by keith on August 25, 2010
The stage versus the studio. Live versus layered. Each has its strength, each has its weakness.
Live is raw, it’s real, it’s human.
It’s flawed, it’s moody, it’s fickle. Sometimes disastrous.
The studio is focused, controlled, yet unpredictable. Creativity at its zenith.
Yet stifling, draining, repetitive and stale, oftentimes sucking the soul out of the spark that once was a great idea.
Studio albums can be cultivated into cultural monoliths fit to change the world and those who live in it. Dark side Of the Moon. Physical Graffiti. Sgt. Peppers.
Live albums can take you there – Peter Frampton, Kiss Alive, Live at Leeds. [click to continue…]
by keith on August 17, 2010
So continuing on this Doors thing…
I basically wrote former Doors drummer John Densmore off as a bit of a wanker because of his allegiance to a dead Morrison and his stonewalling of keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger and their twin desire to play Doors songs under some variation of ‘The Doors’ name. Like ‘The Doors of the 21st Century’ or something to that effect. He sued them and won. Why did he sue? Because Jim like, would not have been cool with it man… Why did he win? Probably because the judge was a huge Doors fan and Densmore bribed him with an old pair of Morrison’s undies if the decision went his way. Or something. [click to continue…]
by keith on August 12, 2010
I just watched the Doors documentary “When You’re Strange”.
If you know nothing of the Doors you must see this movie. If you know a little about them but don’t get what the fuss is/was about, you must see this movie. If you like them, love them or hate them you must see this movie.
I was not even a twinkle in Mr. Morrison’s eye when the Doors were born, but I was a kid when they had their first resurgence of popularity spurned by the bestselling book “No One Here Gets Out Alive” and a reissue of their greatest hits. They were everywhere in the eighties. Jim Morrison had been dead for years but stoner kids talked about Jim being in hiding and waiting for the right time for his mojo to rise. “No One Here Gets Out Alive” was a must read for any good stoner and rock fan. The largely horrific music of the eighties (Police, U2 and a few others aside, of course) and god forsaken trends like break dancing caused lonely rock lovers to retreat to the past and yearn for a new musical/cultural explosion.
[click to continue…]
The stage versus the studio. Live versus layered. Each has its strength, each has its weakness.