So much has been written about this iconic band that I won't try to match or copy what's already been said many times over. Instead I'd like to focus on two pieces of music which perhaps haven't received as much attention. In this post I'm going to focus on the long-format song called The Celebration of the Lizard only parts of which saw a studio album release, and the post-Morrison album Other Voices (1971) which was released just after L.A. Woman.
First off, let me say that The Doors were a major influence on my musical discovery and even now I return to their music from time to time and remain in awe of it. How exciting it must have been to have lived during their heyday. The Doors are famous for many things, one of them being a trio of long-format songs: The End, When the Music's Over, and The Soft Parade. There is a fourth extended song cycle which ought to be added to this assortment: The Celebration of the Lizard. This song is roughly 20 minutes long and a tour de force at that. It was intended to be a whole side of their third album Waiting for the Sun (1968). Instead only parts of it were included on the album most notably the song called Not to Touch the Earth. I've not been able to find the specific reason for this but I think that most likely Jim Morrison was a big supporter of the entire Lizard cycle being included as it does showcase his evocative poetry (and performance) while the rest of the band and/or record company saw it as uncommercial. Would have been amazing though since I can't think of any band in 1968 dedicating a full half an LP to a single musical idea. All that aside the Lizard exists as at least two live versions. The best of all has to be the one included on the Absolutely Live album (1970) and another version almost as good is included in The Doors boxed set (recorded in New York). The piece is epic and poetic closer to a spoken word performance than a musical one at times although the section called The Hill Dwellers has to be my favorite section as it's a mesmerizing union of both.
Now the second part of this post: Other Voices. When Jim Morrison moved to Paris in early 1971 after finishing recording L.A. Woman the rest of the band continued to rehearse material for the next album. Apparently Morrison was involved with early version of several song which would be released after his death later that year. As such this album represents probably the best indication of where The Doors music was headed.
After listening to selections from the album I'm left with two distinct feelings: One, the band was clearly going to continue writing blues-influenced rock music for a while. Two, the band in general was very unhappy around this time and was clearly under the dark cloud Morrison had cast. Had he lived a few years longer I think we would have heard touching but sad music sounding more like a farewell than the welcoming of new consciousnesses. Case in point is probably the best track on the album, Ships with Sails. Ray Manzarek (keyboard player) takes lead vocals on this track and delivers the lyrics with a gravitas akin to the late Morrison's. The song is kind of like a combination between Riders on the Storm and Spanish Caravan with a percussion section which almost sounds like something Santana would have done.
SONGS
Part one of The Celebration of the Lizard
Part two of the Celebration of the Lizard
Ships with Sails
