Featured Music Artist of the Week - The Doors (an editorial)

Going to do something a little different this week - this is more of an OpEd piece than a review.  Just happened to be something I was thinking about one day while listening to my iPod, and then Facebook asked me "What's on your mind" - so here goes :

Facebook is asking "what's on your mind". Well, I'll tell ya. The Doors, to be specific.

This is NOT meant as a criticism to Robby, John, or Ray - just stating my opinion. Been listening to The Doors post-Morrison(two albums, "Other Voices" and "Full Circle"). There is NO question that Robby Krieger, John Densmore, and Ray Manzarek were EXPERTS at their craft. They were "musician's musicians". They more than had the chops and they could improvise better than most musici...ans - then and now. They were talented.

But, The Doors without Morrison proves that line from Eddie & The Cruisers - "words and music, words and music". Without Jim's songwriting, the songs just fell flat. Musically, they were very very good - and the words weren't bad - I've heard worse many times. And I'm not saying Jim's lyrics were always the most profound - "Hello, I love you won't you tell me your name, Hello I love you let me jump in your game" - not Shakespeare. But some of the lyrics were actually rather deep, some were filled (most actually) with deep and vivid imagery. And even on the most simplest of lyrics, Morrison's writing talent shined through. The rhymes without being a rhymin' Simon. The poetic beat, the meter (I think that's the right term), the choice of words, the setting of the mood, the darkness, the alliteration "Motel Money Murder Madness - let's change the mood from glad to sad-ness", and other poetic intangibles - made the songs more than just ordinary. The contrast, yet similarity of songs, like Wintertime Love and Summer's Almost Gone - both on the same album and from the same era - just something intangible.

As great as Robby, Ray, and John were musically, and they most definitely were, - it really is "words and music, words and music".

The end.