The Doors – Morrison Hotel: Revisiting a Rock Classic From 1970
THE DOORS – In these handful of days leading up to the 40th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s passing away, I’ve decided to share a few thoughts about an album from The Doors. Jim Morrison passed away on July 3rd, 1971, in Paris France. He was only 27 years old. Forever a Rock legend Jim Morrison shall be. Jim Morrison’s lyrics, vocals and poetry always fascinated me. I was lured as a young lad into the Rock world of The Doors and essentially have never looked back. By the way, I was only four years old when Morrison Hotel was released… Metal be thy name.
Each studio album from The Doors is a unique Rock Classic. There will never be another band that comes even remotely close to their sound or style, in my opinion. The album I’ve chosen to revisit from The Doors is Morrison Hotel, released back in 1970, on Elektra Records. As with all of The Doors albums, listening to Morrison Hotel on CD isn’t quite the same as hearing the old school analog quality of it’s vinyl predecessor. I guess the same can be said for countless albums, from an untold number of bands from yesteryear.
My two favorite songs heard on Morrison Hotel are: Roadhouse Blues and Peace Frog. I personally like all eleven songs on this album. I’m not ashamed to admit, (and it might sound crazy), yet I’ve never disliked any song from The Doors. This band was just that artistic and unique to me. Roadhouse Blues is just a sensational Blues Rock song, one that uncannily radiates an incredible amount of relevance in 2011. Seriously, (and this is my opinion), Roadhouse Blues rocks along like it was recorded yesterday.
Peace Frog is just a provocative listen into Jim Morrison’s thoughts, with the lyrical content really being a recounting of what personal events troubled him. Waiting For The Sun has always given off a sonically melancholic vibe to me. Regardless of the “sun” being a focal point in the lyrics, this song has it’s doom switch turned on that I can never get enough of. Land Ho! with all of it’s quirky song structure and Folk stylings dominating, still triumphantly rocks along. A knee tapper and cool drinking song is Land Ho!.
Like all of The Doors albums, there is so much more to the “hits”. Songs like Maggie M’Gill, You Make Me Real, Queen Of The Highway and Blue Sunday are gems of Rock Music history in their own right. I always felt the need to listen to the entire album to take in The Doors. The Doors music just gives off that feel, where listening to Morrison Hotel (or any album from The Doors) from beginning to end is an experience, rather than just a listen for me.
The album cover to Morrison Hotel says it all, with Jim Morrison being in the forefront and most prominent in the picture. The Morrison Hotel actually did exist in Los Angeles, with no ownership ties to Jim Morrison, of course. However, think about this… how many bands today could take the last name of their singer and attach it to “hotel” as an album title? Not many I would think. Daughtry Hotel? I don’t think Chris Daughtry would even care for it. Could Aerosmith ever pull off an album title of: Tyler Hotel? Nah.
The coolness and flamboyancy of Jim Morrison’s vocals were ahead of the times, couple that with his overall mystique and I see the realism behind the album title: Morrison Hotel. The album title of Morrison Hotel just makes more sense to me today, than it did say in 1982. I guess I never read into this album title as deeply as I do now. The songs on Morrison Hotel have never checked out for me. If anything, I will continue to “check-in” at the Morrison Hotel for the rest of my life… and be glad I did.
THE DOORS:
Jim Morrison – vocals
Ray Manzarek – keyboards
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drums
Morrison Hotel – Track Listing:
Hard Rock Cafe:
Roadhouse Blues
Waiting For The Sun
You Make Me Real
Peace Frog
Blue Sunday
Ship Of Fools
Morrison Hotel:
Land Ho
The Spy
Queen Of The Highway
Indian Summer
Maggie M’Gill
* Morrison Hotel was produced by Paul A. Rothchild.
* For more info on THE DOORS, click on the link below:
LONG LIVE THE DOORS.
Rest In Peace, Jim Morrison.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
June 30, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Another great post my man! I too love The Doors and it’s been waaay too long since I experienced any Doors album from front to back. Thanks for inspiring me to have a Doors morning tomorrow!
June 30, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Which album of The Doors are you gonna choose to listen to? Enjoy that “Doors morning” and thanks for the cool comment & thoughts… it’s appreciated. 🙂
July 1, 2011 at 9:08 am
Stone on a board I belong to I wrote little bit about the album and I hope you don’t mind if I post it on your site, anyway here it is:
Released in 1970, the album was named after Hotel in L.A. which Ray Manzarek spotted one day while he was driving around L.A. This album was a band’s return to their roots, after Jim Morrison’s continued legal troubles, including the infamous Miami incident the band concreted on the music. If ‘The Soft Parade’ was Robby Krieger’s baby then this album was very much Jim Morrison’s. The lyrics are more personal and at same time, as stripped down as the music.
Roadhouse Blues-A blues almost New Orleans style song, the lyrics begin with advise he would give his soul mate Pamela Courson:
Keep Your Eyes on the Road/Your Hands Upon the Wheel’ the song featurers great performances from all of the Doors, and it also included guest musician Lonnie Mack on bass and John Sebastain on bass. Of course this song features one of Morrison’s famous couplets: Woke Up In the Morning Got myself a Beer/The Future is Uncertain/The End is always Near.
Waiting for The Sun-Jim Morrison’s father was Admiral Steve Morrison who was in the Gulf of Tomkin in 1964, and his grandfather was also a seaman, and Jim Morrison himself was born and raised in Florida. As a child of the water it is only natural that he would write a song about sea.
You Make Me Real-A bar room piano number, featuring Ray Manzarek’s take on jazz/New Orleans piano style, a song of sexual longing where all he wants to do is sink into her tender loving seas/and throw away mistaken misery.
Peace Frog-The lyrics written around a great Robby Krieger lick, the lyrics speak of blood in the streets, blood in the town, and the closest Morrison ever came to writing political lyrics, the lyrics refer to the 60’s fragmented generation and how real change demands blood sacrifices. He also reminds the listener that blood was born in the dust of this nation. Also interesting enough a line in the song is inspired by Pam Courson, a simple line that is repeated twice:
She came to town and drove away/Sunlight in her Hair’ and also an experience he reminded as a young child of a car accident he witnessed of carload of Indians, ‘Ghost Crowd the Young Child’s fragile Eggshell mind.
Blue Sunday-This was song written about Pam, a simple love song.
Ship of Fools- A song that John Densmore called ecological rock due to the lyrics. The human race is dying out due to smog and pollution and of course they sail way to the moon, but soon the smog follow the humans their also, thus they are a ship of fools.
Land Ho- Another song inspired by Morrison’s family backround as sailors, etc This song recounts the search a fictional account of his grandfather’s journey.
The Spy-Morrison was inspired by Anais Nin’s novel ‘The Spy In the House of Love’, unlike the book which explores voyeurism, this song explores the subject of a stalker who even knows your deepest secret dreams. One of the best songs on the CD IMO.
Queen of the Highway-Maybe the most personal song Jim Morrison ever wrote, explore and mythologizing his and Pam’s relationship:
He was a Monster/Black Dressed in Leather/ She was a Princesses/Queen of the Highway.
The song speaks of man ready to lay his roots down but even in a state of bliss doubts still cloud his mind:
American boy/American Girl/ The Most beautiful people in the world/ Son of a frontier/Indian swirl/ Dancing to the midnight whirlpool/I hope it can continue a little while Longer.
Indian Summer-Another love song from Jim Morrison with a one line lyric with a twist: I love you the best/Better than all the rest. A simple barely two minute song but it works.
Maggie McGill-Was written during a soundcheck and features Ray Manzarek on rhythm guitar. Not a bad song and the closet thing the Doors have to filler track on this CD but it is a good song and it is a good ending to an excellent album.
July 1, 2011 at 9:08 am
Sorry for the length Stone
July 1, 2011 at 9:29 am
Not a problem at all Manny… it makes a fabulous read and companion piece to the post! \m/
July 1, 2011 at 9:09 am
Sorry it was meant to read John Sebastain on harp!!
July 1, 2011 at 9:38 am
John Sebastian is a cool musician and singer. It may sound corndog, only I always liked “Welcome Back Kotter” …and that shows theme song he so famous for. 🙂
July 1, 2011 at 9:16 am
An Osbourne hotel might work but he’s a solo artist and I don’t think too many people would argue against a Dio Hotel. But that’s the only ones. The Doors were one of those “hippy” bands that metal heads would listen to in secret, I make no secret that I’ve always liked them.
What I am ashamed about is that I have been living in Europe for 25 years now and I still haven’t been to Paris to visit his grave. I must go.
July 1, 2011 at 9:31 am
You know something… a DIO Hotel would get my Metal approval in a micro-Metal second! Yes… go to Paris to visit the grave of Jim Morrison!!! Please tell The Lizard King… Stone says “Hey”. 🙂