,this book is awesome -very big one
BREAK ON THROUGH -the life & death of Jim Morrison -



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

All of the Jim bios have objectionable/questionable content. If you have the time & inclination, I'd read all of the above mentioned in this thread (and "Angels Dance & Angels Die" by Patricia Butler, which is a joint bio of Pamela Courson - well researched and not the usual hoo-ha), then draw your own conclusions.

My own impressions, as a Doors fan of 30+ years:
Stephen Davis: "Life, Death, Legend" - very well researched, however, the author throws his credibility into serious doubt by claiming that Jim was bisexual. It doesn't offend me, but it's such obvious b.s.

"No One Here Gets Out Alive" - the original classic. Despite reams of horse sh*t, you do get a sense of the man.

A lot of people praise the James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky book, but I've never understood its reputation. Absolutely no new information was covered, and HUGE passages are merely paraphrased excerpts from "No One Here."

Danny Sugerman's "Wonderland Avenue" should be in the fiction aisle, IMO.

Ray's book: entertaining, highly readable, but given Ray's penchant for improvisation, you wonder how much is true.

John's book: excellent, if largely negative in its portrayal of Jim. John is believable; he's only giving you his impressions and his perspective.

Supposedly Robby is writing a book now too, despite years of saying he will wait until "everyone dies" until publishing, so he won't get in trouble

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Claire_M
All of the Jim bios have objectionable/questionable content. If you have the time & inclination, I'd read all of the above mentioned in this thread (and "Angels Dance & Angels Die" by Patricia Butler, which is a joint bio of Pamela Courson - well researched and not the usual hoo-ha), then draw your own conclusions.

If I remember well, Patricia hung around at Usenet as well when I used to, years ago. I thought that was real cool because you could actually react to things she had written; one of the very few know people that seem to do that. I'd agree that she seems to research well although she is somewhat biased in some respects.
The Doors had, and may still have, a high quality group on Usenet; definitely worth checking out.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-16 22:28 by lsbz.

Yeah, I belonged to a Doors news group or whatever they were called, back in the 90's. Ms. Butler was on that too. She could be really, really vicious to people who didn't agree with her. I still like her book though, she did a good job.

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Claire_M
Yeah, I belonged to a Doors news group or whatever they were called, back in the 90's. Ms. Butler was on that too. She could be really, really vicious to people who didn't agree with her.

It was much towards her as well though. I thought she was not treated fairly. I think I never had any problems with her, but we did not talk often directly in the same thread. But I know she could be impolite too.

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Claire_M

Stephen Davis: "Life, Death, Legend" - very well researched, however, the author throws his credibility into serious doubt by claiming that Jim was bisexual. It doesn't offend me, but it's such obvious b.s.

Are you sure about that? I found it quite believable. It is also interesting to see how Jim Morrison absorbed Brian's persona throughout his life and that he possibly met him in 1965.

One of the biggest pricks in pop music, and one of the most overrated lyricists ever, with that fake poetry of him.

But they made a couple of good albums though.

Mathijs

Sounds like you are not the biggest Jim Morrison fan on earth, Mathijs (and I agree with the poetry judgement)...

- Doxa

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Doxa
Sounds like you are not the biggest Jim Morrison fan on earth, Mathijs (and I agree with the poetry judgement)...

- Doxa

Well...as said, they made some good albums (actually, they wrote some good pop songs, had a fantastic keyboard player, but drums and guitar are always quite mediocre), and Morrison was a decent singer with a good voice. But I just can’t stand his fake stage persona, mostly fueled by alcohol abuse, and I can’t stand his fake intellectualism, with deep thoughts and musings that are either utter nonsense, or again fueled by alcohol. And his poetry is just on amateur level, nothing more, nothing less.

It’s not a popular view, I know that, as he is in the James Dean / JFK / Janis Joplin field of people who has become more famous and revered after they where dead. But that’s what he is to me.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
... drums and guitar are always quite mediocre

Nonsense, IMO. I'd call the guitarist very good and the drummer quite good.

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Mathijs
... and Morrison was a decent singer with a good voice.

Decent?! One of the very best rock&roll singers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-28 15:50 by lsbz.

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lsbz

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Mathijs
... and Morrison was a decent singer with a good voice.

Decent?! One of the very best rock&roll singers.

No, certainly not. There's many singers with a great voice, but mediocre technique and/or range. Morrison was one. Bono is like that too. Great singers are people with great voices and great technique, like Tom Jones, both Lennon and McCartney, Otis Redding, Elvis, Aretha Franklin.

Mathijs

The true leader of a lost generation, with a depth and notion of Darkness neither Mr guitar snob here above nor any other string @#$%& here never ever could comprehend, not even glimps-wise.
Terrific singer and one of the greatest poets and visionaries of the 1900s.

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Back Of My Palm
The true leader of a lost generation, with a depth and notion of Darkness

Aah, the same empty, late 60's hippy nonsense we know of Mr. Morrison.

Mathijs

He was a hippy eater, Mr "Informed".

Its interesting because I really like some of their songs and consider a few, maybe ten, among the best rock songs ever recorded while others are just embarrassing. His style was necessary and although sometimes too much of an act really opening doors. He had a clear impact on rock singers like Jagger. And Morrison himself was more than deeply inspired by Brian Jones. Talk about incestous relations.
I dont think his crooning style is great but the blues voice and some of the live poems (like "Adolf @#$%&" ) are truly great. His written poetry is mostly pure crap. As a rock poet he is sometimes the best. I get the impression he was really a handsome and deeply disturbed narcissist who tried very hard to be God and found a unknowing mentor in Brian Jones and a couple of dead poets.

Mick and Keith wanted Gimme Shelter and Midnight Rambler to have that Doors-feel to it whne they hired Botnick. Wouldnt surprise me if Rambler was inspired by Five to one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-29 17:51 by Redhotcarpet.

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Mathijs

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lsbz

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Mathijs
... and Morrison was a decent singer with a good voice.

Decent?! One of the very best rock&roll singers.

No, certainly not. There's many singers with a great voice, but mediocre technique and/or range. Morrison was one. Bono is like that too. Great singers are people with great voices and great technique, like Tom Jones, both Lennon and McCartney, Otis Redding, Elvis, Aretha Franklin.

Mathijs

I agree with your analyses, but not with your conclusion. In my opinion, the singers you mention have (much) less relevance compared to Jim Morrison. Artistic relevance is at least as important as the quality of the voice and the technique. And technique is a relative matter; a singer with a limited voice can still have a good technique within that limitation. Virtuosity is often overrated.

The interaction between Jim and the audience was great.

Some interesting comments: Brian jones' influence on Jim, The Doors sound influencing Gimme Shelter and Rambler.

But John Lennon a better singer? Huh?!?!

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deadegad
Some interesting comments: Brian jones' influence on Jim, The Doors sound influencing Gimme Shelter and Rambler.

But John Lennon a better singer? Huh?!?!

I rank Lennon among the best three singers ever recorded. And by the critics, he is regarded just that.

Mathijs

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lsbz

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Mathijs

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lsbz

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Mathijs
... and Morrison was a decent singer with a good voice.

Decent?! One of the very best rock&roll singers.

No, certainly not. There's many singers with a great voice, but mediocre technique and/or range. Morrison was one. Bono is like that too. Great singers are people with great voices and great technique, like Tom Jones, both Lennon and McCartney, Otis Redding, Elvis, Aretha Franklin.

Mathijs

I agree with your analyses, but not with your conclusion. In my opinion, the singers you mention have (much) less relevance compared to Jim Morrison. Artistic relevance is at least as important as the quality of the voice and the technique. And technique is a relative matter; a singer with a limited voice can still have a good technique within that limitation. Virtuosity is often overrated.

I've always wonderd what the artistic relevance of the Doors and Morrison is. They do seem to be much bigger and important in the States than in Europe, where they didn't get big until the '91 movie.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
I've always wonderd what the artistic relevance of the Doors and Morrison is.

In my opinion, they had great songs, were great musicans and had the true rock&roll attitude. An act that is part of that can often be mistaken for a "fake stage persona" if one is not really into rock.

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Mathijs
They do seem to be much bigger and important in the States than in Europe, where they didn't get big until the '91 movie.

I'm European and I certainly liked them years before 1991.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-01 17:07 by lsbz.

"Terrific singer and one of the greatest poets and visionaries of the 1900s."

At the very least... JM was also a genius in quantum physics, macroeconomics AND strip-poker.

"one of the greatest poets"
yeah "Wild Child" left an indelible impression on me. An impression of vapid mediocrity mainly.