Disc
Four - Band Favorites
RECORDED AT SUNSET SOUND
RECORDERS AKD ELEKTRA STUDIOS, LOS ANGSLES.
Robby,
Ray and John were asked
to
pick their five favorite Doors' songs.
Here
they are:
Robby
Light
My Fire 7:05
Written
by Robby Krieger. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Robby:
I couldn't imagine a Doors Box Set without this song.
I was the last member of The Doors to join up with the
band. Shortly thereafter, Jim said, "Hey guys,
we don't have enough original songs, why don't you try
writing." I went home and wrote 'Light My Fire'.
Peace
Frog 2:57
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Robby:
The sound on the opening guitar lick is perhaps the
first use of out of phase pickups. I didn't want to
wait for Jim to come up with lyrics, plus I couldn't
come up with anything, so we decided to record the track
without any idea of what the lyrics would be. Unusual
for us. Later, Paul Rothchild and Jim found the lyrics
in Jim's notebooks - the poem called 'Abortion Stories'
fit perfectly.
Wishful
Sinful 2:55
Written
by Robby Krieger. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Robby:
When Jim suggested that I write songs, I figured that
I would stick to his style of using universal images.
So I decided I would write about the four elements -
earth, air, fire, and water. 'Light My Fire' utilized
this advise as did 'Yes the River Knows', another water
song.
Take
It As It Comes 2:14
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Robby:
John and I were into transcendental meditation, that's
where we first met Ray, and some of my meditation friends
were pressuring me to use my influence to help the TM
movement and 'Take It As It Comes' just happened to
be one of the Maharishi's favorite sayings. And Jim
wrote the words' I wrote the music.
L.A.
Woman 7:49
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Robby:
To me, this is one of the true Doors songs. One day
we just started playing. I don't remember how it started
but it just kept evolving. Jim made up the words as
we went along and the song just grew (without the luxury
of playing it live on stage). A true group effort.
Ray
I Can't
See Your Face In My Mind 3:22
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Ray:
This is part one of a trilogy I'm dedicating
to Jim and Pam This is their story, A doomed and yet
incandescent couple. They were barely adults when they
were taken from us. Far too young-Far too tragic. I
love Robby's guitar on this song and I love the mood
i!: creates. The trilogy is called Tragic Love.
Land
Ho! 4:06
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Ray:
The Doors at sea again, i see a small whaling fleet
on the China Sea. Riding the waves, the great currents,
the winds of the Pacific. Robby's guitar sets the jaunty
tempo and we're running with the wind, bound for ports
unknown. In this song Jim is both the little boy on
his grandpa's knee and the grandfather himself. He can't
stay locked to the land. He needs adventure and danger
on the high seas. He's got to get his men and move on.
Into the unknown. I love the joyous ride out when Jim
shouts out "Land Ho!" and we ride and ride
on Robby's great guitar solo and John's ecstatic, propulsive
drums. In Jungian psychology, the sea represents the
unconscious... an area of the mind with which Jim was
most enthralled.
Yes,
The River Knows 2:34
Written
by Robby Krieger. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Ray:
The second song of my Tragic Love trilogy for Jim and
Pain. The piano and guitar interplay is absolutely beautiful.
I don't think Robby and I ever played so sensitively
together. It's as close as we ever came to being Bill
Evans and Jim Hall. We were so attuned to each other
that the jazz-like progressions came alive and shimmered
that day in the recording studio when we were young
and golden. As were Jim and Pam.
Shaman's
Blues 4:47
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Ray:
A jazz/rock waltz in 6/8 time. Densmore cooks
on this one driving the band with his drum shots on
the two beat a la Cannonball Adderley's 'Dis Here'.
A favorite of mine and John's. I'm in the pocket, Robby
wails and Jim is right on top of his very strange, very
mystical lyrics, He's in great voice and gives a great
reading. The whole band is in great form. Jazz/rock...
yes!
You're
Lost Little Girl 2:59
Written
by Robby Krieger. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Ray:
We wanted Frank Sinatra to cover this song after he
got his divorce from Mia Farrow. It would have been
very appropriate. I dedicate this to Jim and Pam as
the third song of my Tragic Love trilogy. May they rest
in the peace of each other's arms.
Robby:
This is Ray's choice. I just wanted to add that 'You're
Lost Little Girl"was one of the first songs I ever
wrote. I had trouble doing the guitar solo on this one
so Paul Rothchild had everyone leave the studio. We
lit some candles and turned out the lights. 'Try it
now," he said. I got it in one take.
John
Love
Me Two Times 3:15
Written
by Robby Krieger. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
John:
I enjoyed finding a unique way of shuffling across the
drum kit, instead of playing the traditional 2&4.
When
The Music's Over 10:56
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
John:
Having a musical dialogue with Jim, besides keeping
the tempo, was my forte. As Tom Robbins captures in
his early review of the band, it felt like we were takin'
over - we want the world and WE WANT IT NOW!
The Unknown
Soldier 3:21
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
John:
Criticizing the Vietnam War wasn't embraced by the mainstream
when this was released (there's still some Americans
who want to go back and win it!), and 1 am extremely
proud of us taking a clear position. Yes, we did inhale,
and we were VEHEMENTLY against this war. I still don't
think this country has recovered from not being able
to swallow the loss. Sometimes, David does slay Goliath.
Wild
Child 2:35
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
John:
Great track. Another Art Blakley press roll, as on 'Moonlight
Drive', which kept the groove rolling. Great lyrics,
great bottleneck... gosh, it smells like my head is
filling with helium.
Riders
On The Storm 7:09
Written
by The Doors. Published by Doors Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
John:
It was really fun recording this one. Dropping in
thunder claps and rain was sort of like playing God.
Ray does an excellent piano solo, and I was pleased
that my and Bruce's idea of Jim overdubbing a "whisper"
vocal under the main one, added to the mysterious ambiance.
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