The following essay about songs by The Doors was written by Bob Lefsetz

The following essay about songs by The Doors was written by Bob Lefsetz, and is reprinted with his permission.

Because of the length of some of the individual song stories, this essay will be broken into sections.

Here is the second song he wrote about ........

THE DOORS TOP 16

2. Crystal Ship "Before you slip into unconsciousness I'd like to have another kiss Another flashing chance at bliss Another kiss Another kiss" My idea of bliss is having a beautiful woman pull me from the hoi polloi and tell me I'M THE ONE!

Steph had been watching me. Only I didn't know. And when she finally made her move, it was WEEKS later. At Stratton. She picked me off the ski slope. She yelled at me. "You ski at Bromley, DON'T YOU?" That was the ski area across the valley. The one that had already closed before this second weekend of April 1967. When I responded yes, she told me she'd wait at the top of the lift for me.

Actually, I had a buddy with me, Keith. And she had a friend, Sally. And those two days we spent skiing together at Stratton...they represent one of the highlights of my life. If for no other reason than my sister's senior class boyfriends caught wind of the whole thing and treated me differently thereafter. Steph and Sally could ski every bit as well as we could. We tore it up. The letters flew fast and furious between my home in Fairfield and hers in Old Greenwich. The relationship lasted years. But one of the most memorable moments happened the following March. When my father dropped me and Keith off at Stratton both days of the weekend. And laid money on me for lift tickets, even though we had season passes at Bromley.

You see Steph had come up with Sally for the weekend. And Sally had a house on Stratton. I grew up in a melting pot middle class environment. We literally lived in a split level home. Sally's vacation house was better than our REGULAR house. It had three levels. It was within walking distance to the lifts. And we had it all to ourselves. Yes, it was just the four of us, for lunch. Sally's parents stayed away. We made sandwiches. Ate ice cream. Which ended up having such freezer burn that we threw most of it out the window into the snow. And then we went into the basement to play bumper pool. A game I'd only experienced once or twice previously, since nobody I knew had a TABLE! And as we went to set up the balls for the first game, Sally ascended a step and reached for the record player. Where she put on the Doors' first album. I'd only heard the single. "Light My Fire", ubiquitously. And "Break On Through" a little bit. I wasn't prepared for this. For this aural adventure. And the tune that stuck out. The one I had to hear again, was "The Crystal Ship". If you read the lyrics, you might dismiss "The Crystal Ship" as hokey. But you haven't heard it. Jim Morrison starts off almost whispering. As if he's tucking you in, putting you to bed. And then is going to be there when you start to dream. "The Crystal Ship" is like "Willy Wonka". Just substitute Jim Morrison for Gene Wilder. "The crystal ship is being filled A thousand girls, a thousand thrills A million ways to spend your time When we get back I'll drop a line" I can't think of the first Doors album without thinking of Steph, without thinking of this weekend. It didn't end on a good note. The last time I saw her was in Aspen, in 1976. But I finally found her on the Internet. I'd like to track her down. But I've learned not to do this. It ends up being too uncomfortable. One's memories are shattered. I'd rather listen to "The Crystal Ship" and remember the best moments. Those peaks of youth.

e-mail address: lefsetz@aol.com

return to Ida's LA Woman Confidential home page

for more Doors news and reviews