The Doors - Other Voices (1971) Re-up

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The Doors - Other Voices (1971) Re-up

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To many enthusiasts, the loss of Jim Morrison (vocals/lyrics) likewise meant the passing of the Doors. Certainly the band's focal point changed on the two long-players that the trio of John Densmore (drums/vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboards/bass pedals/vocals), and Robbie Krieger (guitar/vocals) issued in the immediate post-Morrison era. As the "surviving" Doors had been working on ideas to present to Morrison – if and when he returned from a sabbatical in Paris, France – there is an organic flow that had spilled over from the L.A. Woman (1970) album. Another undeniable plus to Other Voices (1971) is that after being relegated as sidemen, each of the players is given an outlet for their songs and underutilized talents. Manzarek's bluesy opener "In the Eye of the Sun" has hints of "Down So Long" and "The Changeling." However, its true earmarks are the greasy slide guitar licks proffered by Krieger during the solo, and in response to Manzarek's lead vocal. Speaking of the guitarist, he is credited with the bulk of the material, beginning with the whimsical ode to monogamy "Variety Is the Spice of Life." Particularly suitable here is Krieger's nod to the Lovin' Spoonful's "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind." The ethereal Densmore/Krieger composition "Ships w/ Sails" adopts the languid vibe of "Riders on the Storm," especially throughout the instrumental jam. Reaching back to the raw and ready sound of "Roadhouse Blues" is the semi-biographical and definitely metaphoric "Tightrope Ride" with direct references to the recently deceased Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones and seemingly implied about Morrison. The band charge forward in pure power trio mode with plenty of interaction between the primary participants – most notably Krieger's fiery fretwork and Manzarek's authoritative vocals. "Down on the Farm" is one of the less stylistically cohesive numbers, vacillating from the serene and slightly Polynesian section that breaks out into a rural hoedown before reverting back again. Yet the gorgeous melody and arrangement defy any of the other (slightly dated) incongruities. The upbeat "I'm Horny, I'm Stoned" is undoubtedly a reflection of both where Krieger – the song's author – as well as the survivors of the emotionally frazzled '60s collective heads were at. The mixing of ennui with an underlying paranoia provides a fascinating contrast. There is a soulful everyman quality to Manzarek's embodiment of the "Wandering Musician" that reiterates his considerable range as a performer. While not an overt homage or tribute to Morrison, there are a few obvious parallels within "Hang on to Your Life." The tune progresses through several distinct musical sections as the tempo incrementally accelerates to double time before concluding in an ultimate cacophony. No subtlety needed here. Although they'd never regain their former acclaim, the Doors would take this platter into the Top 40 and pull off a successful tour behind the project. The three-person lineup wasn't done yet as Full Circle (1972) followed the next year, after which Densmore, Krieger, and Manzarek laid the Doors to rest.

~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

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The Doors - Other Voices (1971) Re-up

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The Doors:

Formed: 1965 07, Los Angeles, CA
Disbanded: 1973
Genres: Rock
Representative Albums: "Legacy: The Absolute Best", "Strange Days/L.A. Woman", "The Doors/Waiting for the Sun"
Representative Songs: "Light My Fire", "Roadhouse Blues", "The End"

The Doors, one of the most influential and controversial rock bands of the 1960s, were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by UCLA film students Ray Manzarek, keyboards, and Jim Morrison, vocals; with drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. The group never added a bass player, and their sound was dominated by Manzarek's electric organ work and Morrison's deep, sonorous voice, with which he sang and intoned his highly poetic lyrics. The group signed to Elektra Records in 1966 and released its first album, The Doors, featuring the hit "Light My Fire," in 1967.

Like "Light My Fire," the debut album was a massive hit, and endures as one of the most exciting, groundbreaking recordings of the psychedelic era. Blending blues, classical, Eastern music, and pop into sinister but beguiling melodies, the band sounded like no other. With his rich, chilling vocals and somber poetic visions, Morrison explored the depths of the darkest and most thrilling aspects of the psychedelic experience. Their first effort was so stellar, in fact, that the Doors were hard-pressed to match it, and although their next few albums contained a wealth of first-rate material, the group also began running up against the limitations of their recklessly disturbing visions. By their third album, they had exhausted their initial reservoir of compositions, and some of the tracks they hurriedly devised to meet public demand were clearly inferior to, and imitative of, their best early work.

On The Soft Parade, the group experimented with brass sections, with mixed results. Accused (without much merit) by much of the rock underground as pop sellouts, the group charged back hard with the final two albums they recorded with Morrison, on which they drew upon stone-cold blues for much of their inspiration, especially on 1971's L.A. Woman.

From the start, the Doors' focus was the charismatic Morrison, who proved increasingly unstable over the group's brief career. In 1969, Morrison was arrested for indecent exposure during a concert in Miami, an incident that nearly derailed the band. Nevertheless, the Doors managed to turn out a series of successful albums and singles through 1971, when, upon the completion of L.A. Woman, Morrison decamped for Paris. He died there, apparently of a drug overdose. The three surviving Doors tried to carry on without him, but ultimately disbanded. Yet the Doors' music and Morrison's legend continued to fascinate succeeding generations of rock fans: In the mid-'80s, Morrison was as big a star as he'd been in the mid-'60s, and Elektra has sold numerous quantities of the Doors' original albums plus reissues and releases of live material over the years, while publishers have flooded bookstores with Doors and Morrison biographies. In 1991, director Oliver Stone made The Doors, a feature film about the group starring Val Kilmer as Morrison.

~ William Ruhlmann & Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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