The Doors Revisited
brianlux
Posts: 42,058
I've always liked The Doors. Nothing unusual there. But until recently, I hadn't listened to The Doors much at all for several years. Old memories, strange days, misguided trips down dark corridors. The music was always great- it just got too hard at times to outrun the ghosts.
But then recently I picked up from a shelf this book that I've had sitting around for several years: Rimbaud and Jim Morrison, The Rebel as Poet by Wallace Fowlie. In 1968 Fowlie received a letter from Morrison thanking him for his English translation of the works of Rimbaud. To Fowlie, this Morrison fellow was some rock singer he knew next to nothing about... until years later when a student of Fowlie's turned him on to the music of the Doors and Fowlie recognized the influence of Rimbaud on Morrison's lyrics.
It's a fascinating book and one for which I am most grateful- it led me back to the music and a new appreciation for this great band. It's nice to take it all in again with new ears, dancing instead of running from shadows.
But then recently I picked up from a shelf this book that I've had sitting around for several years: Rimbaud and Jim Morrison, The Rebel as Poet by Wallace Fowlie. In 1968 Fowlie received a letter from Morrison thanking him for his English translation of the works of Rimbaud. To Fowlie, this Morrison fellow was some rock singer he knew next to nothing about... until years later when a student of Fowlie's turned him on to the music of the Doors and Fowlie recognized the influence of Rimbaud on Morrison's lyrics.
It's a fascinating book and one for which I am most grateful- it led me back to the music and a new appreciation for this great band. It's nice to take it all in again with new ears, dancing instead of running from shadows.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
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Morrison was a great poet. When he moved to France, that is what he wanted to be known as, not as a rock singer. Much of it is Rimbaudian, and much is definitely visionary. Horse Latitudes is my favorite but so many are excellent. I wish I knew French so I could enjoy Rimbaud on the same level. So much is lost in translation.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/climat ... le_sidebar
The Bearded King Morrison
It's a good name.
Rimbaud was a major influence on him as the poster above mentioned, just read Drunken Boat/Season in Hell and you will see that. If you read any philosophy from Nietzsche you will see a lot of draw from him as well. Like others, he passed much too young and was well beyond his time both mentally and socially. He was a rare talent that was misunderstood or overlooked in his days.
Anyway, the Doors were a great band and once you get into them you will be lead down many paths, its quite fun.
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I had always thought of Jim Morrison as being 27 years old when I listened to the doors in the earlier years.
It occurred to me the other night as I was listening to their debut:
The band formed in '65, recorded its debut in August of '66 - released in January of '67.
That puts Jim at age 21 as they wrote those songs, 22 at the time of recording.
Thinking about this as I listen, makes me appreciate it on a whole new level (it intrigues me when people have that kind of talent so early on).
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Fascinating! Cool article, KAT.
Very cool mention of the influences of Rimbaud and Nietzsche on Morrison. Image just getting out of high school, having read all of both of them and who know what all else, and then stirring in Huxley (and what ever else!) as the final catalyst. "Dangerous and brilliant", as Depp put it in "When Your Strange." (Oh man, love that movie- over and again.)
The Wallace Fowlie mentioned at the top of this gets a little pedantic at times but makes for good reading and the stories about the Fowlie/Rimbaud/Morrison connections at the outset alone are worth the read!
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