Genre: Blues/Jazz/Psychedelic Rock
Origin: USA
Release Year: 1967
Let's start this blog off with a bang. The Doors is my favorite band, hands down. It's really hard to classify their music, though. One song will be a slower, blues oriented rock song, with the next being of a jazzy, crooning style reminiscent of Sinatra. Regardless of their style, they really are one group that has made a huge impact on music, and with only a few albums. Their self titled debut is often credited as the best of their works, largely because of it's impact during a time when most of the bands were about free love and flower power. It's at times difficult to explain why I love this album, because it immediately hit me as awesome. A big aspect is front man Jim Morrison. His singing style can go from a harsh scream to a deep croon in an instant. But even more than that, his poetic, often deep lyrics suck the listener in and peak interest. The Doors are an antithesis to "bubble-gum" music because of this. The more you listen, the more interested you become. I think that's one reason their music has remained so popular after 40 years. It's absolutely timeless. Another very interesting and unique aspect of the music is Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing. It is prominent on every track, in both the melody and the bass line. He uses a Fender Rhoads piano bass for the bass lines, instead of the traditional bass guitar. Along with John Densmore's jazzy drumming style and Robby's flamenco trained guitar playing, this really is a band that has a completely unique sound.
The Doors
