He sucked in a great cleansing breath and then looked at me. His eyes were deep and peaceful. He was a different man. I could look into his blue orbs now. I couldn’t back then; too much turmoil, too much chaos, too much power. A strange and dark power that always made the green thing in the pit of my stomach stir, its tentacles sending a shiver of fear through my body.

Let me flat out state that I am a hardcore fan of Jim Morrison, which is not the same as being a hardcore fan of the Doors. I think the band, the musicians Ray Manzarek, Robbie Kreger, and John Dinsmore, were fused conduits of energy invoked by the shaman Jim Morrison. That said, lets get on with this review.

First, I wanna say I kind of like Ray Manzarek. I mean, it must have been really hard being the old man backing up the shaman poet. One time, in Davis California, I had the chance to run into Manzarek at a local bar. I said “Ray Manzarek!” and he said “I never saw the body, it was a closed coffin.” Then I said “I just wanted to say hello.”

So now here we are, years later, I’m this comfortable old fart living in his apartment in Sacramento reading books and watching repeats of that 70’s Show. Occasionally, I make a trip to my favorite neighborhood bookstore, Beers Books, which is convenient because its right across the street from Waffle Square, my favorite junk breakfast joint. So, like I said, years have passed. There are what, at least 7 or 8 biographies of Jim Morrison and the Doors and it doesn’t look like its gonna stop anytime soon. So here I am in Beers Books and I see a book by Ray Manzarek, The Poet in Exile, filed under the section of ritual magic, which is right next to the UFO section, which is right next to the section of walking Zombie Templars, the Virgin Mother, and more UFOs. Anyway, you all know the rumors that Jim Morrison faked his death. There was no body, just a casket full of rocks. At least that’s the rumor. It was all a hoax, a death hoax thought up by Morrison himself and perpetrated by Pamela and the other members of the Doors. So, I find this book The Poet in Exile by Ray Manzarek which puts forth the proposition that the Lord was indeed petitioned. In this book, Manzarek claims to have been contacted by the supposed dead lead singer of a band that he does not name. God it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Anyways, so I think you get the picture. The fictional singer in the novel is actually Ray Manzarek’s creative imagination telling us what really happened with Jim Morrison, and like of all of us Morrison fans know, there is a secret cache of poetry, artwork and empty whiskey bottles lying somewhere in America or in Iran. Okay, maybe I’m being a little bit unfair to Mr. Manzarek. I mean, I think that fans of Jim Morrison realized way before any members of the Doors that Morrison never died. So, in a sense Mr. Manzarek is a Johnny Come Lately. However, in all fairness, I simply have to recommend this novel, not only because it’s a fun read, but it belong in any Doors fan or Jim Morrison’s fan collection. Now, I understand its hard to find. But if you can locate a copy of the Poet in Exile, I promise you will not regret it. Remember, don’t step on that myth, because it just might bite you on the ass.

Source: Belinda Subraman's Gypsy Art Show

Already what one might call “New York Famous” in 1971, a young Patti Smith turned down more offers from publishers, directors, and producers in that year alone than most people could dream of entertaining in a lifetime. Stricken with remorse and confusion in the wake of Jim Morrison’s death, Patti made a pilgrimage to Paris in July of 1972. The trip and her revelations at his gravesite during a torrential downpour brought about a radical change in her poetry. Upon returning to the arms of Robert Mapplethorpe and her adopted home of New York City, biographer Dave Thompson notes, “She wrote as she thought… having determined that her thought processes themselves were worth preserving…” It was then, Thompson believes, that Patti abandoned her old heroes and began to look within for inspiration. For the remainder of her career, indeed to this very day, it would be all she ever needed.

Dancing Barefoot recalls many events that may already be familiar to fans of Smith’s career and readers of NYC music history. But the author does bring a deeper insight to the artist’s motivations and a great deal of much-needed perspective on the era in which she blossomed. Thompson brings Patti’s machinations into greater focus by detailing the context of her surroundings, the music industry of the 1970s, and the burgeoning women’s movement therein which found a prominent place for Patti in its hierarchy that, to her credit, she herself never actively pursued.

Dancing Barefoot will broaden the understanding of even the most ardent Patti Smith fans. Revelations about the size of the audience for Patti’s first reading in London make a good case in point. Mythologized over the years to such an extent that the decidedly small turn-out of a mere 15 attendees has swelled over the years with repeated retellings to a crowd ten times that size, her debut U.K. appearance was still considered a major victory for a young poet who’d only just seen the publication of her first collection of writings.

It is curious to observe how her reputation and status grew in New York City during those early years, while her exploits attained no measurable amount of fame for her outside the city. No doubt her inspiration was genuine, and her poetry powerful stuff. From the moment she made her landmark appearance at a reading in St. Mark’s Church in the East Village with guitarist Lenny Kaye at her side for the first time, it was only a matter of time before New York City would be forced to relinquish their shy but towering artist-in-residence to the international fame that would soon be hers.

Source: glidemagazine.com

Did you see the news? Jim Morrison was pardoned for his 1969 conviction for indecency in Florida. Hearing about that story brought me right back to my introduction to Jim Morrison.

It didn’t start with the music with me, it started with a book. In the mid-1980s I was a teen living in small-town Wisconsin. We had no Internet, no MP3s, no iTunes; finding interesting music wasn’t as easy back then as it is now. I had a rudimentary knowledge of the Doors and Jim Morrison (classic rock reigned supreme on our radio airwaves), but I didn’t know much beyond the songs that got the airplay.

I got a gig babysitting every Thursday night for a young woman who lived down the block. She would come home late and we would sit and talk for a while. We talked a lot about music, boys and the things we shared in common. We liked a lot of the same music, and when she found out I liked the Doors, she gave me her copy of No One Here Gets Out Alive (by Jerry Hopkins & Danny Sugerman).

Wow. I was even more intrigued after reading this book. Morrison was a teenage dream for me—the ultimate bad boy fixer-upper, a sensitive, misunderstood handsome counter culture hero in skin tight leather pants.

I fell in love with his words; the lyrics, while at times were a bit too dark for me (“Father? Yes, son? I want to kill you.” From The End), most of them really struck a chord with me. It was strange that when I finally did get my Doors music (on cassette & vinyl), it surprised me how different the songs were from what I expected. I had created my own rhythm to the words I read, and it was like reading the words all over again when I listened to the songs.

The book offers a great peek into life on the Sunset Strip in the debaucherous 1960s, and it provides a great peek into a man who has become a mythical creature in the rock world. A bit over the top at times, it’s a great homage to Morrison written by fans of the man and the music.

If you’re a fan of the Doors (or just a fan of poetry), look into the books of poetry by Morrison. The books offer another form of insight into the mind of the self-proclaimed Lizard King; both Wilderness and Lords and New Creatures are good picks that take up real estate on my bookshelf. My personal favorite Morrison-penned poem (from Wilderness):

I am troubled
Immeasurably
By your eyes
I am struck
By the feather
Of your soft
Reply
The sound of glass
Speaks quick
Disdain
And conceals
What your eyes fight
To explain 

Source: Book End Babes

Every incoming first-year student hears it at orientation: the legend of Jim Morrison, front man of 1960s psychedelic rock band The Doors and a former UCLA film student.

Now, with the release of You Make Me Real, a biography of The Doors by Portuguese historian Rui Silva, students can read a newly enriched history of the band – one that includes UCLA roots. The book earned an Honorable Mention Award at the 2009 London Book Festival, where it competed with thousands of other works.

Monday night in Royce Hall, Silva spoke about the release of his recently translated book, which was originally written in his native language of Portuguese. Silva’s presentation was accompanied by a performance by The Doors tribute band, Peace Frog.

Silva spent the last year researching The Doors at UCLA as a visiting scholar, where he delved into the university archives for information about Morrison’s time as a student. Silva includes the controversial screening of Morrison’s senior student film. Morrison was asked to take his experimental film back to the editing room after its short screening jammed the projector.

The book also includes previously unpublished materials, including an interview with Morrison’s fellow film student David Thompson, who recounted short snapshots of Morrison’s time at the film school.

According to Thompson’s interview, UCLA film students frequented the Turkey Joint West nightclub in Santa Monica to watch fellow film student and future Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek perform with his band Rick and the Ravens. It was here that Morrison would join Manzarek on stage for the first time.

Taylor Tirona, a fourth-year international development studies student, said that he believes much of the interest in Morrison and The Doors stems from the fact that their roots are at UCLA.

The book also mentions Morrison’s life shortly following graduation, when he was living in a rented Venice bungalow above an empty laundromat. Morrison wrote poetry from his apartment balcony and first conceived his idea for The Doors – a singing duo called “The Doors: Open and Close.”

Also attracting students to the event was the sense of mystique that surrounds Morrison’s life, his music and his mysterious death in 1971 at the age of 27.

“I’m interested in (the band’s music), poetry and the mythos of the end of Jim Morrison’s life,” said Blaine Fuller, a third-year English student who attended the event.

Both Fuller and Tirona said that they were intrigued by Morrison’s notoriously odd personality.

Silva said that a large part of Morrison’s personality that receives little attention is his generosity. For example, Morrison once allowed a close friend to release select music by The Doors through the publication Poppin in order to save the magazine from bankruptcy. According to Silva, however, this side of Morrison was rarely seen because his dark persona was so heavily projected to the public.

Even long since Morrison’s death, The Doors still exercise influence over the contemporary music world. Tirona said that he thinks music enthusiasts can find something interesting in The Doors because of the band’s widespread influence on rock music.

“They’re just a great band.” Tirona said. 

Source: Daily Bruin