This weeks installment, we are going in a WAY different direction than anyone would've anticipated (sorry Pew, you'll see why Eminem is on hold...for now...we stumbled on something with that album thing....oh and Kris, waiting on GINA for Incubus, like usual!).
Longtime friend and reader of the Kleeman Report (you wanted it named the Kleeman Quarter at one time, remember that?) Katie Clausen everybody!
I bumped in to Katie at D-Days (like three times!) who I haven't seen in a long ass time, and she brought up doing one of these Favorite, Biggest, Best blogs, which with her musical knowledge I thought was a great idea. Then when she said let's do the Doors, I thought it was an even better idea. So let's do this...
But first, a brief intro from Katie about the Doors:
So the Doors started in 1965 and obviously Jim Morrison's death (he's a member of the 27 club) ended their commercial success.
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| What a club, one most shouldn't join...but still, what a club!? |
They had 7 top 10 releases during their run. I feel like everyone has had a Doors phase in their life, so this is a fun band to review.
Also- who knows what eccentric Morrison would be like if he was here today? Camping out with Joan Baez in her tree house, doing interviews you can barely understand with Keith Richards (who also fell out of a tree a few years ago), maybe he'd be a Trump supporter selling AR's off the strip in Vegas? Who knows!?
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| Jeff Note: Conspiracy theorists believe this may be Jim...um... |
Also as a side note, Densmore and Krieger had a post Morrison band called the "Butts Band", which lets be honest, pleases the 12 year old in us all.
Let's start!
Biggest: "Light My Fire"
No surprise here, this song is probably one of the more family friendly, therefore radio friendly, songs the band released. Its not my favorite but it has its place in the sun. It has a very pop vibe which is not surprising since they were still competing with the Beatles at the time for chart space. "Hello, I Love You" was also a huge chart topper for them from the following year.
Best: "Roadhouse Blues
Driving guitar, harmonica, killer piano licks. This song is guaranteed to make you want to party. I'm going to make post D-DAYS Bloody Mary right now. Its a song to be enjoyed with friends.
Favorite: "The End"
Its so hard to choose because the band has such a variety of songs for a variety of moods but I think I have to go with "The End" purely for its shock value. Referencing getting high, Oedipus, and expecting radio play? Cajones, Jim.
There are so many good obscure Doors jams, its hard to compile a list. It was a crazy time for music in the late 1960's and early 70's where bands were supposed to be popular to keep their labels happy but were driven by political and social movements at their core. Pre-YouTube and other forms of exposure they relied on main-stream popularity to prosper financially. Morrison was very disturbed, longed to be a poet, and was living in a time of great social change. The Doors isn't just about Jim either, some really great organ/keys and guitar can be heard in these tracks.
Jeff! I love this "series", I remember getting the Kleeman Report in my inbox as a Sophomore in my dorm room at the U of M. I think the next phase for the KR should totally be a Verm-centric radio hour.
Thanks for the fun opportunity.
And thank you Katie! We actually did try a podcast, there are 2 episodes in the can as they say! But they'll never see the light of day because, um, laziness. In related news, someone find me somebody to just upload my podcast so I don't have to do work, I'll pay...a little.
So I better get my list in, huh!?
Favorite: Touch Me
This is my favorite Doors song, it's just a good old fashioned time when I listen to it. I should try this at karaoke sometime, and then get booed offstage Bon Jovi style (Hi Kyle!).
Biggest: Break on Through (To the Other Side)
When you think of the Doors, a lot of things come to mind.
1. Jim Morrison was a handsome dude ( or still is!).
2. Val Kilmer was incredible in the Doors movie. Seriously check it out if you have an extra three hours sometime.
3. Break on Through, for me anyway, is the one that pops in my head if I think of the Doors. It's in my head now just typing the Doors, or seeing an actual door.
You don't even want to know what gets in my head when I see a Stop sign...like 80 songs get in there.
Best: Hello, I Love You
Forrest Gump agrees! This is the best Doors song ever.
Thanks Forrest. There are so many to pick from, we omitted so many songs from their extensive library...Riders on the Storm anybody!? Love Her Madly? What's up again Forrest!?
So many songs by a great band. Go listen to them today. It's Monday, what else do you have to do!? Thanks to Katie for guest contributing! Always a pleasure, I'll see you in another 5 years I'm sure!
Next time on the Kleeman Report...
People Who Suck! But maybe with a better title, maybe People That Kinda Need to Change Things Up a Bit!? Or Stop What You're Doing! (and then just put the lyrics to the Humpty Dance in it for a huge inside joke). Or I just don't do that one to not offend anybody, who knows, I'm a wild card.
Then Incubus and Eminem in this series next...unless I change my mind...again. Wild card.
Thanks for reading!
Jeff
