The Animals were an Invasion band; in '64 I think; Ed Sullian had the best UK bands week after week after The Beatles performances were rating so high. They scored 3 Sullivan shows in a row when they first arrived.
The Animals were a little after that. I was 12 at the time and really into
rock like nothing else in life; just like now. in my sixties past half way.
So I'm not a prude about my tastes; I'm sure Eric's work in the "Spill The Wine" days version of Animals was fun too, but those first two albums is what I personally consider The Animals. Fromk my perspective that's all ya need
Alan Price would soon leave; You can see him with Bob all over the Don't Look Back documentary film, by Pennebaker. I think.
Now I didn't really get "Maudie" till 16, even tho it was in the collection with Meet The Beatles, possibly cusping on American release of The Beatles 2nd Album album. lol...which ripped the head off of Long Tall Sally but that's another thread...
...i think because it's more mature rhythm and blues; I had to grow into it a bit. The Stones pulled that off bigtime in their own way. "Maudie" was earth-shaking for me when I 'got' it.
John Lee Hooker had released it only the previous year; it was hot stuff and the bande was hot. The bass player would bail early, become a manager, and take care of Jimi's career debuts, and did it pretty brilliantly; grabbing Jimi showed insight and awareness of the r&b scene in America at the time; and not the top level known guys.......
so it's a matter of taste; i don't really know much about Manchester, but alwaqys particularly intersted in UK cities and towns.
I know Eric kept touring USA, even medium sized bars w cool staqes, w many versions; ala oldies versions; and was always really gifted and powerful. He was close with Jimi as well; and tells tales of their adventures. I loved those first two albums; but sorry don't know much about them.....
Doors came later; I was around 16 into 17; it was '67 when I first heard them; POW
and I live in the town, right by where he variously lived; and where Robbie was born; and has the Key to the City. and is still making music. He made an album with Tommy Mars, keyboard player and pianist of Frank Zappa band; and for very many years w Frank. I bet it's 'out there' and i hope to get that album.
Tho i was on still on the East Coast a dozen years after they broke up.
The Doors were IT. that was it. close the shop. we're all done.
the doors of perception to anoher dimension was correcto.
Whoa again! watch those FIRST TWO ALBUMS.
for me, the rest of it, is the rest of it, if you know what I mean,
and with stunning highlights well worth the time imo. and DURABLE timeless.
imo.
despite the mystery and (many times awful imo) poetry of Jim
tho i dug it when i was a teen, man.
....i like that live vid of Hollywood Bowl; I think the Stones were checking them out live at the time too; not at that show I don't think,,...
....and I'm sure Mick was fasincated, appreciative and influenced to some extent; Mick's a vacuum if some aspect of music or performance turns people on....
........there's a picture of Jim on Turner's wall. (Memo for Turner film)
...i always got a huge kick out of that. I think Mick's on the bed shirtless playing guitar somewhere ; and Jim's on the wall in a picture or painting...
The Doors still knock me out. Whoa that first album. can't even speak about it too much; (haha) cause it's it's own animal and thing; and frankly, it's impossible.
take a flamenco guitarist, a jazz drummer, classical pianist/organist playing a basss keyboard with his left hand (and the BEST studio bass player on recordings)....listen this already impossible before adding a young college drop out who liked write poetry, drink alcohol and take psychedilic substances...
i mean how dare he? I'm pretty sure they had p.o.t. but did not see it myself.
i met ray once and robbie twice. ray was very senstive and inteligent and sweet-hearted. He produced X album; the first one.
It took me a long to stand it; now i love X.
....add a bluesy singer with very dramatic flair; during war time; his dad
was an Admiral; he has the dramarama; but I think he was intelligent; and pushed away hard from the pop star thing;
he grew an unmanicured long beard; and got a bit fat; and he was the leather pants icon of perfection in the "ight me fire' days; (which robbie wrote, not Jim) ....
but his sound is unique; his passion was into Absurd Theatre;
i think he had a really beautiful voice.....i like a whole lot of their catalog.......i was sorry to see them go belive me; i wanted more and more Doors for sure and certain, i felt that loss and i feel that loss right now. jim morrision is all over this town; but its here bounced to Norway and thru Europoe where I think people really get it.....
jim liked provoking things a mite; all that drama; but aside from the horrid movie,...
(i like the live Hollywood Bowl video performance because at a real dramatic moment, when he's woven his spell and there's a great hush;
he burps directly into the mike and laughs; not even drunk; just having fun with the home team; and maybe a little human after all; as he laughed and the crowd laughed; and for a second it was just the guys in venice who put together this weird band and there are all there friends...see that before Val Kilmer; thowe all owe him a fortune for what he did with Doc Holliday in that Wyatt Earp movie, that still stuns me....
Jim is kind of a character like that; he'll provoke you and dare you...
as a kid; and even now; i appreciate the jungian, Fruedian, Shakepearean flamenco performance art, whatever the hell it is.
" When The Music's Over" somehow meant everything to me all at once, it was a heavy experience, he took me all the way 'there' into metaphysical territory with a pop record..
'virgin lights babe...see the light babe....save us...jesus..........'
sometimes a stunner...i still recall from heart.
when the still sea conspires in armour....
....true sailing is dead................
.......that Horse Latitudes thing. Jim was colorful and creative and strong-willed, everything you don't want in a best selling pop artist...
..frued's tapping his toe in his grave.
there are so many good ones i could easily go track by track with them, thank u for bringing it up; I have periods where I go thru all those Door videos they put together themselves; into film; long before MTV came and went.
he was sold as a pop star with great success by one of his girl friens whoran the top teen maganzine. i used to get each issue at the time; and he was a pin up boy from the start; i think he really physicallyrejected that in short order.t
they were the second rock signing ever at Elektra Records; known mostly for folk singer Judy Collins at the time I think.
The first was Love w Artuhur Lee. !!!
(who used Jimi on a track; and Jimi was friends with Eric.
and we're all six degrees from Kevin Bacon now
I don't really dig or relate too much at all to the iconography any more; but thats becasuse, even tho he's Floridian; he came here young, hungry, reckless, beautiful, open...intelligent; at first to study film i think; thus those early self-made videos for Unknown Soldier, and the like. He pissed a LOT of people off because he virulently anti-war, during war-time; and that was a mess for everybody on all sides; division was promoted and it was a mess often; he paid a lot of dues for things artists get away with now at Mcdonalds.........
e opened a lot of Doors.......the quote from a greater poet; but he nailed it beautifully in his own ways, they have his couplets etched in stone at the town squares,. and things could be worse than that. but when i hear Moonlight Ride or something like that swooping around; from a later album i think; well it's magic for me. I love both these bands. Animals were oneof my tippest top faves; i was with them bigtime; but they fell apart early on; and i guess i'm picky; or they cvhangefd producers perhaps. but i could feel a bit of change; and felt Kinks Stones Who Beatles VAn Morrison the clear champs when the dust was over.....tho there are very many UK bands I adfore and still follow....mott for example; i love tons of UK rock and roll. I think that night the Stones saw the Doors is very interesting. The Doors are one of the most important and wonderfully poweful things about the rock and roll era. The Doors will live forever. Jim's army is still growing larger and younger as it grows older and dies off. jim pulled it off. Jim was looking really healthy and happy in Paris., all the pictures fro there show him clean-shaven, smiling with his love, a litte well padded but not way out of control as he had been; his sideburns were trimmed; he was just smiling like a kid. which i guess he was. bless his soul.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-20 09:37 by hopkins.