Staff Picks Blog

The hot sizzling steaming mindless agony of what we call summer is only buffered by a great soundtrack. Well that’s what I think. For me, summer is The Doors. In a great new biography published in late 2006, the surviving members of The Doors, Ray Manzaric, John Densmore and Robby Krieger along with Rolling Stone write and editor Ben Fong-Torres recount the bands heyday in Los Angeles and its ride to success. In a story well known to any rock reader we hear about the early days in Venice and the Sunset Strip. We learn about early recordings and development deals and we see how early success sets the stage for the evolution of one of the most influential bands in the last 40 years. Unlike probably the best known book about the band, No one Here Gets out Alive, this book isn’t dominated by one James Douglas Morrison. What is special and makes this one something all Doors fans should read is that for the first time ever the Morrison family contributes. I found that to be thrilling. To hear from his brother, sister and most importantly, his father cleared up many issues I have had with the Doors legacy. The book has lots of never before seen pictures and they also discuss the legacy and endurance of the band to this day.  So as we are waiting  for the sun break on through to this soft parade that will light your fire until the end. It’s a book that took 40 years to write.