The Doors- Light My Fire (First Listen)
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- Опубліковано 29 бер 2021
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Song Link: • The Doors - Light My Fire
We know this much because it's the music we grew up with and we've had an additional half century to learn more. BTW, this is the Doors' signature song.
For my gen-X generation, we were in the middle of the epoch of rock...some of us learned from our hippie parents and stoner older brothers/siblings/uncles about the sixties/seventies...some of us grew up in front of the MtV...and then we got to stage our own Woodstock with Lollapolooza and live that firsthand ( or, our version of Altamont with Woodstock '99...)
We know so much about the music of the 1960s and 1970s because it’s what we lived for. We shared listening to music with friends, either though AM first then FM radio later, or listening in the same room with a group of friends, and going to concerts. Everyone had an impressive vinyl album collection and you often heard new music from friends rather than the radio and then you’d buy it. When we had money, we spent it on buying music. Often we listened to music together under the influence of mind expanding drugs, which many musicians used and found their creativity enhanced by. We didn’t just listen to music starting in 1967. We experienced it as immersively as we could, sometimes alone but more often with each other.
TV wasn’t the distraction it is today. There were only the 3 main networks and what later became Fox and CW. TV literally ended by 1:00 am in most US markets. There were a few TV shows that featured live and lip synched performances and we voraciously consumed as much of it as we could. Of course that there was an abundance of great music made it have a magnetic hold on us from the beginning as well, and we’ve never completely let go.
The way this song builds tension and releases it and builds the tension again is a big part of what makes it so great, after 53 years.
It’s like taking a journey, don’t you think? That’s what The Doors did in their longer songs. And we were more than willing to go along for the ride to that precipice you spoke of.
Great reaction, Justin! Can’t wait for “The End” (beautiful friend).
Cathy Wood Lovely exploratory journey of those times & spaces...& soundscapes. Lived thru too. 💌
This song really has stood the test of time, still sounds great today. Just superb!
So true. I'm not a devoted fan of the Doors, but when they hit, they hit hard.
Absolutely! 👌
It’s so obvious now I know the whole thing is slowed down 7%. I can no longer hear Jim’s voice without thinking he doesn’t sound the same on any other song.
"How do you know this much?" Lol. Gather round', children; grandpa's gonna tell you a story...Before the internet, you see, we would go out to these things called 'concerts', and listen to these things called 'records', where we would read the liner notes from front to back while wearing onions on our belts, as was the style of the time...and we didn't have the 'wikipedias'; we read about our favorite bands in our Time-Life Encyclopedias, and watched biographies directed by Oliver Stone..."
(Ok, I ain't THAT old, now; I was a wee whippersnapper in the 80's myself when I was catching up on the 60's and 70's rock...some of us just had hippie parents and uncles and older siblings who'd tell us THEIR rock'n'roll experiences...and then, some of us are just autistically obsessed...Don't get me started on Pink Floyd...I'm a walking Floyd encyclopedia...)
Onions? 🙃 No man it was garlic. Fun read though. Careful with that Garlic 🧄 Eugene.
@@Claytone-Records No, it was onions. You see, they didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...but we couldn't wear the brown ones, because-wait, maybe, no, that was the acid...it's all so hazy...but one thing I can tell you with certainty is "don't eat the yellow snow..."
Joe Maurone, Oh man, you have jogged something loose...somewhere. Those horrific brown onions. I think they may have just been a bit strong, possibly. Don’t eat that yellow snow? Sounds like it could be a novella title. Hmmm...
Onions on the belt, nice Abe Simpson reference.
@Paul-Martin Scheib "Nanook, no-no...don't be a naughty eskimo...Watch out where the huskies go! And don't you eat that yellow snow!"
This song still sounds fresh 54 years after it's release.
Falling asleep to AM, then FM radio. Growing up as an outcast listening to Hemispheres, Signals and 2112. Camping out in front of a Ticketmaster to get front row concert tickets. Traveling with the Grateful Dead. Thats how I got here.
It took us 10 years to listen to all the music of the 70's. The radio DJ's often had comments or stories or fun facts between songs.
How do we know so much? A lot of us are old farts. Don't worry, you'll get there😉
😅
...but remember, we got a lot of this info before the advent of the internet. Looking back that still amazes me that we were able to get any info....especially with more obscure bands (not The Doors)
Yeah. We’re old farts. And I’m damn proud to be one 😉
@@lynnarthur1411 The older the better.
@@jameslocopo4742 Not having internet is a part of the reason. We didn't loose hours looking at cat videos on the net. Radio was on all the time and if you grew in a place that had a good rock radio station, you heard a lot of good music.
"He's only using 50% of his power" When The Music's Over he goes hard
yeah love this song amazing vocals
btw is their a song with him and janis joplin by any chance? would be amazing
In live shows Ray & all the guys gave 150%. Which is why their shows were sold out all over the world. Word got out the Doors were better live than on recordings. Ray killed it every show I ever saw him. All 4 of them were unbelievably powerful performers.
Ray Manzarek produced the first four albums of LA punk band X. Ray plays keys on a number of tracks on their debut album "Los Angeles", including a rousing solo on the song "The World's a Mess; It's in My Kiss"
Edit: they also cover "Soul Kitchen" on "Los Angeles"
Many of us listened to music holding the album cover in our hand - reading the liner notes while listening, reading the names of the musicians. This was knowledge was passed down to our younger brothers and his friends and then down again - sort of like ancient civilizations. Because - - like -- there was no internet
Absolutely 💯% albums made us so very musically smart.
when they did this song on the ed sullivan show in 67 ,they said you cant say ,girl we couldn't get much higher, because of the drug reference-and the band said ok no problem, but when they went live ,of course jim morrison sang the line-after they were offstage rd sullivan yelled at them ,you will never do this show again- jim responded --WE JUST DID
If you see the tape, he sings, 'Higher' defiantly right into the camera.
and we all knew about it right away because it was in the newspapers and magazines, back when we had real journalism.
@@jamiegagnon6390 you got that right ,sir if you haven't done arthur lee and love forever changes, yet it is one of the greatest albums ever done, please give it a try--1967
Hey man, I wanted to tell that story. It's a good one! Way to go.
Yes, this is the same Morrison that told A&M that his parents were dead, so they put that on his official bio.....of course, they weren't....I'm am sure Jim got a laugh at that!
When I was on active duty in the US Navy in Washington DC in 1968-69, Admiral Morrison, Jim Morrison's father, was my commanding officer!
Just think back in 1966, Robbie Kreiger had written this tune and brought it to his band members, who embellished it with their own versatile musicianship and.....you have a classic song that has lasted since it was released in 1967. I don't get tired listening to this gem nor the Doors music. Thank you JP for your commentary.
My sister saw them in concert. There were some girls screaming their heads off behind her, so Jim Morrison tossed his beads to them. My sister caught the beads--and passed them on to the girls! She is a better person than I.
Man I would love to have those beads ❤️❤️❤️
This is Robbie’s song I believe. An answer to Jim’s prodding the guys to write also. Gotta give Robbie his guitar props, his serpentine guitar lines are incredible for that time and now. So cool.
Such a perfect lil rock song.
Bossa Nova beat incorporated within is really cool.
You will be just like us, full of (?), knowledge, that’s what I was going to say, bits found here and there, interviews, wiki, actual brushes with famous peeps, etc. Sometimes I find out I’m totally incorrect, and that’s even better, to update to correct info is great. There’s a lot of disinfo, and innuendo, rumors out there...
I feel their last album L.A. Woman is a return to the first album’s raw ferociousness and blues. Think you’d dig it too.
Take care ev, mask up pls,
Peace and bossa nova Music
I was a teenager during the 60s and had no time for Bossa Nova, mainly because of all the cheap imitations by band-wagon jumpers and elevator music. I thought it just sounded cheesy. But about 10 years ago I decided to give another listen to the originators and got into it so now I think it is just too cool. Perfect for a sunny summer day. I live in Scotland so admittedly those are rare but even so.
@@Russ_Keith
Same here, I mean Girl From Ipanema, has always been there but, maybe more for the imagery than the music. I did see Todd Rundgren live and bought the With A Twist in the ?, not sure when that was. It seemed cheesy but I did it anyway. When you go to the source, it’s a different story. Mellowy goodness.
And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks
1968 - my first junior high school dance. Kids standing around, a few dancing. Then Light My Fire Starts. EVERYONE gets up and looks for someone to dance with. Even the wallflowers.
True story.
Doors performed this song on the Ed Sullivan show. The show's producers worked out an arrangement with Doors manager not to say 'we couldn't get much higher'. Doors management agreed because it was a commercial game changer to get on the Ed Sullivan show, which was the first US appearance by the Beatles. But lead singer Jim Morrison, upon hearing this, went on stage of the live show and leaned into camera and emphasized 'higher'. Ed Sullivan producers told Doors that they would never again appear on the show.
Light My Fire was an early (big) hit by Doors. The group got more FM'ish as they put out more albums and before Jim Morrison self destructed with booze and drugs, eventually dying at 27 or thereabouts.
Jim Morrison knew the band was going to be huge & they would not need Ed Sullivan to promote their music. So Jim did not give a hoot LOL
When I was a kid, most of those solos didn’t get radio play. It was recut for AM radio.
Annoying wasn't it? In fact, it was a few years after the single release before I heard the full song. I was blown away. All I knew until that point was the shorter version.
Yep - AM radio had sets of 3 minute songs. I think they had to limit the music to 3 or 4 songs every 15 minutes.
Thank Jeebus for FM radio. No radio edit.
And to make it even worse, some idiot DJs would talk over the end of the song as well. I hated it when they did that, either play the whole song and keep your fool mouth shut while it's playing or don't play it all.
THE SONG of the summer of '67....
(So I've heard & read, I was born roughly 16 months later). 🚬😎
In the 60s, I was really into the Beatles and read everything in the papers and magazines about them. When I was a teen in the 70s, who you liked dictated who you were to the rest of your contemporaries, and the comings and goings were discussed. We took Music mags to keep up to date, and to find out when the concerts were happening. No Internet to look things up, magazines, radio, hearsay, but mainly enthusiasm. There was a ton of great stuff around, and more coming everyday. Quite a few got a kick out of knowing really obscure bands. Liking anything popular was sniffed at. Uncool. We were a bit spoiled by the stream of great music being released.
All-time classic.
Even Mattel's Hot Wheels released a model called "Light My Firebird" in 1969.
It was boss.
My parents bought me my first AM-FM radio in 1969. I started listening to the cool FM stations and they would play the long versions of songs. That is when I first heard this and many other amazing timeless pieces. It was the start of a lifetime near obsession with all types of music. I call myself a non-musicians
music geek.
Me too (Born '58), I had one of those new nifty clock radios. I set the alarm to music & woke to all these tunes, the memories run deep.
@@kenbarton2920 It is amazing to think that something as simple as a radio can open your ears to a whole new world. While the equipment improved over the years, nothing could duplicate my initial wonder and joy of hearing all of the sounds I didn’t know existed.
To
Music still plays an important healing role in my life since I lost my wife last July. I am addicted to these reaction channels.
Back when I was a music-loving kid, running home from elementary school so I wouldn't miss a minute of American Bandstand, and in the years that followed, much was very different than the way things are today. There was less to choose from. You acquired favorite bands, and followed them closely. The record labels forced their bands to put out albums more frequently, and you cherished rumors that a new release was on the way. Your friends all talked about the last album, and speculated about what the new one might bring to the table. The radio stations competed with one another for the right to preview the new single off the new album, trumpeting for days in advance the exact time their most popular DJ would give it a first spin over the airwaves. You had the chance to talk about that event excitedly when your buddies at school before it happened, and couldn't wait to hear what they thought of it the day after. I still can remember hearing the first notes of the local radio premier of the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" and being astounded by its power and anger.
All of this was done with a sense of living within a community where you saw, touched, spoke to, and listened in return to live people together in the same room. This internet thing is amazing in its own right, but it is a very different way to live. I have online friends from all over the world whom I'll almost certainly never see in person. I can dial up exactly, and only, the precise music I love the most, and much of it is the art of bands most of the world, and all of my local friends, have never heard their name or their music. I'd love to discuss my faves with them, but they all have their own faves, exactly what they love, and, for the most part, bands I've never heard about. The web has allowed us to indulge our individuality, which is wonderful, but it has come at the cost of a loss of a sense of community. My kids are long grown up now, and I know I'm out of touch, but I doubt kids today sit together, look each other in the eye, and talk excitedly about the upcoming new release by a band they all follow together.
Damn Dude, you make me travel in time with that comment! All true.
I try to share the music I'm passionate about to younger people, mostly friends of my 40 year old son and they'll politely listen and show some interest.
@@melissakhalar1842 My mom tried that with me once after I had asked her what she loved to listen to. As she had gotten older, she never played any of her albums, and she only listened to news or talk radio. So we sat down together in my room where I had the only turntable in the house and she spun for me (actually, I had to spin it for us, because she had no idea how to use my modern (for 1970) turntable, and I got to listen to the light operatic offerings of Jeannette McDonald and Nelson Eddy. I did so politely, told her they had very nice voices, then quickly exited the room while desperately trying to continue with the squelch of my screams of horror.
@@Yesquire0 Lol. My mom turned me onto Leonard Cohen and Marty Robbins and so my ears were not harmed. Lmao. Still listen to them and have seen Mr. Cohen in concert. RIP Leonard.
I show the young people Jethro Tull live on video and when Ian Anderson's flute playing starts they have a look of What the Hell! Lol
@@melissakhalar1842 I'm not sure if what I"m about to say is entirely true, but my Mom was born in 1905, and was a young lady out on the town in 1930. Popular music back then was way, way different. "Bands" had 30 people in them, and if they had a guitar at all in there someplace, it was acoustic and used as a rhythm instrument. There was a huge change in the 1960's, probably occurring due to the electrification of musical instruments, and the rise of the guitar as a lead instrument. Four of five guys were a band. They could produce a large enough sound with that electrical boost. There are many bands today who make the same sort of music as we listened to in 1970. There is more of a commonly to the sound and the format between 1970 and 2020 than there is between 1920 and 1970. This is not universally true. Our current music scene is highly fragmented, and rappers and hip-hoppers don't follow the 1970 format of a band, or for music, also. I'd probably enjoy some grey-haired lady reacting on UA-cam to gang-banging rappers, if I could stand more than two seconds of rap. Thankfully, the norm appears to be young people reacting to the music of our youth.
We used to read rock music magazines like Rolling Stone, Creem, Hit Parader, Circus, etc. every month. The weird thing about Ray's organ solo is that he plays it differently every time. Not just on different records, but on the same record.
I remember being seven years old, in the backseat of my parents' station wagon (complete with faux wood side panels) as my dad drove around Los Angeles in the evening for whatever reason, but thankfully he deferred to us kids and set the radio on 93 KHJ. This came on and I remember thinking, this is the greatest song I've ever heard. Once again, I beseech you to listen to the song The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss by the band X. Ray Manzarek's organ solo shreds like you wouldn't believe. Yes, he could even do punk. Not that I expect a video, but whenever you find the time, I swear you won't regret it.
Yes, Ray soars on this one! Before the internet and 12,000 TV channels we had AM radio and then FM. We listened, we learned, we became FM underground radio deejays, and we heard the music. Now we gladly pass it on! Great review, Justin.
I was 4 when this came out and still had the good sense to realize how great Ray Manzarek was on keys! Hearing Light My Fire on the radio is one of my earliest memories.
"I like to dream. Right between the sound machine." This song has provided a substantial portion of the soundtrack of my life. I used to lay on the floor, head between stereo speakers inches apart, volume cranked to eleven. I had a tire, wheel and all, shear off right after exiting a freeway while Light My Fire played. I was going 2 MPH instead of 70 MPH. Jose Feliciano does a fantastic cover of this song too.
The Doors have never clicked for me but then I've never heard this full version before (didn't know it existed), only the single. The organ & guitar solos really are on fire and lift the song to a whole other plain. It's really changed my perception of this track.
When I was in 7th grade all kids had to take a music appreciation class. Every couple of weeks, the teacher would have a trivia contest on popular music and give away prizes. Since I had two older brothers who liked music and I was getting into music on the radio, I had a pretty good foundation. I smoked the competition on the first trivia contest. That motivated me to learn as much about music as I possibly could. I spent a lot of time listening to music with my brothers and asking them lots of questions about bands, musicians, and discographies. There was also a convenience store down the road that had lots of music magazines on the shelf. I would frequently go there to play video games and read magazines. The brother of my brother’s girlfriend was usually behind the desk so I was never kicked out.
I was very shy growing up but I was getting recognized for my music knowledge. Peers were picking me first to be on their trivia teams in music class while others were asking me about music in general and asking for suggestions on what they should listen to. It was a great morale booster for a shy and insecure 12-year-old.
I’m still very interested in learning about music and musicians but it’s hard to find the time to dedicate to it. It’s one of the reasons why I love your channel so much!
I think the feeling that all of the Doors had more to give was in all of us at the time. The loss of Jim Morrison had a huge cultural impact.
It is difficult to stress how revolutionary this song was. Long instrumentals were not part of rock and roll. So many parents complained about the effect this song had upon us to KEEP radio that the DJ could only play this after 10pm.
I used to hear my Dad yell from his bedroom, "Carla, turn the radio up!" Dad found this shall we say--inspirational.
I don't know enough, but I don't think this was the first such song, but it's clearly part of the progression in "pop" music in the late 60s (along with Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper and Pink Floyd). I guess Iron Butterflies In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and a Saucerful of Secrets from the following year ran with the idea of longer more musical songs.
A HUGE hit, with the solos cut out, so what the AM radio crowd was getting was only the tip of the iceberg. I think that says a lot for the Door's playing/singing/writing. But, if you bought the album and heard everything that they had, it was almost magical. I heard it a thousand times on the radio before hearing the uncut version, probably around '71 or so. Once I did hear it, I could never go back to or be happy with the radio edit, even though I had loved it for many years.
As far as knowing as much as we do about music, a lot of my knowledge came from reading the magazines of the day; Creem, Circus, Rolling Stone (which used to be sooo good). Add to that, a lot of being there while the music was being recorded and released helped, for sure. And hours upon hours of sitting and reading all of the information on and in the album covers and sleeves, with a big slice of studying the album artwork thrown in for good measure (when the artwork was 12" x 12", rather than Tom Thumb sized).
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Love ya, dude. Keep up the good work!
I was 10 years old when I first heard "Light My Fire". I liked the spookiness of it, although Jim Morrison seemed angry and a little scary. Then later on, José Feliciano did a nice mellow acoustic version that made the charts, and the song seemed less scary.
@Rusty Shackleford Great live story - were the band at the Whisky a Go Go still? Jim was scary without even trying. When I saw the Doors on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Robbie Krieger looked like he was beat up, and even had a black eye. Nobody explained anything about this, and with Jim looking natural and self-absorbed, I was certain he played a part in beating up Robbie. I later learned that prior to the TV appearance, Robbie was in a car accident.
our "musical knowledge bank" was made with qualities that you seem to already possess, the passion for music and curiosity. You remind me of me at your age. I am 46. I want you to know that you help me improve my english (im a french canadian).
I’ve been listening to you for a long time, it’s the first time I’ve written to you, continue like this!
Have a Nice day!
Welcome friend.
@@-davidolivares I’ve been here since he listened to firth of fifth from Genesis. I’m a big Genesis fan.
@@-davidolivares thanks!
Thanks so much Yves!
This is a song that you listen to in your room, with the lights turned off, your eyes closed, and letting your mind take off.
By the way, this song was written by Robby Krieger, and it was the first song he had also written. He wrote it as a folk song, but in the studio, John Densmore, who was a jazz drummer, said, "We have to add some Latin to the song," and thus added a Latin Beat to it. The entire song was a collaboration between all 4 members. The song has stood the test of time.
Considering The Doors really didn't have a bass player, that fell to Ray, along with all the other keyboard wizardry should tell you enough about his insane talent! Together with John Densmore on drums, they made a wonderful rhythm section, but then Ray would go on a tangent with his other hand and give you a crazy keys solo - and STILL keep the rhythm going! RIP Mr. Manzarek!
This song is so iconic - and has long been a fave of mine! So many of The Doors songs are timeless classics. As others have mentioned, bring on The End, Riders On The Storm.
There was usually a session musician playing bass in the studio though. It's unclear who played on light my fire but it was probably one of the wrecking crew.
@@zoeherriot indeed, I did forget to mention that. Larry Knechtel was the bass player on the studio track - and yes, part of the Wrecking Crew (how many sessions did they contribute to, eh?!)
Live it was all Ray, and that was my main point - he could hold down the low end, maintain great rhythm with Densmore AND still do some crazy solo stuff! The man was a groovy force!
@@EchoesDaBear Oh for sure - his live playing is so good, I'm sure that has contributed to the myth that there was no bass players on the albums. I mean - he could have done it - it was probably more due to practicality or sound quality.
The funny thing about that session though is there is contention over which Wrecking Crew player was on it - Carol Kaye or Larry Knechtel (I think the consensus is Larry - but it's not clear).
Yeah - regardless - these guys were a force musically. :)
Justin, there were also several "Rock Music" publications at the time, like "Cream" & now I can't remember the others (Crawdaddy?), so teenagers like me in the '70s pored all over these AND of course reading the album covers while listening.
The other one i can remember from that time was Circus magazine, Cream's direct competitor.
Circus, Melody Maker
The first Rolling Stone Magazine was released on November 9, 1967 and it was mostly focused on music and musicians for many years. Sadly that’s not been the main focus for a long time.
The music created in this era was the product of genius and incredibly talented artists, we were starving to learn as much as could about them.
One of the classics of the 60's. Heard it millions of times yet it is still such a great song, well put together and perfect in any setting. Cheers!
The Doors...Roadhouse is a must hear
Age ,life experience, older siblings and relatives plus listening on the radio. My brother owned many records aim the late sixties to the mid 1970’s and then I started purchasing albums. Back in the sixties , seventies, and until the mid 1980’s great musicians and music flowed freely and always on the radio stations.This of course is a legendary song, band and organ playing of Ray Manzarek .👍🏻❤️☮️
Great song, great band, great album can’t wait for you to get to The End
jp has heard one of these 'classics' about a year ago. was it 'riders' or 'the end' or one of the others?
I'm hot and cold on The Doors but love this tune. The solos are amazing and I was completely unaware of them for a number of years as I only knew the AM release version. Finally heard the full tune on a late night FM program and : mind blown.
Great observation Justin about how those of us who grew up with these bands know so much about them. I think part of it is because there were usually liner notes included with the record albums and we'd read them over and over again. And of course over time, especially since the advent of the Internet, we're been provided with documentaries and stories about them as well. Hearing Light My Fire always brings up memories of riding in my best friend's van, smoking doobies and listening to The Doors, The Who, Rolling Stones, Cream, Butterfield Blues Band, etc. BTW, we never got busted!
Morrison was something else. And The Doors were a GREAT band. Took me years to break through the darkness they exude and really dive into them. Glad I finally did.
The Doors have a way of creating a mood don’t you think? Brings me right back to the first time to the first time I heard it! Fantastic don’t you think??
I do think!😃
Definitely
Jim Morrison thought of himself as a poet first, and a Rock god second. Morrison and Ray Manzeric were the co founders of The Doors. Morrison was in UCLA film school at the time, and Manzeric was just laying around on the Beach, taking LSD. Morrison said he had written a song, but couldn't come up with a catchy opening. A little over 2 hours later, they came up with the epic organ opening to "Light My Fire." Anyone over 50 years old, and surely over 60 plus, knows what's being played after the first 5 organ notes. And the rest is history. So many crazy good songs written and performed in the Hippie and Drug generation, known as the crazy, and turbulent 60s. I was there, and there has never been a more fun, and yet so horribly sad decade. The Doors were the embodiment of the late 1960s. And like both Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, of the same era, Morrison would sadly die in France and join the infamous "27 club." Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison all were superstar Rock/ Blues Headliners at the time, and all died at age 27. Very strange.
Brings me back to the summer of '67 when my brother brought home the first two Doors albums. We played over and over that whole summer. I think you're ready to listen to "The End".
Ray was such an amazing keyboardist. Love playing his solo from this song!
Having read all the comments, I don't think I have anything to add. Good review. You remind me how good these familiar songs really are. When I was a kid I only heard the AM radio short version. The solos make the song so much more impressive.
"How do you know this much?"
I'm kind of a music nerd. I grew up pre-internet. One thing I would do, and still do, is read all of the credits on the album. I still buy CDs to get those inserts and booklets. (You'd be surprised what you can learn.) I also worked in record stores where I felt it was my job to know as much as I could about the music in my store. The top 40, and the obscure. Then I read a lot of music biography's.( I read Ray's book. ) And everything is searchable now. So I'm still learning.
@Rusty Shackleford I found it fun. I thought everyone did it.
This came out when I was 15. I didn't get The Doors until a few years later around the time Jim died. They were like nothing else around. They remain one of the most influential groups.
One thing I love and that’s a big stylistic identifier w the Doors: by playing the bass w his left hand, Ray’s left hand bass parts are ‘triadic arpeggios’- very pianistic; even when their bass lines were reinforced in the studio w a bass, the lines were written to be able to be played live on stage with that left hand.
Man.. this still hits the spot doesn't it.. sounds so goood...
So yes, this is the song that made the Doors a household name. The album version is not what we heard on the radio. That radio edit was such a summertime staple that year. I believe that was the summer when many souls were ‘psychedelicized’. I love your description of the ‘call of the void’. Reminds me of a moment in Carlos Castaneda’s ‘The Adventures of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge where Don Juan has given Carlos a powerful plant called ‘the Devi’s weed’ and Carlos is convinced that he has taken the form of a crow and has flown and seen the land below as a crow sees it. “Did I fly Don Juan? Did I fly?” Glad to see you discover this classic!
Now that you've experienced this classic , you should also check out the Jose Feliciano acoustic cover - it's quite beautiful and makes appreciate this song in a whole different way .
years of practice, experience, and a passion for music
Love the longer version for sure. Reminds me of When the Musics Over. My dream concert in the 70’s would have been The Doors with Cream.
We know so much because we are old and lived this music as kids. It is great to see you (and other reviewers) love the music.
Around the time I turned 8 years old, this was a pretty big Top 40 hit. However, AM radio only played the short edited version. I remember when I first heard the full version, years later as a college freshman. A couple of years later the biography of Jim Morrison, "No One Here Gets Out Alive" was published. From that point on I was hooked. Been to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris three times over the years. I always visit Jim.
As a stubborn old dude who does not even really like The Doors, I still feel fortunate that this was a party staple equally loved by boys and girls of every creed and colour back when I was a teenager.
First guitar solo I've ever learned. Sat in my room for 9 hours straight and just plucked away until it was close enough. I lost track of time. If I used tab or could read music I'm sure it would have been faster. But I played by ear and I was in middle school and basically just started guitar. It was amazing. Love Robby, and love The Doors.
Imagine the popularity of this song when it first came out!! "Huge" doesn't quite describe it. Man, if the internet and Twitter existed back then.....I remember talking about this song with my friends when it hit the AM radio. It was a cool departure from my Beatles, Beach Boys, and Simon & Garfunkel. Though the Beatles did get A LOT more interesting music-wise in their last few years together. Music was a common topic of discussion among friends and we learned about bands we liked and read about from each other.
Once upon a time we used to sit in bars or dorm hallways and talk/argue about music. And the tidbits of facts that each brought to the table, apocryphal or not, stuck with you because you couldn't just do a quick Google search to learn and immediately forget. Then there were books. I read Jim Morrison's biography, but can't remember most of it. Suffice to say, he was a fascinating dude. Of course, nowadays, I do what everyone does. I Google, I wiki, I watch documentaries and concerts on UA-cam. With the advent of streaming I'm finally filling in the gaps of my favorite bands. I'm only slightly ahead of the curve on some of the stuff JP listens to, and occasionally behind. But I do tend to go really deep into one band at a time, watching, reading, and listening to everything over and over until I emerge several months later heavy with useless knowledge, desperate to share.
From my experience in the UK, knowledge was acquired from friends who had elder siblings, tremendous radio shows like "Your Mother Wouldn't Like It" (title says it all), tv programmes like "The Old Grey Whistle Test" and the inevitable staring at liner notes on lp covers for hours on end. If only I'd spent that much time on my studies ! Justin, if you're a fan of Ray, spare yourself ten minutes and find his UA-cam video of how "Riders On The Storm" came to be and his infamous keyboard part in particular.
Knowledge is just what builds up as you eat your way through your life's stock of experiences... it's no substitute for being young, open-minded and hearing sublime music with fresh ears! Beautiful reaction, keep up the good work.
I remember watching Jim Morrison and the Doors doing this tune on the old Ed Sullivan show back in the late 60's..they were banned from the show after that performance. Google or search YT sometime for that clip....I've always felt that JM was one of the original bad-ass frontmen in rock, ahead of his time...tragic ending, gave us a lot of great tunes in a short time span. Great reaction, Justin, glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t imagine the Doors, sounding like the Doors - without Ray Manzarek
For decades the top variety act show on TV was the Ed Sullivan Show (Not only the Beatles U.S. debut but Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Stones, James Brown plus more traditional acts appeared). The Doors were specifIcally told to change the lyrics of the song from "we couldn't get much higher" to "we couldn't get much better." They agreed, but when the time came, Jim Morrison sang the original lyrics - thus banning them from future appearances on the show.
Besides growing up in the 60’s-> we’ve listened, loved, memorized(know every note and word lol) and Felt the music. I have every album the Doors put out, read many books, listened to interviews etc-hungry to know about one of my fav bands! I know Even more about Yes! Of course they continue on putting out music today!❤️ Seen Yes only 48 times. ✌️
Great review. The mystery of the Doors is quintessentially heard in Light My Fire. Falling off a cliff is a nice illustration of how the Doors envelope us. Forgot how much I love this piece.
That voice. Wishful Sinful is my personal favorite single, the Soft Parade my favorite Doors LP. Light my Fire was a great piece vocally for Jim and the introduction to many who hadn't paid much attention to them by this time. The band had so many fantastic musical pieces its difficult to make one their biggest, yet this had to be it if only for the sheer number of people it appealed to. Damn ..even my grandmother loved this tune. ❤
I love the Doors and have listened to them and read about them for decades. I first went to see Jimbo's grave in Pere Lachaise cemetery in the early 80's when the bust of his head still existed (it's since been stolen). Been back there to pay my respects at least five times since then
I love how the musicians listen to each other and copy what the others are doing. It’s so beautiful. World class jam!
Listening to this in the car with my grandmother years ago, during the instrumental she asked if the record was skipping.
Glad you 'discovered' the Doors - I would recommend these for follow-up reactions: "Riders on the Storm" (another Manzarek opus keyboard solo), "When the Music's Over", "Strange Days", "The End", "LA Woman", "Break on Through". Keep it up - you always brighten my day.
FYI, Ray played a pedal bass most of the time so Robbie could concentrate on rhythm/lead guitar....
Saying good morning and listening to Light My Fire for the first time...Damn. That's a good morning.
I'd say😁🔥
This song always reminds me of the bushfires that destroyed parts of three Sydney suburbs while Jose Felicianos version of this song was playing constantly on the radio. Standing in the field south of the house, with the whole southern horizon one vast orange glow lighting up the night, and this song playing on the radio in my hand. I did know The Doors version, but Feliciano's version was the bigger hit here.
For me, if I like a composer/band/artist, I just become more curious about them... so, in my youth, when I found out that I really loved music, I went to the library and searched for books and articles about them... that's kinda how it all started actually. Something like: who are these people who comfort me and make me happy just because of their music?
This was an iconic song at the time of the Vietnam War, protests for the legalization of pot and the Hippy Peace movement. This was also a nice change from the simple love songs at the time. The Beatles released "Sergeant Peppers" that year. A lot of cultural change started in 1967, and Light My Fire takes us old folks right back to that time. Thanks JP. Please add "World Became the World" (PFM) to your list. No such thing as too much Mellotron.
Brilliant song, worthy of being in an all time song hall of fame. I remember the first time I saw a picture of Jim Morrison, I was expecting a big burly bruiser and was really surprised (there was no internet in those days). Nice review too JP.
Doors are definitely on/in the mix but, hadn’t put LMF on... it’s on now.
@@-davidolivares Happy days!
... instead of burly, male model.
A good snowy morning to everyone. Normally I would be griping about snow this late in the year but it is pretty close to drought levels of dry here so I will gladly take the snow.
You can imagine how hard this song hit on AM radio. It was amazing at the time and it is still a great song... and a great review.
Without trying to sound condescending, we grew up without smart devices or the internet, you had to leave your home to buy music. The car or transistor radio was our source for reliable music news stories, music magazines. We had world class songwriters and musicians.
Hello, Justin. Dave from an unlocking London. It Can't Come Quickly Enough! Quite simply, this is one of the all-time great rock songs. Great love song too (I remember dancing to this version at a youth club disco, with a girl who didn't look at me once!). As you say, this is Ray's tour de force. Wonderful riff, and then he plays one of the most sensational solos (matched for me only by Rod Argent's in Hold Your Head Up). It also spawned one of the great covers (as Sidecar Dog & Woody have already mentioned). Latin singer and guitarist Jose Feliciano interprets it as a slow, jazzy smoocher - brilliant! As for standing on the edge of a cliff, I just don't, as my legs go to jelly.
My older brother bought this album when it came out and when my mother heard the lyrics to this song banned me and my younger sisters from playing it. Little did she know that I heard it daily on my transistor radio. Hahaha.
Absolute classic It is fire Possibly most memorable male voice in rock
Timeless. Such a good mood, too.
The Doors is one of those bands I've never quite clicked with, but every now and again I stick on one of their albums to see if I can get into them. I might give them another go soon. However, I will agree...Ray is such a great player!
I was in high school in 1967. How could I NOT know about them!? lol
Hey Justin, the Doors are one of the more documented bands that came out in the '60s. Besides listening to their first 6 albums constantly for years, most everything you need to know about them can easily be found in two places. First since you mentioned that you like to read, get a copy of No One Here Gets Out Alive(1980) a great book on the Doors written by rock journalist Jerry Hopkins, who also wrote Elvis: A Biography(1971). He co-authored this history of the Doors with Danny Sugerman, who was around Jim Morrison and the Doors since he was a 12 year old kid and did stuff for them and eventually became their manager. Next watch the Oliver Stone film The Doors(1991) with Val Kilmer playing Morrison. This will sort of take you back and give you a perspective on this period of American music and history. Other groups will take a lot of research on your part but most of the Doors history has been compiled for all. There are also a vast amount of Doors stuff out there, but I would start here.
Light My Fire is probably the biggest or greatest song in 1967. It is probably my most listened song in my iphone. This kind of music or song was called 'acid' rock. I didn't take drugs or got high at that time but I guess that's what some people experienced what drugs was like when hearing this song.
The Doors' music is really well produced and engineered. It makes for a timeless and excellent experience.
Doors live in Detroit. blistering recording. Morrison takes the spotlight, but he is nothing without the rest of the band. Ray is the Count Basie of Psychedelia. The notes aren't everywhere except where they need to be.
Immortal song. Perfect. Fresh as in 1966 even now. Superb theme, great voice, astonishing solos.
I love your analogy of the call of the void. I hadn't heard of it before. And it seems especially appropriate for the Doors! This song is great in that the band was allowed to show their musicianship without being overwhelmed by the personality of Jim Morrison. The pressure on Jim Morrison to be the iconic figure the fans wanted became too much even for himself (this happened to a lot of bands in the '60s and early '70s. The Moody Blues' "I'm Just A Singer In A Rock 'N' Roll Band" addresses this phenomenon). I've long felt that the image of Jim Morrison often got in the way of the Doors' music, and that made their music inconsistent. Nevertheless, when they were great, they were really great.
The call of the void... maybe that's what made me learn vertical rope-work all those years ago... The feeling you explain is still exactly how it feels to go over a lip. I still love it!
Definite candidate for the greatest rock song of all time.
WE know cuz we grew up listening to the radio. --Old Timey Dude