The Doors FAQ

All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock

Rich Weidman

• Publisher: Backbeat
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781617131141
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music Biographies

It has been 40 years since the untimely death of L.A.'s mystic and rock's Dionysus, Jim Morrison, yet the Doors have consistently inspired new generations of fans worldwide ever since. Highlighting one of the most influential, original, and outrageous American bands of the 1960s, The Doors FAQ is a dynamic, unorthodox exploration of this remarkable band and its enigmatic lead singer.

Drawing upon unique sources, Rich Weidman digs deep and serves up fresh perspective on the music, from the garage to the hits to the outtakes; and on the band's members, from their roots, influences, and key industry partners to their rare talents, personal foibles, love affairs, and arrests. This volume also details every studio album and live recording, all the highs and lows of the Doors in concert (including the notorious 1969 Miami concert), Morrison's 40-day trial, and the death of the "Lizard King" in Paris in 1971, as well as post-Morrison milestones. Unlike the straightforward narratives of other Doors biographies, this inventive, ceremonious biographical collage leaves no stone unturned, covering the band both with Morrison and post-Morrison, including the 2010 When You're Strange documentary and the recent pardon of Morrison by the State of Florida for the Miami concert. Countless rare images from album art to ticket stubs to posters accompany the text, in this dazzling edition of solid rock scholarship.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword: The Doors Through a New Lens
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Friends I Have Gathered Together: Key Players in the Doors’ Saga
• 2. Tell Me Where Your Freedom Lies: Jim Morrison’s Earliest Influences
• 3. A Place for Me to Hide: How the Lizard King’s Upbringing Affected His Anti-Authority Stance
• 4. Let’s Swim to the Moon: Early Incarnations of the Band
• 5. I Was Turning Keys: How the Doors Got Their Name
• 6. Stumbling in the Neon Groves: The Circumstances Surrounding the Band’s First Demo
• 7. Heavenly in Its Brilliance: Musical Acts That Influenced the Doors
• 8. Just Got into Town: Los Angeles Area Landmarks Associated with the Doors
• 9. We Chased Our Pleasures Here: The Doors’ Earliest Venues
• 10. Kingdoms of Our Own: Methods the Doors Utilized to Achieve Their Unique Sound
• 11. The Music and Voices Are All Around Us: Doors Songs That Were “Inspired” by Other Sources
• 12. Do It, Robby, Do It: Doors Songs Written by Robby Krieger
• 13. Girl, We Couldn’t Get Much Higher: Doors Singles That Reached No. 1 on the Charts
• 14. Realms of Bliss, Realms of Light: Doors Songs That Feature Direct Literary References
• 15. A River of Sadness: The Most Overtly Political Doors Songs
• 16. She Was a Princess: Doors Songs That Were Inspired by Pamela Courson
• 17. Must Be Something Else We Say: Why The Soft Parade Was So Different from Other Doors Albums
• 18. The Mask You Wore: The Real Story Behind the Doors’ Album Covers
• 19. A Beast Caged: The Failure of the “Celebration of the Lizard”
• 20. If You Don’t Give a Listen: The Most Essential (and Least Essential) Doors Albums
• 21. The Lights Are Getting Brighter: Bands That Shared the Bill with the Doors During the Early Years
• 22. Under Television Skies: The Doors’ Most Notable TV Performances
• 23. Blood on the Rise: The Top Ten Most Notorious Doors Concerts
• 24. See Me Change: Songs Modified by the Doors During Live Performances
• 25. C’mon People, Don’t You Look So Down: The Biggest Events and Festivals Where the Doors Played
• 26. Trade in Your Hours for a Handful of Dimes: Why the Doors Didn’t Perform at Woodstock
• 27. Everything Is Broken Up and Dances: Doors Concerts Recorded for the Absolutely Live Album
• 28. In a Darkened Room: How Morrison’s Alcoholism Affected the Doors’ Performances and Studio Albums
• 29. Once I Had a Little Game: The Real Story of the Miami Concert
• 30. It Hurts to Set You Free: Negative Consequences Stemming from the Miami Concert
• 31. Witnessing the Wild Breeze: Morrison’s Arrest on a Flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix
• 32. No One Left to Scream and Shout: The Atmosphere During the Forty-Day Miami Trial
• 33. Night Is Drawing Near: The Doors’ Last Concert as a Quartet
• 34. I Need a Brand New Friend: Morrison’s Attempt to Shed His Rock Star Image
• 35. Out Here on the Perimeter: The Reasons Paul Rothchild Quit as Producer of L.A. Woman
• 36. Smooth as Raven’s Claws: Some Common Myths About Morrison’s Death
• 37. Ancient Shapes Were All Around Us: Jim Morrison’s Final Resting Place
• 38. Wandering in Hopeless Night: Other Musicians Who Died at the Age of Twenty-Seven
• 39. We Linger Alone: Studio Albums That Were Released After Jim Morrison’s Death
• 40. Death Not Ends It: Factors That Led to the Doors’ “Resurrection”
• 41. You’ve Seen This Entertainment Through and Through: The (In)Accuracy of The Doors
• 42. Can’t Remember Where I’ve Been: Other Films That Feature the Doors
• 43. The Ceremony Is About to Begin: The Doors’ Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 44. Follow Me Down: Musicians Who Have Been Influenced by the Doors
• 45. Rage in Darkness by My Side: Artists Who Have Covered Doors Songs
• 46. Let Them Photograph Your Soul: Doors Songs That Have Appeared in Feature Films
• 47. So Sing a Lonely Song: The Controversy Caused by the Doors of the 21st Century
• 48. Can We Resolve the Past: The Most Essential (and Least Essential) Doors Biographies
• 49. You Might Recall All of the Rest: The Unique Qualities of the Documentary When You’re Strange
• 50. I’m Going, but I Need a Little Time: Whatever Happened to …
• Selected Bibliography