Page 38 - seniors today August issue
P. 38

Music
        Light my Fire



         More than half a century after they hit the rock scene, The Doors continue to mesmerise.
         By Y R Anand

                                                              music and words were created by the group.
                                                              And it remained that way till the end. The other
                                                              three band members contributed significantly to
                                                              the songs and that is why they always attributed
                                                              the lyrics to the band.
                                                               The group had its origins with a meeting of
                                                              Morrison and Manzarek in Los Angeles in 1965.
                                                              Manzarek was already part of a band called
                                                              Rick & The Ravens, which had three Manzarek
                                                              brothers. Later in the year, they were joined by
                                                              the drummer John Densmore, by which time the
                                                              group had named themselves The Doors.
                                                               The band decided on their name as The Doors,
                                                              from the “The Doors of Perception” a book by
                                                              Aldous Huxley. The book itself derived the title
                                                              from a line in William Blake’s “The Marriage of
                                                              Heaven and Hell”.

        I first saw this album of The Doors in 1968            They added a bass player, Patty Sullivan.
        during the end of my college years in Mysore.         These six members recorded a set of six songs
        A friend had visited Australia and returned           for demo purpose. But, soon after, the two other
        with a few albums. The Doors album cover              Manzarek brothers and Sullivan left and Robby
        was stark, minimal and very interesting. The          Krieger joined the group and a legend was born.
        music was love at first sound. The silky-smooth       These first six songs has been subsequently
        voice of Jim Morrison with compelling lyrics          released in one of their anthology albums.
        was mesmerising. And, what a back-up band!             The Doors made their first appearance in a
        The versatile keyboard work of Ray Manzarek,          sleazy Los Angeles club called London Fog and
        hard-driving guitar by Robby Krieger and              soon moved to the better Whisky-a-Go-Go on
        terrific drumming by John Densmore, all made          the Sunset Strip, where the group say they truly
        the sound a delicious concoction. It was hardly       came together.
        possible to get your mind off the music.               Elektra Records spotted their talent and started
         The interest in The Doors continued during           to release their albums. The first album was
        the rest of my college years in Kharagpur and         The Doors, which was released in 1967. This
        I was lucky to find like-minded music lovers          had Light My Fire which was their first smash
        in that far off outpost. Thereafter in Mumbai,        hit single. It is one of the most recognisable and
        there were plenty of opportunities to continue        iconic rock songs of all times. Along with it were
        enjoying their music.                                 equally fantastic Break on Through to the other
         As the years went by, more and more creative         side, End of the Night, Back Door Man, The End
        output came out pouring. It was great music to        and 7 other songs. Some of them went on to
        listen to, because of the melodies and the very       become hit singles.
        contemporary lyrics. While Morrison was the            Morrison was a charismatic figure and had
        main song writer, The Doors always said the           great stage presence. He exaggerated this
                                                              by his eccentric behaviour. His sometimes
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