The Doors, Riders On The Storm - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубліковано 23 вер 2023
- #thedoors #ridersonthestorm #jimmorrison
What a great descriptive price of music! Isn’t it amazing how music itself without words can express such fine detail as the prepositional difference between “on” and “through”?
Here’s the link to the original song by The Doors:
• The Doors - Riders on ...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by The Doors
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That keyboard solo still has to be one of the greatest even today!
Have you heard ships w/sails? Ray goes xgames mode on that jawn lul. Seriously though, it’s beautiful what ray does on it especially the ending. And this working right after la woman so it’s the same feel if Jim were there to sing it. Man only if
I could not agree more. I grew up with the Doors, but the keyboard solo 50 years later sounds still as awesome as when I heard it for the first time. It was great hit in the Netherlands. Our music teacher in high school kept analysing it in our class. This song will be in my top 3 to take to a deserted island.
Actually the outro is better, ray started good on the bridge solo but then kept repeating the licks which kinda threw me off because he was a phenomenal player and he could've done something else.
The echo to his voice that you hear is actually the very last thing that Jim recorded. They recorded him whispering the lyrics to sit just under the main vocals giving that eerie echo sound.
I was just going to point out the same thing. It is so subtle but adds another layer of brooding menace, like the hitcher is leaning over in your backseat and whispering in your ear. I wonder if the whispering idea was lifted from The Moody Blues track 'Don't you feel small' which was released on their 'Question of balance' album on the 7th Aug 1970, and 'Riders on the storm' was recorded from December 1970 into January 1971. The Moodies album reached number 3 on the US Billboard chart and their music fitted in well with the L.A. hippie culture, The Doors and their producer were very likely aware of their music, although The Doors took this eerie production idea to a much darker side of the psyche.
Also, didn't they record the whole LA Woman album in someone's bathroom or something which gave it a strange sound (I could be mistaken and getting Morrison myth confused with reality, though).
Then he started to record as Rush.
Thanks for that 👍 I was unaware of the recording process for this song. Do you know if they used an echo plate during the recording as well? It sounds a bit like one.
I Thought so! I can hear it Best at the End of the song...
The Doors' mega-smash "Light My Fire" needs a review, as do the jazzy "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" and the introspective "People Are Strange".
Yes, please
I second those selections. 🙂
Up
Alabama song is pretty cool too
LA Woman and Peace Frog are great, as well. I like driving to LA Woman, and Peace Frog is jazzy social commentary.
The guitar effect is called "Tremolo". It was built-in on old Fender amps and you could control intensity and speed with two knobs.
And the piano is a Fender Rhodes, its bell-like timbre became very popular amongst jazz and rock musicians.
Thanks! Good information….
Only note that Fender were wrong. Tremolo is a fluctuation of volume, vibrato is a fluctuation of pitch. Fender would call the vibrato bridge (whammy bar), a tremolo, which is utterly incorrect but now of often the used term. The same happened on their amps when they would incorrectly call the tremolo effect, vibrato.
Old '50s Silvertone amps had a really nice tremolo effect.
@@terrycunningham8118 When I was 14 in 1964, like most boys my age, I got an electric guitar.. A classmate of mine had a Sears Silvertone amp and we would practice together at his house after school. His name is Ted Nugent. He wasn't the last of my Highschool practice buddies to become famous musicians.
The Fender Rhodes is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
Ray Manzarek's Fender Rhodes work here is incredible, the repeated descending notes pattern reminds me of the storm's raindrops. The basic 2-3 note melody was "influenced" by the song "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" after the band heard the latter on the radio. The lyric "There's a killer on the road" is a reference to the infamous 1950s serial killer Billy Cook. This is classic Doors!
I'd say Ray was listening to Advice to Medics (1957) by jazz genius Sun Ra.
Wasn't it a reference to Zodiac?
The Doors were truly a perfect band. Jim was the brooding poet/wild child, Ray was a genius on the keyboards, Robbie was a very nuanced player that knew exactly when to play and even more importantly when not to. John held them all together perfectly on the drums.
Krieger the genius, wake up
Densmore is criminally underrated.
@@gforce4063 I never said he wasn't.
Particularly good choice for showcasing The Doors as a complete, and very talented, band.
Once again, it's a song by the Doors, not only Jim Morrison, they play musically an equal part to Jim Morrison's genius. Great musicians they were all and the song is credited to all four.
Krieger genius
One thing to remember is that Manzerek is playing the organ with his right hand only. He is playing a keyboard bass with the left. He is amazing.
This song and a lot of their later stuff has session bassists recording in the studio.
I agree that Manzerek was a great player. But playing base with one hand and melody with the other is not what makes him so. Every pianist does that all the time.
In this album they used a bass player, but Manzarek talked about how he came up with the bass line on his keyboard and showed the bass guitarist... who promptly called him crazy. On keys it's simple, but on a bass it requires some big moves.
This song is from the L.A. Woman album. It's amazing. Not a bad or even mediocre song on it. Any song could have been chosen for radio air play. My favorite song on it is "Hyacinth House." When you run into Doors fans, it's those songs that didn't make it to radio that they love the most.
Hyacinth House and End of the Night are amazing…
I am 62. In my teens I got a small transistor radio that I could hide under my pillow and surreptitiously listen after my parents had sent me to bed. In particular I could listen to a show on Capital Radio called "Your Mother Wouldn't Like It" featuring DJ 'Little' Nicky Horne. And the first (or at least the first memorable) piece that I heard was this one. I don't know how much of my reaction to the piece now is to the music and how much is because of that nostalgic memory.
I had a radio like that I’m Scottish and listened to Radio Caroline a boat outwith the waters belonging to uk tax. My god I heard EVERYTHING. Educated me.
I am a bit older than you but I did the same thing. I not only listened to music, though. The first time I remember doing this I was listening to the Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay fight when the future Mohammed Ali first won his championship.
Same here. Little Nicky Horne was my introduction to a wonderful world of music! I still get nostalgic chills when I hear 'Jessica' on the radio. :D
I don’t think the Doors were around when I got my crystal set 😂
For me it Radio Luxembourg under the covers😊
Morrison's voice rarely gets the credit it deserves. I'm glad to hear you enjoy it.
Also, with regard to the title being the first line of the song, if you read Morrison's poetry books you'll notice he does this with his poems, too-i.e., the title of the poem is often the first line of the poem. This is not such an uncommon practice in poetry. If I'm not mistaken Dylan Thomas (who, I'm sure, was an influence on Morrison-and not just because of their shared drinking habits) almost exclusively used the first line as the title to his poems, followed by an ellipsis. Morrison was probably being quite retro at the time amidst all the neo-beat poets trying to subvert everything, like Ginsburg and even Bob Dylan giving their songs and poems strange and cryptic titles like "Howl" and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", respectively.
band & singer indeed misrepresented & not given proper due. it had a lot to do w/ morrison's in your face persona & the band's marketing of that pre his death & later w/ manzarek pumping that image also. it sold records, but hurt them as artist. but it doesnt take away from their talent & impact. it should be remembered they were performing their very powerful & visceral music of the first 2 albums by the summer of '66 live & had it perfected by august. the odine shows in nyc in the fall of '66 were legendary moreso imo then the whisky shows b/c by this point, the band was even better, yet still coiled and dangerous. go back and listen to all the music in '66, no one was this deep & dark pushing then the doors at that point. that gets overlooked how powerfully original it was. the only thing vaguely in that zipcode was the velvet underground. but the doors were even more dangerous & wide scaping. by '69 it all fell off the rails. but thru '68, though inconsistent (in '67-'68), when they were firing on all cylinders, no band was more lethal in that period. to their credit also, their last 2 albums showed growth in a mature way, yet still maintained that unique signature of out of kilter, yet observantly alive.
in re to his poetic style, he mixed beat style urgency, concise & intense imagary w/ blake symbolist structure to also draw out a wider thesis range that was multilayered. on one level, an on the ground narrative in a desolate yet intense envir, yet the lyrics also use that scene w/ key words to scale up the meaning to the culture & even the transcending back & forward civilization. like a hawks eye seeing more yet both as it circles higher. its a powerful technique but is missed by many when listening to him. notice how he uses throughout his long works a passage way of roads & rivers as metaphors for time. & he puts the character or theme in a mobile vessel to illuminate the present but imply the past & future. then he scales up to view the culture in metaphors of large scape terrain. thats a blake technique. he was getting better at this by la woman. had flashes of brillance when he got it right, like here. riders is a great introspective poetic view of the present period when he wrote it but also the cyclical west culture that we inhabit now & further back. all in one. notice too, the characters: the hitcher (forboding temptation); the car (passing thru time); the road (time & destiny); the storm (cyclical cultural strife). both conditions pressing on the indiv but also the culture. dense theme & underrated.
@@Yugoslav1918 ... I here what your saying, but I have a different take on them. To your point, they could be pedestrian. They were inconsistent & morrison could go off the rails in a very destructive & even immature way that hurt the band. & w/ the exception of the first & last album they could do filler that was weak & not standout for that era.... but where I part ways w/ you is when they got it right. perhaps their inconsistency had to do w/ morrison's lack of musical background (he didnt start music until 21). but it also allowed a window for his singular brillance. he had a certain vision of what art meant to him. he was also very smart & curious & had a deep reference file in his brain of literature, history, philosophy etc. It made be overplayed, but the guy was truly intellectually very smart & aware. he also had the b@lls to stick w/ his own vision & its what made their sound & approach singular. yes, it was inconsistent, but when it came together, they could and did hit the mothelode. both musically, stagecraft & lyrically. the end, when you consider the time it was made, its arguably the most powerful dark theater song ever written in rock. a major influence to roger waters and others. they have about 20 songs that are for the ages & will always carry a very unique signature that no band as ever really sounded like or captured. I also think if you understand blake symbolist technique, morrison had times nailed it well in drawing out large visual nearly cinematic scapes of ideas and feel. doing that consistently they werent good at & it wasnt easy, thus at times he ended up in parody of himself. & it was also a high profile trainwreck & in turn obscures how good they were when they got it right.
@@Yugoslav1918 agree.... good ear. waiting for the sun is his singing at best. sinatra meets psychedlia. excellent phrasing and tempo singing wise.
@@Yugoslav1918 yes, some of its over the top. his legend, his antics & the hype, wh/ ray endlessly pumped. it hurt them to a degree and draws away from when they got it right. morrison seemed conflicted himself too. part of him loved the fame & to ham it up and delve in the dangers of it. yet, part of him loathe it and himself for it & fought it both negatively in self destruction. but positively in trying to get back to his artistic mindset of straight stripped down orginality. & at least 20 times he pulled that off. ive come to find their last album their best. & thats a credit to both the band and morrison's own intergrity to try to get it right and grow. he went out strong regardless how damaged he was by that point. the good, bad and ugly he truly was a unique animal of rock, never to be reproduced.
Seems like the Doors are probably Amy's favourite band so far. Which is amazing...
I think it's too early to make that call.
Can’t blame her for liking the doors man, good music will always shine through.
Now I don’t want anyone talking this the wrong was but she probably also gets the sexy vibe from Jim, and why the heck not.
My favourite band
Love these explorations.
Thank you
I've been waiting for this one since your first Doors reaction.
I was not disappointed...Great reaction and analysis Amy!
Loving this; the Doors are the greatest American band of all time, in my opinion
All time? Or during that time?
Doors are the greatest american band of all time . only the english bands led, beatles and stones could rival them
They were very much of their time. If Morrison had lived, it would have been interesting how he approached the 70s and 80s, but the Beach Boys, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, REM, the Ramones, and the Talking Heads come to mind. If it were solo artists, Hendrix and Springsteen would top the list, not to mention Dylan. Oh yeah, and some guy named Elvis.
I'm glad you said that, it made me ponder it for a long time. I can't refute it, although I can't really rank music. There's nobody better, maybe, but there are others no one is better than as well. My problem with the Doirs now is that I have listened to them sooo much, being 70 yrs old, that I now listen to other less familiar music I think I'll spend the day listening to the doors
@@paulmartinson875 An honest answer. They are always in the mix as one of the best American bands, I'm just unsure if they are number one or not. I played a lot of Doors in bands over the years and it always struck me that the audience was always keenly aware of the songs by the end of the first bar. I just wish Morrison had lived, but shooting stars....
I'm happy that Amy seems to enjoy this band which has deeply affected me on a personal level. Her reactions add to my understanding of something important to me. Thank you!
I think Jim's "whisper track" is key in giving this recording its very ethereal sound.
This is one of the greatest rock songs of all time!!!!!
A personal reminiscence. It was the summer of 1972 and I was a newly licensed driver. We had crossed the high plains of Kansas and eastern Colorado for a family vacation road trip. I was behind the wheel and we were about 20 miles outside of Colorado Springs with the front range of Rocky Mountains dominating the horizon ahead. Dark, angry clouds were boiling up behind those peaks and bursts of static from not so distant lightning punctuated the music playing on the car's AM radio. "Riders On The Storm" came on that little AM radio. It was a perfect moment that this now old far..., ehr, dude recalls after over half a century. Music can do that.
That was really enjoyable. Its been raining here in NJ for 2 days so I could really feel the music. The Doors were willing to experiment with different musical influences, sounds and atmospheres and take their time doing it. They were not concerned with writing hit singles. Maybe that's why their music has the longevity it does. There is something timeless about songs like this, Riders On The Storm.
Timeless, yet very much of its time as well…….that psychedelic sound puts it immediately in the 60’s.
Guitarist Robbie Krieger said that due to the fact that the bass was played by keyboardist Ray Manzerak, he was forced to add some "bottom end" to his style of playing when they formed the band. It's not unusual for certain guitarists to develop their style in this way.
A great example of this is when Joe Walsh (who later joined the Eagles with Don Felder to "rockify" their sound) joined the The James Gang as a young guitarist just leaving Kent State University after the National Guard shootings. TWO members, including the rhythm guitarist, just didn't show for a concert. Joe Walsh said he was forced to add rhythm sections to his playing. He was so good at it, they stayed a power trio, with great songs like Funk #49, Walk Away, and The Bomber. Later, Joe would learn slide guitar from the great Duane Allman, and Joe became a sought after sessions guitarist ever since.
Actually every Door’s album had a bass player. The bass player most used was Doug Lubahn. On Riders on the Storm, it was Jerry Scheff.
Amy, perhaps your next song should be “Light My Fire”. Ray Manzarek, the organ player, was a classically trained pianist. The organ part for Light My Fire was based on Bach’s “Two and Three Part Inventions”. I’d be interested to hear your take on it.
Jim Morrison ‘s voice Manly haunting ,so mystic , so poetic , it actually.fits the music that he’s singing , Even Ray’s keyboard hitting certain
notes , also the drummer, and guitar player working in perfect harmony, to me on my observation is pure genius
Doors were deep... credit to you for covering on of the very best artist's of all time!
- 20:20 This guitar effect is called tremolo.
- 21:57 Also, this song is another example of how the Blues influenced Rock, since it basically has a Blues structure, using some modified chords and played in a non-shuffling way.
- 31:10 It's a trip. Amy, you realise this was a drug infued era, don't you?
- 31:57 That close echo effect is called reverb.
Both lyrically and musically, one of the best songs ever written. 😊😮
So glad you like this, it's my favourite Doors song. Only problem is it makes you drive fast. I'm just at the start but wait till you hear Ray in the middle section!
L A Woman
@@gforce4063 True, another license trasher!
I love the bass driving in the background all through this song. It’s crucial to this song (and many others).
Absolutely yes! Props to the great bassist Jerry Scheff 👍
I am surprised that the bassline was not mentioned. It is a very unusual line, and to me gives a very strange feel to the music, it is simple yet complicated. I have always wished that The Doors had had a bassist from the start, the later tracks like this one sound much better for it, the much vaunted Ray’s bass keys I think have dated poorly and the outside bass players showed how better textures could be had. As a bass player myself back then I learnt this line and found it “awkward” and seemed to be spread over two chords, it was very different to other stuff I knew then and its consistency seems to give a backdrop for the keys and guitar
Bass and drums. You don't look for them, the musicians are rarely the big names in the front, but it's what keeps a track together. When the guitar and the vocals are having a party on the roof, bass and drums are the walls that keep the roof up.
Sly n Robbie being the structural props for many great songs. As Grace Jones knows very well.
I enjoyed your take on this. Your insight is always enjoyable and thought provoking. I can't imagine what it must have been like when this was originally aired on popular radio. The entire band is excellent of course, but I feel the drummer is never given enough due. So much texture, subtlety, and playfulness goes into his playing. He's more of an introverted drummer, as opposed to being bombastic.
I agree. I like all the parts of this song, but the drummer is the glue that holds everything together. To me, the drums have a stealthy sound, like someone is creeping up on you that you can't quite see, but you can feel. The drums set the mysterious tone and keep it going, while the other instruments move in and out of the darkness, hanging on the spooky skeleton of the drums. Every element of this song is a pleasure, but the drums is the song's internal structure.
I have a feeling she’s really going to like this one 😊
Some early Fender amplifiers had a "tremolo" feature, which is that "stuttering" sound you hear. It's a very popular effect in Country music. Some Fender models still have it, and you can also buy stand alone effects to get the sound.
Drumming is fantastic. John Paul Densmore an amazing drummer.
Riders on the storm"; a beautiful epitaph. Morrison channeled his poetry into music in a theatrical way. I would recommend listening to analyze this facet, in this order: "Cristal ship" (1967); "The soft parade" (1969) ; "The celebration of the lizard" (Absolutely live; 1970). Thank you for sharing your complete analysis; a fraternal hug from Guanaqueros; Chile. Kristofer Bonifay.
LA Woman is the perfect intro into any rock music. As soon as the lyrics land the music is full on. That build up is my hands down best rock song intro.
I think the storm represents this life/world we are thrown into, and we become riders of that storm, experiencing both the good and bad things in life. I love experiencing the good side of thunderstorms (the exciting, the powerful, the needed rain), but if I or my house was struck by lightning, flooded, or destroyed by wind, I would experience the bad side of it. He expresses the joyful parts of life ("let your children play") followed by the tragedy that will happen if they pick up the killer hitchhiker ("You give this man a ride, sweet family will die"). And then speaks of love to help weather the storms of life.
What a fabulous band! I feel so lucky to have come of age when they hit the music scene.
I have always liked the interplay between Jim's voice and Robbie's guitar early in song. Jim sings his line, opens up a space and Robbie plays a fill then Jim sings another lone then Robbie comes back in. They don't step into each others space. This pattern continues throughout the song.
There's a second vocal track of Morrison mirroring the main in a whisper, all the way through
Nice detail
The song has that amazing flow.
The smooth vocals, in a duet with the guitar. The drums that keep going, not in a galloping rhythm, not in a mechanical rhythm, but with a flow that doesn't get boring. The rhodes piano that brings this bell like arpeggio of rain into the song, with a very jazzy solo.
The effect on the guitar is probably a tremelo built into the amp.
The Jazz influences come mainly from keyboard player Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore. Ray was deeply steeped in all kinds of Jazz and John grew up emulating Jazz drummers, Ray thought of The Doors as," the modern Jazz quartet of Rock And Roll"
The whispered backing vocal is much more apparent on earlier releases of the record, it gets largely lost in the remastered versions.
Listening to your comments regarding the "storm" sounds in the music put another song in my head. It's nothing like the Doors or this song, but stirred a memory. If you can, please have a listen to Into The Mystic, by Van Morrison.
I grew up listening to the Doors and other bands during that time. Jim's voice is haunting. Also the band got it's name from Aldous Huxley's infamous psychedelic memoir, “The Doors of Perception.”
It’s rarely mentioned, but I always liked the Doors song, Soul Kitchen. Nice, simple organ hook. Great vibe.
There's an interesting story about what inspired Souk Kitchen. Are you familiar with it? If not, I highly recommend checking it out.
love soul kitchen too.
Jim was a force of nature!
The sound effects set the backdrop, but the subtle interplay between Ray's cascades on electric piano and Robby's tremolo guitar effect they perfectly capture the magical sound of rainfall, particularly in the coda as the storm begins to pass and the last raindrops dwindle in the puddles.
The Doors' keyboard player Ray Manzarek was a classicaly trained pianist who also played jazz and blues piano. The "stuttering" effect you hear on the guitar is called tremelo. It is built into some guitar amps and guitar pedals. It changes the volume up and down at an adjustable speed and depth with a few dials. Chet Atkins help make this a popular effect back in the 1950's on his own records and even on some Everly Brothers songs like "til i kissed you".
I'm glad you like it! It's so deep and soulful! They take their music serious. Not looking for popularity with a basic hook to it.
Even the musical parts are mesmerizing and the music just speaks to you as well. WOW!
Big the doors fan here. Right now my favorite song and it has been for years now is Hyancith House, but that’s because we Doors fan as every fan does, start liking the most obscure stuff after a while. But my official favorite song is Moonlight Drive. Please listen to them if you can.
One night in the eighties I was walking to the Mayfair Market on Santa Monica Boulevard, which would close at midnight. I walked for a few minutes and I saw Ray Manzarek (keys - Doors) with a tripod and camera, standing on the corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica. He was taking pictures of the Alta Cienega Hotel, where Jim Morrison lived (mostly) in his off hours. Jim loved to just walk around West Hollywood, often with Pamela. At the time West Hollywood was the coolest town on Earth (until the late eighties). I spoke to Ray. "Hey, man, I love your work! So, Jim's fave home?" and we spoke for a few minutes and god help me I asked for an autograph, something I had never done before. He signed the top page of Rolling Stone magazine from my backpack, which featured the Pretenders on the cover so it must have been about 1983 or 4? He was a really nice guy. Jim's room was right over the entry gate to the hotel so it was easy to focus on that area, I forget the room number. I missed the Mayfair Market window of shopping but I didn't care. After that I had no trouble asking for autographs as the coolest celebs hung out and lived in West Hollywood. When I saw Ric Ocasek on Sunset Boulevard I asked for his autograph, which he granted. His drummer was walking with him and he was hurt that I didn't know his name so I apologized and begged him for an autograph, which he granted. Ah, fame.
Awesome reaction. I loved it, and I love this song. Along with Morrison's voice, the Doors have such a unique sound which you are noticing and now getting familiar with. I can understand why they are starting to become one of your favorite bands so far. I am looking forward to when you return again to the Doors in the future. They have several really good songs I think you will also like a lot.
I suppose if Jim lived they would have gone more in this direction, a jazzy poetry kind of thing
@@Hartlor_Tayley Yeah, who knows where he would have gone with his gift. I have always found it interesting how so many of the very creative types leave us early. Such an amazing body of work in such a short period of time. In the artistic world, it may in part be related to consuming those substances that help tap into their creativity, but also lead to premature deaths. Some survive, but many don't.
@@LeeKennison also since schizophrenia and creativity seem to be linked and schizophrenia seems to emerge around the age of 27, well maybe there is some of that too.
@@Hartlor_Tayley Yeah, many of the most creative types struggle with mental health issues, along with addictions. Something with how the brain works I guess. Two sides of a coin. Both a miracle and a tragedy, depending on how you look at it. In some respects, an analogy of life itself, which I think this particular song taps into.
Yes
A lot of songs by The Doors are titled with the opening line. "People Are Strange," "Love Her Madly," Hello, I Love You," "Touch Me," to name just a few. But others, like "Crystal Ship," "Roadhouse Blues" and "Light My Fire" show that the band did it all. Morrison was, after all, a poet.
There is eloquence available through simplicity, and this song embodies that perfectly.
I think one of the key lines in this song along with what you pointed out at the beginning about throwing is .."like a dog without a bone ...an actor out on loan". I think we are all Riders on The Storm. The song is simplistically complex...in music and in ideas as you have so eloquently pointed out.
he had perfected symbolist density by this point word usage wise. sparse but dense. blake symbolist style w/ beat urgency imagary mixed. whitman, crane were masters at this and also blake influenced. morrison was in that vein, even though he was mixing in more psychology & modern cinematic imagary.
It's got a undertone of darkness along with a lullaby kind of innocent backbeat to it.
Fantastic song. As the last song he recorded, it's quite haunting. Great reaction, as always.
As you reviewed this song, I really loved your excitement for the music, the vocals, and the presentation. ❤ The Doors are my second favorite rock band of all time and on some days my favorite rock band of all time. You so eloquently expressed the reasons why I love The Doors' music so much. This isn't just predictable rock music. It is poetic music that deeply explores the many facets of life whether they're bad or good. When I hear Riders On The Storm, I see it as an expression of the human experience of life from birth through adulthood and the threats, difficulties, and procreation that are a part of life. There's much more to explore, appreciate, and love in The Doors' music; I truly hope you will continue to take us on this extraordinary musical journey with more The Doors interpretations. Now it is time for Vlad to get a The Doors T-Shirt for you. 👍👍👍
I really love The Doors, but Yes is my favorite. Who's yours?
The greatest rock band of all time in my mind is Pink Floyd. If The Lizard King had lived and beat his substance abuse problems, it would very likely have been the The Doors. @@dhfenske
That guitar effect that you mentioned (stuttering) is called Tremolo. As part of your journey you might want to look into the various electric guitar effects that are used (reverb, delay, tremolo, chorus, flanger, wah-wah, fuzz, overdrive, etc...)
A collab with JHS Pedals perhaps.
My favorite Doors song, it exudes "cool"! The first time I heard the part starting with "There's a killer on the road", it felt like a non sequitur, out of place, especially with the musical ambience of the song. But, it became apparent to me that Jim Morrison chose this seemingly random, low probability, and out of place threat as an illustration of "the storm". The music makes us feel "safe", just like the family in the song. We are unknowingly sidestepping dangers.
Conceptually, this use of a random and out of place event reminds me of "Synchronicity II" (by the Police), which tells and implicitly connects two stories in parallel that have nothing to do with each other other than that they're happening at the same time.
The pure joy you take from music and sharing it is so evident and genuine on your face is infectious.
When I was growing up, the local rock radio station would always put this song on whenever it started raining outside. I always thought it was cool - especially when I was driving my car in the rain and it came on.
It has been a long time since I listened to this song and it still touches me deeply. It resonates. I am happy and sad at the same time, I feel embraced and free at the same time. But I am mainly quiet gliding on the thunderstorm while beneath me the thunderstorm is raging. What real musicians can do with a few notes.
When I was in college, I enjoyed so many great rockbands like the Doors, Queen, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits.
I am going to dive in again.
that song remains me everytime, that a former school friend has my lp since over 30 years now... and i still want the lp back one time...^^
Between your analyzes and community comments; this looks like a real Rock and Roll school. Congratulations, great job.
Would love to see your reaction to The Doors "LA Woman". I always loved the way the song seems to be song about a woman but it's really about the city of Los Angeles
I was riding my Harley through Arizona when I hit the biggest storm I had ever rode through, lightning was hitting the ground only metres away, I got through it by singing this song.
The appreciation of this Band is an intellectual and artistic Litmus Test of how I perceive the individual I am interacting with, it never fails as a useful qualifier and quantifier.
I read somewhere that Jim Morrison actually recorded the master for Riders, he was in Arizona on a Navajo Reservation during a monsoon storm, as is common for eastern Arizona and New Mexico from late spring into the fall.
The sounds of raindrops within the storm add to the tone, we do not hear the wind, but it’s thunder and musical raindrops.
It should also be mentioned that, the music was developed as the band was playing around in the studio with the Sons of the Pioneers’ song “Ghost Riders In The Sky”. If you’re familiar with that song you will definitely hear its influence on this song.
The Doors were and are enigmatic. Beyond Jim the essence is crucial to such a wide play of music on the radio back in the day. AMAZING!
I can only imagine what the Doors might have produced through the 1970s without the loss of Jim Morrison. Such a great loss. I feel a hole in my sole every time I listen to Riders on the Storm and think of what might have been...
Yes I always felt that The Doors were just finding their stride with LA Woman. Possibly the way Pink Floyd found their stride with DSOTM or Supertramp with Crime of the Century. Imagine what may have come in the following few years!
I don’t know what was in the water back then to make so many musicians that self-destructive. You could say the same about so many 1970s rock acts: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, The Who. AC/DC would’ve folded if they hadn’t lucked onto Brian Johnson.
@@headlibrarian1996 I'm not sure what your point really is. Most of the great bands had their run and then faded significantly. My feeling was that The Doors were just finding their best form, and so the greatness of what was to come was lost. Most of the other great bands had their run and burned out, so The Doors are not the same in that regard.
I took classically-focused piano lessons for years as a kid, and as a teenager, I learned how to play the guitar. I played in some bands in my teens and 20s. I listen to many musical genres, including a lot of jazz and classical music.
I think musicians who play various genres of music would recognize that the musicianship in "Riders on the Storm" is truly superb. The interplay between the keyboard and guitar, the drumming, and the way that the instruments set up the vocals are truly superb. This is as good as instrumentals ever get in Rock and Roll. The dynamics of the playing, the timing, and simply the groove in the guitar, keyboard and drums are all exceptional.
I think any truly good musician who would listen closely to "Riders on the Storm" would agree that the musicianship on display is very strong.
Also a musician. I used to listen to The Doors way back when and loved them. I have always made it a point to progress with the times, however recently, I've felt a major lull in inspiration. Hearing this again after over 20 years has triggered a spark. Thank you for reminding me/us.
And Ray is playing the bass and the keys at the same time. Wildly inspiring.
She is hypnotic when she speaks.
What a beautiful job you have done in reacting and musically dissecting this amazing Door's classic.
I'm sure Jim would be very pleased in the manner, depth and patience you have applied to his musical, vocal and lyrical approach in this amazing song.
And also your appreciation of the instrumentation, the piano in particular, and the themes in general they have provided which certainly broach the jazz and spacial ambience not normally visited in popular music.
Thanks again, you really are quite sweet in your presentation!
Shortly before his death in 2013, the great Ray Manzarek of The Doors sat in front of his beloved keyboard and told the fascinating musical story of how the iconic “Riders on the Storm” came to be : ua-cam.com/video/4ZJ7xhu-wy4/v-deo.html
Thank you for that great reaction and analysis. I now understand and agree with you regarding the line “Riders On The Storm” instead of Riders In The Storm. Also thanks to the commenters who provided additional information about this song, such as the whispering of the lyrics that was put behind Jim’s singing to get the expansive sound. Thanks to all. Keep doing what you’re doing.
This is going to be epic
The low guitar notes in the opening section following the words “riders on the storm” instantly give me the impression of a western film soundtrack, something like the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Not the same but suggesting it. I don’t know why but this western connection supports the lyrics somehow and like you say it is conjured from the most elegantly simple ingredients. Riders on the Storm is one of those songs that is more than just the sum of its parts.
As a 15-year old, I was blown away by this track; I still love it, and never tire of listening to it. The BBC would only play the shorter radio edit and I liked the full version that you reacted to, so I used to stay up and listen to Radio Luxembourg where they played this track every hour in full.
It's my favourite Doors track.
I'm not really a fan of the Doors, apart from the movie track from "Apocalypse Now", "The End".
An American Prayer......posthumous album of Jim's poetry that the remaining members put music to, not to be missed by someone who's appreciation is so obvious.
A lovely dissection and what a magic song, their last album with Jim and it's such a definitive statement. Now I feel like listening to L.A. Woman!
A magical haunting song that keeps you on the edge of uncertainty, somewhere between beauty and danger, not least because of Morrisons sonorous voice growling its way through a rainstorm in the desert - A short beautiful song worth hearing is from their eponymous first album, its called "Crystal Ship" which is Morrison writing about the group setting out on a journey and is somewhat prescient - its hard to pin down The Doors and why they did what they do so well but then thats part of the magic - I wonder what would they have become had Morrison lived?
Amy, You're a Doors fan!! I love it. 🥰✌, PJ
This channel is awesome. Great reaction.
i know this since 71, but these "reaction" - words of her are fantastic!
Thank you Amy. Great insight as always. Having been a rock musician playing with numerous bands as a hobby since 1964, I've enjoyed your channel very much. So much so that today I signed up on your Patreon.
Rock🤘😎
The fact that Jim Morrison could write such beautiful music astounds me. As a non-musician, it is just amazing that he had the grasp on musical theory and understanding, to write such great music.
I ever realized it, but now that you mention it, I had a little browse of the Doors songs on my computer , and yes, a lot of the lyrics start with the title of the song in the first line. I remember driving through Central Otago, New Zealand (aka Rohan), at dusk, with rain-clouds closing in. I didn't have the CD with me, but was lucky enough to be able to play this song in my head.
Amy. If you want to keep going with this magnificent group. You might enjoy the crystal ship
I love your break down and deep thought of the melody and lyrics
Genuine academic reaction is what we need. Not fake gurning into the camera. And this channel seems to do the former. Subbed.
There is a video on UA-cam where Ray Manzarek explains the whole story of how this piece developed. It would add much to your incisive reaction.
Amy: "As a pianist I can tell you that's a lot of fun to play." And the specific sound of this electric piano has become an iconic reference that many digital pianos have tried to copy. Performance-wise, Morrison is the star here, musically the pianist, but, all the members in the band are really great musicians.
I got to say there's something tantalizing about watching a virgin Rock woman listening to a rock song for the first time and actually getting a taste for it and liking it🎉❤
Amy. I believe the music you referred to (with thunder, rain, wind, babbling brooks, ocean sounds, birds, etc.) was from The Mystic Moods Orchestra (very popular in the early 70's). They played contemporary music and classical music (as well as their own creations) with the backdrop of nature sounds. I have several albums from that era.
Ray Manzarek's video explains the origin of this brilliantly
I. Like. Listening. To. Your. Crystal. &. Clear. Voice. Been listening to the Doors for 50 years now. At least 1 Doors song will be played on my funeral.
Glad you did this. Jim was a modern poet, but Ray Manzerack saw him on the beach and ‘accidentally’ bumped into him as he was looking for a ‘Looker’for his band he was amazed when Jim showed him his poems and got him to sing. He persuaded him to join the band . Jim was wild and broke thro many of huge restrictions held over the public esp teens. USA. But being the son of a navy general he did revert to type at times and had the control to record what he KNEW would be iconic music. Taking his influences from classical music and ancient history etc he used his knowledge well. Pse look at Emerson Lake and Palmer interesting band they introduced me to classical music Big hole for you to investigate. Idolised them.
I hope you get a chance to listen to Light my Fire by the Doors next - the keyboard intro is directly inspired by a Bach invention and because of this my personal classification of the song's 'style' is 'psychedelic baroque rock but make it blues'. They never fail to impress!