Recorded: March 1969 and December 1970 (spoken word); 1978 (music)
Genre: Psychedelic rock, spoken word, poetry
Length: 38:28
Label: Elektra/Asylum Records (1978 LP); Rhino (1995 CD)
Producer: John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Frank Lisciandro, John Haeny
An American Prayer is the last studio album by The Doors. In 1978, seven years after lead singer Jim Morrison died and five years after the remaining members of the band broke up, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore reunited and recorded backing tracks over Morrison's poetry (originally recorded in 1969 and 1970). Other pieces of music and spoken word recorded by the Doors and Morrison were also used in the audio collage, such as dialogue from Morrison's film HWY and snippets from jam sessions. The album received mixed reviews and still divides critics, yet it has managed a platinum certification in the US. When the album was originally released, longtime Doors' producer Paul Rothchild labeled the album a "rape of Jim Morrison". Rothchild claimed that he had heard all of the reels of master tapes from both the 1969 and the 1970 poetry sessions, insisting that the three remaining Doors failed to realize Morrison's original intent for an audio presentation of the poetry. Morrison himself, prior to leaving for Paris, had approached composer Lalo Schifrin as a possible contributor for the music tracks meant to accompany the poetry, with no participation from any of the other Doors members. In addition, he had developed some conception of the album cover art work by January 1971, and was in correspondence with artist T.E. Breitenbach to design this cover in the form of a tryptich (a three-paneled painting with various images embedded in each panel).
Track listing
Poetry, lyrics and stories by Jim Morrison; music by Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore.
"A Feast Of Friends" – 2:10 (also known as "The Severed Garden")
Bonus tracks
"Babylon Fading" – 1:40
"Bird Of Prey" – 1:03
"The Ghost Song" (Extended Version) – 5:16 (There's a "hidden track" 34 seconds after the fade-out.)
Staff
1969 Readings
Jim Morrison - Vocals, spoken word (recorded on an undisclosed date in March 1969)
1970 Readings
Jim Morrison – Vocals, spoken word (recorded on December 8th, 1970)
The Doors
John Densmore – Drums
Robby Krieger – Guitar
Ray Manzarek – Keyboards, Keyboard bass
Additional staff
Reinol Andino – percussion
Bob Glaub – bass on "Albinoni – Adagio"
Jerry Scheff – bass
Production
Producer – John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, John Haeny, Frank Lisciandro
Assistant producer – Paul Black
Engineers – Paul Black, Bruce Botnick, Cheech d'Amico, Paul Ferrara, Ron Garrett, John Haeny, Babe Hill, James Ledner, Frank Lisciandro, Rik Pekkonen, Fritz Richmond, Dr. Thomas G. Stockham, John Weaver
Assistant engineer – Paul Black
Directors – John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Frank Lisciandro
Mastering – Bernie Grundman
Remastering – Bruce Botnick, Paul Rothchild
Synthesizer programming – Arthur Barrow on "The Movie"
Art direction – Ron Coro, Johnny Lee, John Van Hamersveld
Illustrations – Jim Morrison
Photography – Joel Brodsky, Paul Ferrara, Art Kane, Edmund Teske, Frank Lisciandro
Discography
