Prior News & Reviews
January 2004
January 29, 2004 Uncut Mag with Jim cover <> Waylon's new band
Jim Morrison is on the cover of Uncut Magazine, February 2004 issue which hits newsstands in the UK several weeks ago, but is finally hitting US stores now. Including full-page photos, there are 19 pages devoted to this story. There are inset columns with mini-interviews with Robby, Ray, Danny Sugerman, Ian McCulloch, Oliver Stone, and an inset box by other rockers who were NOT impressed by Jim. There is a Doors prize (a 'Best Of The Doors CD) linked to this month's crossword, too.
Waylon Krieger's new band project, named Adapt, is ready to start playing some shows around L.A., according to http://www.robbykrieger.com/news.html
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January 28, 2004 'Q Magazine' special issue has a Doors feature <> Cure box set out with Doors covers
UK's Q Magazine special issue on 50 Years of Rock & Roll (cover: Dylan, Hendrix, Lennon, Elvis) contains a 6-page Doors article. Listed on the contents page is 'Big Jim' whips it out, so, guess what this one is about. (thanks, Alex)
The Cure's 4-CD box set is now in stores. "Join The Dots: B-sides and Rarities, 1979-2001 (The Fiction Years) contains three different versions of 'Hello, I Love You': Disc 2 contains the "Slight Return Mix" (11 seconds); the "Psychedelic Mix" (6 minutes, 2 seconds); and the 3rd (3 minutes, 29 seconds) which can be also be found on Elektra's 40th anniversary "Rubaiyat" box set. (thanks, David my son)
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January 25, 2004 1970 analysis of The Doors from a vintage book
Rock '70 was a paperback book written by Chris Hodenfield and published in 1970. The cover boasts: "An amazing insight into today's supergroups and tomorrow's great sound!" It looked interesting and the price was right, so I bought it for an interesting read for a rock critic's perspective from almost 35 years ago. There are also sections on Led Zep; the elite supergroups (Blind Faith, CSN&Y, Humble Pie, et al); the blues; doo-wop; jazz; 'righteous American rock (The Band, CCR); opera rock and dignity (The Who, Kinks); honky funk women (Joplin, Turner, Driscoll); the Beatles and the Stones; folk music; and much more. I have re-typed the section on The Doors: read it
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January 24, 2004 John to participate in panel discussion <> review of Ray's show at McCabes
John Densmore will lead a panel discussion entitled "The Flowering and Fading of the 1960s L.A. Music Scene" at a weekend conference on Saturday, January 31st and Sunday, February 1st at St. Mary's College in L.A. This two-day event is sponsored by the C. G. Jung Institute of L.A., and is designed to evaluate and chart the experience of living in L.A., as defined by the city's diversity, history, mythology and culture. more info (thanks, Ilona)
Ray Manzarek appeared last night for a sold-out evening of spoken word and music in Santa Monica, California. at McCabes Guitar Shop. At one point he was joined onstage by beat poet and frequent collaborator, Michael C. Ford. The program consisted of story-telling, performance, improvisational playing, and question and answer session. read more
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January 23, 2004 NME has Jim photo
A recent issue of UK's New Musical Express (cover: Sid Vicious) has a foldout poster of rock stars who "lived fast, died young". Among them are Gram Parsons, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Morrison. The photo used of Jim is that of him lying on the stage floor, from the Michael Ochs archives. (thanks, Fred)
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January 22, 2004 Ray at McCabes is 'sold out' <> Married With Children re-run <> German mag has Jim photos <> 'Riders' covered in Latin style
Ray Manzarek's return to McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California tomorrow night for an evening of spoken word and music is now "sold out".
Robby appeared on TV's "Married With Children" back in 1992. The episode is entitled 'Rock Of Ages' and includes other 60's rockers Spencer Davis, John Sebastian, Richie Havens, Peter Noone, and Mark Lindsay. The storyline is that Al Bundy won a contest to sell the most shoes to win a trip to Hawaii. During the last ten minutes of the show, the Bundy clan encounter Robby and the others in an airport lounge. Robby has both a speaking part and a singing part!!!! This show is being re-run on L.A.'s Channel 13 on Wednesday, January 28 at 6:00 p.m. Check local listings. A MUST-SEE for Robby fans.
German magazine Stern has two photos of Jim at the Toronto 1969 festival in their January 2004 issue (cover: Elizabeth Taylor) see magazine (thanks, Fred)
“Riders On The Storm” is one of the songs covered by Senor Coconut on Fiesta Songs, a novelty album of cover songs done with Latin beats. Other songs include “Smooth Operator” (Sade), “Beat It” (Michael Jackson), “Smoke On The Water” (Deep Purple), and “Blue Eyes” (Elton John). (thanks, Beverly)
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January 19, 2004 Rolling Stone reviewed 'Boot Yer Butt!' <> Mojo Magazine re LSD
Rolling Stone Magazine #941 (cover: Howard Dean) devoted more than a half page to a review of the 'Boot Yer Butt!' boxset in its Reissues & Anthologies section (pager 62), and gave it 3 out of 5 stars as a rating. The review calls this box set a godsend for Doors fanatics, who will be glad to own these five hours and four CDs of buried treasure. The review also addresses the sound quality, pointing out that this set collected Robby's favorite tracks from an assortment of illegal bootlegs, and even questions why several specific tracks were included due to their poor sound. Accompanying the review is a familiar solo photo of Jim, and a photo of the entire band performing at Steve Paul's The Scene in New York
UK's Mojo Magazine, February 2004 issue (cover: Jim and two others) begins its Doors story on pages 74-75 and focuses on LSD use and the band's Soft Parade era. Included in the photos are a partial Joel Brodsky 'mirrors'; with Paul Rothchild at Sunset Studios; Jim and Max Fink on a boat during the Miami trial; onstage at New Haven with a policeman; Ray and Robby at Pere LaChaise on December 8th; and Ray and Ian onstage, with a half-page on Ian as the new frontman.
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January 18, 2004 Q Magazine's 1001 Best Songs
UK's Q Magazine, 1001 Best Songs Ever Special Edition on newsstands now, is a pricey ($9.95 USD) but very cool issue. Each song listed has its own niche, as 'Best For...', 'Best When...', etc. Except for #1 as 'Best Song Ever' ("One" by U2), they do not seem to be listed in any meaningful order. #898 is: 'Best For a Lengthy and Leisurely Shag': Light My Fire. What it does: Psychedelic carnival organ-guitar swirls blend with Jim Morrison's darkly sensual vocal for an aura of inviting, threatening mystery. But the truly titanic feature is the four-and-a-half-minute instrumental break, where the organ and guitar solos get stretched to the orgasm before a pounding crescendo. Fact: The Doors initially resisted plans for an edited, single version. But with most of instrumental break splice out, Light My Fire blazed to Number 1. (RU) File With: East-West by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band; Astronomy Domine (long version) by Pink Floyd Get it: The Doors This magazine issue also includes analyses and comparisons of MP3 jukeboxes, mini-disc players, and iPODs.
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January 17, 2004 November 2000 Uncut Magazine review <> news updates posted on the official D21C site
UK's Uncut Magazine, November 2000 issue (cover: The Beatles) ran a 3/4 page review of The Doors catalog. Their summation was: There aren't many rock bodies of work as worth owning as this, not many bands who discomforted, provoked and played with such committed resource, right to the finish. read it
The official D21C website news page posted some new items a few days ago. The limited edition "Live In Hollywood New Years Eve 2003" 3-CD set is almost sold out. order here The band will be in the studio working on the new album for the next few weeks. There may be some northern midwest tour dates in March, which should be confirmed within the next week. And lastly, look for an early spring release of the live "LA Woman" DVD taped in Houston last October, which will include interviews with the band and "a few other surprises." read the D21C news
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January 16, 2004 latest Mojo Magazine has a Doors feature <> Ray's pick for #1 greatest album
UK's Mojo Magazine, February issue, (their Acid issue!) has Jim on the cover (along with two others) and a 6-page story on the band during the turmoil of Soft Parade. This puts Jim as the cover boy for the February 2004 issues of both Mojo and Uncut Magazines. Unfortunately, it takes a few weeks for these UK magazines to hit US store shelves, but at least it's something to look forward to! see the Mojo cover (thanks, Alex)
In November 2003, the December 11th Special Collectors Issue issue of Rolling Stone listed their results of "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" which included The Doors at #42, L. A. Woman at #362, and Strange Days at #407. A number of musical celebrities were selected to identify their personal favorites. On page 131 is an inset box with Ray Manzarek talking about "My Number One." read Ray's pick
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January 14, 2004 magazine articles on Robby
Guitar World Presents Guitar Legends: 100 Greatest Guitarists (cover: Hendrix) named Robby as one of their picks in this 2001 issue. read it
Guitar Magazine: Freakout! Essential Guitar Guide to Psychedelia dated June 2002 (cover: Robby, Jerry Garcia, Arthur Lee) ran an article on page 44 about Robby and the Waiting For The Sun album. read it
Robby Krieger Band used to play a club in lower Manhattan called Wetlands. Classic Rock Magazine, August 2000 issue (cover: Ozzy) included a review of his May 2000 show there. read it
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January 12, 2004 Wembley Arena reviews & links <> another Morrison bio due out in July
Wembley Arena show write-up, including link to other show reviews and show photos on the official D21C site is now available. go here
Stephen Davis had a big best-seller with "Hammer of the Gods," a history of Led Zeppelin, and chronicled the Rolling Stones two years ago in "Old Gods Almost Dead." For an encore, his 500-page
"Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend" will be out in July - 33 years after the Doors singer died mysteriously in Paris. Gotham Books says Davis' bio will cite "new evidence to tell the true and heartbreaking story" of Morrison's last days. This story was reported at http://www.nydailynews.com/business/story/153124p-134781c.html (thanks, Beverly)===========================================================
January 10, 2004 Rolling Stone has photo of graveside visit <> 'Absolutely Live 'one of 50 Best Live Albums Ever
Rolling Stone Magazine dated January 22, 2004 (cover: Dave Matthews) has a 1/4-page article and photo on page 22 entitled "A Vigil For Jim." There is a photo of Ray and Ian at Jim's grave site on December 8th, and a short feature. read it (thanks, George)
Classic Rock Magazine, Christmas 2003 issue #61, has a cover story about the 50 Greatest Live Albums Ever. Absolutely Live is #39 on their list, and they cite as the stand-out track: Back Door Man. "Capturing the very essence of The Doors as a live band, Absolutely Live highlighted Morrison's way with a lyric, whether he's wrapping himself around the pop hit 'Break On Through' or the tripped out spoken-word of 'Lions In The Street.' Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger supply solid, improvisational backing." (What the heck, as if John didn't play on this album????) Classic Rock Magazine's choice for the #1 Greatest Live Album Ever was "Live and Dangerous" by Thin Lizzy from 1978. (thanks, Fred)
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January 8, 2004 Robby's birthday <> Uncut Magazine details <> Rolling Stone article re forthcoming album <> Benidorm set list confirmed
Robby Krieger turns 58 today! Several hundred thousand Doors fans in the USA and Europe got to experience this guitar marvel since his last birthday, thanks to the year-long touring of The Doors of the 21st Century.
Jim Morrison is on the cover of Uncut Magazine, February 2004 issue which hits newsstands today. There is a Doors prize linked to this month's crossword, too. To read the magazine's preview and see the cover, go here (thanks, Fred)
'New Doors Do Zevon, Doe' is the title of a news article dated today in Rolling Stone. Ray discusses one of their new songs, contributed by the late Warren Zevon. read it (thanks, Beverly)
The set list for the Benidorm, Spain show on December 4th has been confirmed by an attendee, Emilio Jimenez Gilabert. set lists (thanks, Emilio)
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January 6, 2004 Ray at McCabes now on sale <> Paris visit in new Rolling Stone <> order the New Years Eve show on CD
reminder: Ray Manzarek returns to McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California on Friday, January 23, 2004 for an evening of spoken word and music. Ray has appeared here many times. These appearances become 'interactive' with Ray taking questions from the audience, taking musical requests, etc. Tickets are now on sale for this intimate, general admission 150-seat capacity venue, and will be a quick sell-out. Order tickets by phone: (310) 828-4497
The band's visit to Pere LaChaise on December 8th is depicted in the new Rolling Stone due on newsstands this week (cover: Dave Matthews). There is a picture and quotes on page 22 in the Rock N Roll section (thanks, George)
The New Years Eve show at Hollywood's Kodak Theater was recorded by DiscLive, who were able to distribute the finished 3-CD sets in digipak within minutes of the show's ending to those who had pre-ordered for pickup. This show is still available for ordering. set list order here
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January 5, 2004 new Uncut Magazine focuses on The Doors <> USA Today's box set sales estimates
Uncut Magazine, February 2004 issue is due out on January 8th and will contain a 20-page special on Jim Morrison and new interviews with Ray and Robby. (thanks, Nancy)
USA Today ran a half-page story on December 19, speculating on the viability of major box set releases. It stressed that these are not official standings, but are based on Nielsen SoundScan's sales figures for prominent, expensive box sets which have been released since 1991 (when its computerized sales-tracking system began). The 4-CD The Doors Box Set (1997) showed an estimated 178,000 units sold, and the 7-CD The Doors Complete Studio Recordings (1999) an estimated 36,000 units sold. The two top selling box sets reported were Jimmy Buffett's 4-CD Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads with 780,000 units, and Bob Marley's 4-CD Songs of Freedom, both 4-CD boxes.
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January 3, 2004 Ray conversation in forthcoming book <> John's picks for Top 7 Bass Players
This Is Rebel Music: The Harvey Kubernik InnerViews (University of New Mexico Press) is the latest project from this well known Los Angeles journalist and insider. Scheduled for release in February / March 2004 by UBC Press, it includes a conversation with Ray Manzarek. Other conversations included are with Allen Ginsberg, Chrissie Hynde, Berry Gordy, Jr., Grace Slick, Ravi Shankar with George Harrison, Andrew Loog Oldham, Jack Nitzsche, Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull, Steven Van Zandt (a/k/a Little Steven), and Jim Keltner. There is an epilogue on Roger Steffens and his archival exhibition, "World of Reggae Featuring Bob Marley." The book will contain artist photos from Henry Diltz and Linda McCartney plus many others, and items from Kubernik's own print and illustration archive. To learn more, go here
Harvey also produced Ray's 1996 spoken word double CD, "The Doors: Myth and Reality" which was just re-issued in November on the Fuel 2000 label, distributed by Universal Music. Other recent projects include a feature interview with The Band's Robbie Robertson on "The Last Waltz" in the November 24, 2003 issue of Goldmine Magazine; 8 pages in the Andrew Loog Oldham book, 2Stoned; contributor to the "Rolling Stone Book of the Beats" published by Rolling Stone Press in 2000; an Eddie Izzard interview for January's HITS website; an interview with Grateful Dead author and band historian Dennis McNally on the book "Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip," and others too numerous to mention. Suffice it to say, this guy has been around and knows his stuff!
John Densmore was asked by Rush Magazine to name his 'Top 7 Bass Players.' To see his picks, go here (thanks, Jim)
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January 2, 2004 set list grid is updated <> John Densmore visited Dallas for the holidays <> The Doors on VH1 Classic "Headline Act" <> L.A. Times on "Boot Yer Butt!"
The set list grid has been updated to include The Doors of the 21st Century's historic final show of 2003 on New Years Eve show at Hollywood's Kodak Theater. Here's hoping that we can begin a new grid for 2004 set lists, real soon. set list grid (thanks, Beverly)
John Densmore spent the holidays in his wife's hometown of Dallas, Texas, according to a story in today's The Dallas Morning News. read it (thanks, Beverly)
The Doors are listed for VH1 Classic channel's "Headline Act" series on Monday, January 5th at 8:00 am, 4:00 p.m. and midnight, 4:00 p.m. and again on Friday, January 9th at 5 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. (Pacific time) I don't know what this 30-minute show may be ... it may simply be all videos. Set your VCR to find out, like I will.
"Boot Yer Butt!" is one of the recommendations in a full-page story reviewing this season's box set releases in the December 14th issue of Los Angeles Times : "Thankfully, this isn't another repackaging of the formal Doors recordings. It's the result of guitarist Robby Krieger's bringing together the best Doors bootlegs. The sound quality is pretty rough on the set, but that only adds to the underground nature of the music. The set contains what is believed to be the earliest live recordings of the Doors (a March 4, 1967, concert at San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom) as well as tapes from Los Angeles-area concerts, including the old Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino." This box set is now available in many retail stores, or: order 'Boot Yer Butt!' here
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January 1, 2004 New Years Eve set list & photo, journal links <> Philly station says D21C will return in April
The set list from last night's historic New Years Eve show at Hollywood's Kodak Theater is available here You can read the D21C Webmaster's journal about backstage activities here, and see his show photos here. My own write-up about the show will follow within a day or two.
Philadelphia radio station WMGK recently announced that The Doors of the 21st Century will return to Tower Theater in Upper Darby (Philadelphia) in late April. This show is not "firm" unless and until contracts are signed and the information is first posted on The Doors 21st Century Tour page on Robby Krieger's website, at http://robbykrieger.com/doors/tour.htm (thanks, Jude)
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December 2003 Prior News & Reviews November 2003 Prior News & Reviews
October 2003 Prior News & Reviews September 2003 Prior News & Reviews
August 2003 Prior News & Reviews July 2003 Prior News & Reviews
June 2003 Prior News & Reviews May 2003 Prior News & Reviews
April 2003 Prior News & Reviews March 2003 Prior News & Reviews
February 2003 Prior News & Reviews January 2003 Prior News & Reviews
December 2002 Prior News & Reviews November 2002 Prior News & Reviews
October 2002 Prior News & Reviews September 2002 Prior News & Reviews
August 2002 Prior News & Reviews June - July 2002 Prior News & Reviews
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