Gothtober - Gothfathers The Doors Top 10 Darkest Songs

It was not until after high school that the Doors clicked for me. Their radio songs do not always paint the best picture of what these guys were about . I knew they were obviously and influence on many artists I liked but the thought was why listen to those hippies play circus music when I can hear the Cult or Danzig do it harder. I think smoking pot while depressed made things click more and I began to delve into the actual albums and undercover a wealth of songs that supports the fact that these guys might be the first goth band.  Jim Morrison was obsessed with both death and the occult at various points. Sonically when you listen to these songs you can hear how these guys influenced bands like the Cure, Bauhaus, Swans, Nick Cave and others .So here are the top 10 darkest songs this band has to offer to cast a shadow on their status along side the likes of Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Iggy Pop as the godfathers of goth. 

10-"Indian Summer"

This one is at the bottom of the list for a reason. There is more of a moody introspective longing, lost in a cloudy haze than the kind of  end of the world bleakness they are capable of delving into.  

 

 

9-"Five to One"

This is a darker song for them in how angry it is. These guys were hanging more with the beat poet jazz crowd than hippies so this one clearly shows they were not about just peace and lover. 

   

 

8-"Queen of the Highway"

The keyboards are a little too happy for the lyrics,  then there is also that break towards then end, but if you get really high the reason it is here will make more sense 

   

 

7-"Waiting For The Sun"

The chorus of this song is a little on the happy side, but every thing else on the verses are there like those ominous punches.  That chorus does not do the lyrics on the verses justice. 

   

 6-"Riders on the Storm"

This song does sound like a brooding storm feels, I think all the jazz influence and the jammy bits are what kept it from making it higher up on the list. 

   

5- "Strange Days"

I am surprised this one did not rank higher like in the top three , but there are some happy chords that slip up here and there and take them back to that more circus like place. 

   

 4- "Not to Touch the Earth" 

The lyrics to this song certainly gave it an edge. The are pretty grim. Perhaps not as creepy as "Strange Days'  but I think overall the combination of factors and dynamics makes this one win out. ,

   

3- "You're Lost Little Girl"

Is this girl lost in a horror movie? These sounds are creepy as fuck and Morrison's stalker like delivery sounds like the Snake from the Jungle Book. 

   

2-" the End" 

There is a shimmering brightness to this song, but when you listen closely you can hear how it influenced Swans. The song takes a nightmarish turn. It fought in my head hard for first place, but sonically this one might be more intense than the number one slot, but it is not darker.   

 

 

2-" People Are Strange "

I get it you know this one because of "Lost Boys" ... but I weighed it hard against the bleaker lyrical content of  "the End" and sonically this one won out.  The lyrics are almost Morrissey like in the sense it's not other people who are the outsider it is the fact he is and is isolated by being himself, which is one of the most goth themes there is.     

 

Gothtober - Looking Back in Anger at The Door's "Morrison Hotel "

 I know some punk rockers that are not going to be happy but here it is ...the Doors were the first goth band. In 1967 a music critic used the term to describe the Doors  In 67 that would have refferred to their 'Strange Days" album which is a shade darker than this one , but it's the 50th anniversary of this album so it's the one we are going to take a look at. The opener "Road House Blues" the is best drinking song but the song that follows 'Waiting For the Sun" offers some darker tones that certainly could have influenced the likes of the Cure and Bauhaus. "You Make Me Real' is a little too straight up rock n roll and up beat for my tastes , but given when it was released it makes sense.  "Peace Frog" is a better song even if it is on the more peppy hippy side. Though his melody on the chorus is moodier. 

"Blue Sunday" finds us back in a garden of sounds that paved the wave for goth with the more introspective take on psychedelics.  “Ship of Fools” finds them back in the jazzy circus music they dance around with. Like a less aggressive version of “LA Woman” . On this album you really get a taste of how great a guitarist Robby Krieger is. "Land Ho" is a song I always for about. It almost feels like you should square dance to it. The balance of a darker undertones against their blues base it well balanced on "the Spy" . "Queen of the Highway" is along similar lines though with a more slinky groove and better lyrics. For all his acclaim as a poet I think Morrison is often over rated as a lyricist. Granted when he really nails it he really nails .

"Indian Summer" supports my claims of forbearing the goth sound. It is one of times they came claoser to a ballad. Like other great bands from this time like Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin, the Doors did not do just one thing. You can hear that on this song. "Maggie M'Gill" finds them back in the more drunken blues shuffle. I think at this point they were doing less LSD and drinking more. These songs lean more toward a bar room feel. I will give this album a 9.5, not their best album, as the booziness makes it more straight forward than what I like the most from them. But Robbie's playing takes the spotlight here and makes this not onlyu well worth the listen but better than most bands who are not the Doors.

the Cult :"Hidden City"

We are taking a break from this month's regularly scheduled program to give this rather iconic band a listen. What I like about the Cult is they meet at the cross roads between L.A. cock rock and post-punk.Ian Astbury has made it a point of saying the Cult is not a legacy act. It's true they are not just re-hashing what you know from them. Duffy's guitar sound has evolved. I had to listen to the first three songs a few times to really soak in where they are at. For an opener "Dark Energy" is a little of the road and if you came here looking for them to rock the fuck out you might have to wait to catch them live.  Finds the band looking for their place in the current musical landscape.Not new ground for them as they have managed to find a niche for themselves and transition from hair metal to grunge years.But neither grunge exists in a relevant way today, and a song like "No Love Lost" shows hints of that displacement.  The verse breaks down to almost a power ballad level , with the chorus picking up into something that would not have sounded out of place on a Stone Temple Pilots album. Ian's voice settle into a croon rather than going for the more powerhouse bellow that propelled the more rocking moment of the "Sonic Temple " album. Billy Duffy who actually helped form the Smiths, continues to explore interesting guitar tones even on the more straight ahead rock songs like "Dance the Night" 

The first moment that really grabs me is the song "In Blood". The band takes the darker turn that I think is a wise move for them. They maintain a slinking momentum as the lyrics take on more of a murder ballad tone. I'm ok with them dialing back the arena rock if that is what makes the most sense as it seems the more mid-paced songs that don't try quite hard give Astbury the room he needs to croon. The begin to dig into deeper grooves on "Hinterland" that might be alternative by definition, but at it's dark heart, its just a well written song.Lyrically Ian drops several occult references through out the album, but on this song they are particularly telling.They take a step back into a more crowd pleasing bag of tricks on "Goat".  It's blues rock that shows the wrinkles in their veneer suggesting the are beasts from a different age.

They really work best when in the more shadowy side of the Sunset Strip styled rock. The pulse to "Deeply Ordered Chaos" is one of the albums best moments. If they aren't going to sell me sanctuary then this is what I want from these guys. While they are no strangers to the style of rock they indulge themselves in on "Avalanche of Light" it doesn't play as strongly to their current strengths as a band, if it was a b-side off "Sonic Temple" then it might have worked better, but "Sonic Temple" was the band at their peak you say, ....yes that was 1989, this is now. "Lillies" finds the band in ballad country. They do this with a grace that might have influenced Stone Temple Pilots. Astbury does seems to waver in the upper register, I noticed it earlier, but it becomes most apparent here. It doesn't hinder "Heathans" , though my only complaint against the song is the band tends to go for a more middle of the road rock sound rather than putting the fire to the woman.

They close the album with the ballad "Sound and Fury' which could have been on Nick Cave's last album. But this song would work better for me if it was Nick Cave. Astbury is 53, so his voice is holding up pretty well and when he is in the croon is fits best, not sure the last time he really sang balls out. I'll give this one a 9 as they are faring much better than many of their peers and the album has some really strong moments, for me it's a little weird because I haven't pain much attention to post- "Sonic Temple" output so this is a bigger leap for me than most of their fans I'm sure. 

South By South Orange Festival

Our friend Tomas Doncker is launching the South By South Orange Festival on the weekend of June 26th  at the Sopac Theater in South Orange New Jersey.The concert is being curated by bassist Mike Griot. As with all of Doncker's work this seeks to connect music to listeners on a deeper level than today's candy coated radio world. The mission statement of the South by South Orange Festival is to show how art, science and creativity collide to bring forth innovation.  and while Doncker's band will act as the house band the weekend will also feature appearances  by Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun, The Wailers front man Josh David and violinist Alan Grubner. Doncker will also be performing his "Big Apple Blues" album that he wrote in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa.

From his Howlin Wolf album here is a taste of Doncker's take on the Willie Dixon song...yes, the Doors did not originally write the song. The Dixon penned tune was recorded by Wolf seven years before Jim Morrison and friends touched it. Doncker also released the gripping soul ballad "New Day" that was also recorded during his performance at the Iridium in New York City. This track is worth checking out as Doncker rips the solo a new one.



Doncker also released the gripping soul ballad "New Day" that was also recorded during his performance at the Iridium in New York City. This track is worth checking out as Doncker rips the solo a new one. While a much mellower groove that comes close to gospel, if you have like any of the other stuff I have covered from True Groove Global soul, then hearing how immaculate this comes across live is sure to blow you away.

R.I.P Ray Manzarek

This is the end my friend for Keyboardist Ray Manzarek for now sails with Jim in the Crystal ship after succumbing to his battle with cancer. Their will be a slew of eulogies and obituaries of various natures for him, but considering the fact the Doors were a huge influence on the death worshipping goth scene I'd rather celebrate his work. So here is the list of my top ten favorite Doors songs but it could also be called the Doors' top ten songs that influenced goth music or the top ten darkest Doors songs

10-Strange Days- Well there is aside from the bleakness of the subject matter and Morrison's voice this starts of with one of Ray's creepier Keyboard riffs, I'm sure Carl Mccoy has listened to this one a few hundred times.

9-Riders on the Storm- the song broods like a storm cloud but is off set by the delicate flourishes of the keyboard, the seem of being an outsider looking in is a common theme as they were lumped in with the peace and love bands of the time period when they have a very isolated theme, not unlike Joy Division

8-People are Strange - While Echo and the Bunnymen's cover of this fit the tone of Lost Boys, the opening notes to this song are darker than best Depeche Mode riffs.

7-The Wasp- hello Nick Cave, please tell us how much this song influenced you because the thought always crosses my mind when I hear it, sure it's way bluesier than average goth band ever dips unless you are the cult or the Birthday party, but the lyrics could be from a Christian Death album.

5-End of the Night- The guitar slinks like a shadow and the keyboards sound like they are from a funeral, if this was beaten the hell out of at an insane volume it would be Swans.

4-Spanish Caravan- the flamenco guitar reminds me of both Siouxsie and Alice Cooper, the exotic nature of the syncopation is very Bauhaus,and the explosion mid song is one of rocks best moments and pretty proggy.

3-the End , this seems like such an obvious choice I was trying to avoid, but I guess it's obvious for a good reason, the song was way ahead of it's time and soundtrack or many a drug fueled melt down.

2-the Celebration of the Lizard- they created a sanctuary and the song creeps under Jim's sermon.

1-You're Lost Little Girl- I actually heard Siouxise's version which was my door to the Doors outside of all their radio hits which shows their was a much darker side to the band.