Rocktober Alphabet: D is for The Doors

As Rocktober gets into full swing, The Doors are an obvious "D".

Though the band as a whole was remarkably talented, it's frontman Jim Morrison that took the group from the morass of forgettable mid-60's music and into a permanent place in rock history.


I remember my dad telling me about attending a Doors show in Hollywood when he was young.
The one impression he shared of that performance was the sense of Morrison as a consummate, terrifying, nigh perfect storyteller.

It's true, no matter how you hear him. When the man snarls, it's gentle, when he sings smooth you know he's going to stab you with something. Don't ever trust him. He's dangerous. 

Morrison - even 40 odd years later - remains hypnotic, difficult, frightening.
He alternatively sounds like a lover, a killer, a prophet, a poet, delivering his lyrics with a growl of authority, and the indefinable sense that no matter what he's singing, he's telling you a story.

Other than the inherent mesmerism of hearing a man whose sheer vocal and narrative energy can cut you through vinyl, I wonder sometimes how The Doors became so popular. They wear you out. The music is good, great even, but I'm always left emotionally exhausted.
Great art -and they made great art- is rarely a recipe for commercial success, but to date they've sold over 100 million albums.

That kind of following occasionally means something.
In this case, trust me, it does.