27 Apr 2009

The Beatles and The Doors

In 1965 the acid culture began to influence many bands. The Doors was one such band and another was The Beatles. The Doors were just emerging onto the music scene and were experimenting with psychedelics from the start. The Beatles had been together since the beginning of the decade but had only released their first studio album in 1963. The Beatles first arrived in the U.S.A in 1964 and were introduced to several psychedelic substances that affected their music. These two bands are not often looked at as having many similarities. However, I find that their musical style and lyrics are very similar and relate this to their usage of psychedelics.

The Doors produced numerous albums from 1965 to 1971, and their music changed little over the years. The music they produced is jazz and blues based, however, from the beginning the music had a feeling that blues and jazz never offered. The music of The Doors had the distinct influence of mescaline and acid. From the start they had a style that was unique and strange. The music crept up on the listener from the deep desert, snatched them up and often times drug them out into a strange land. They have longer introductions to most of their songs and often their verses and choruses are so different that they have long bridges in between them to gradually take the listener from one to the next without disturbing the harmony of the song. The songs are structured but allow for plenty of room for experimentation. Their guitar riffs are mellow and their percussion precise. It was very similar to the music The Beatles produced after they were introduced to acid.

The Beatles started out as a pop band. They were influenced by the rock ‘n’ roll music of the 1950s. This included singers and song writers such as Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Cliff Richard. Their music was simple and contained. The guitar riffs were clean and sounded as if they could have come straight off the strings of Buddy Holly’s guitar. In their song “I Saw Her Standing There” they use musical tones and a song format that is very similar to Elvis’s style. However, after their move to the United States and their introduction to LSD and Psilocybin their music turned more toward the blues side and began to show similarities to The Doors. The chords “loosened” and began to break free in their album titled Rubber Soul, although, it maintained its rock ‘n’ roll style. It wasn’t until Revolver was released in 1966 that their music truly deepened. They began to use an electric guitar and the percussion got heavier. By the time Abby Road was released in 1969 their music had evolved from pop to something completely different. It was blues and jazz based, but just like The Doors’ music it had something that neither blues nor jazz ever had. It had the influence of psychedelics. In their song “Come Together” they use a tone and rhythm very similar to that of The Doors’ song “L.A. Woman.” Both bands used notes and beats that when heard by themselves might seem unpleasant or unrhythmic but when complimented by the other instruments, and song structure, they created a lush jungle of sound.

Although Morrison is credited with being the genius that produced the lyrical storm of The Doors, Krieger wrote some of their best-known pieces. Both members’ lyrics were dark and filled with mystery. Some of the better-known songs that Morrison wrote talk about his youth, and others talk in abstract language. Other times Morrison will break into long verses that can only be described as poetry. He hits his keys well and adds emphasis just at the right time. He could be described as a lyrical sniper. He positions himself for the verse through an immaculate chorus, and just when the time is right he unleashes a torrent of lyrics that fit perfectly into the music.

The Beatles early lyrics were simple and shallow. They sang about young lovers and the things that a high school girl’s day dreams are made of. Their first truly dark lyrics were in the song “Run for Your Life.” This song was released on the Rubber Soul album in 1965 and marked the true shift from pop love music to psychedelic rock. The lyrics talk about a jealous lover tracking down and killing his ex-girlfriend. By the time Revolver came out the band’s lyrics were just as mysterious as anything that Morrison or Krieger wrote while with The Doors. The Beatles lyrics often times push the limits of imagination. They created stories and characters that are unreal but come to life on the waves of their music and step in time to the beat of the drums. Their delivery is less passionate than Morrison’s but their lyrics are just as abstract.

The Doors presented themselves from the start as musical shaman. They thought music could change the world and they voiced this belief on several different occasions. Their on-stage appearance has been described as electrifying and empowering. Morrison’s singing would often evolve into spoken poetry and the music would fall away for short times as he let loose a storm of words. While he was on stage he was often times taking numerous drugs and drinking heavily, especially towards the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s.

The Beatles first presented themselves very conservatively and sang to a different crowd than they later found themselves entangled with. Their presentation changed soon after falling into the psychedelic American culture of the late 60s. They turned from boy pop singers into mysterious musicians that could carry a crowd through an emotional roller coaster of sound. They still presented themselves more conservatively than The Doors but the influence of the drug culture could be seen. Like The Doors they thought that music could influence the social structure of the world.

Both The Beatles and The Doors came from different backgrounds, but their music crossed paths due to the unique culture that was brewing in the mid 1960s in the Western United States. Although these two bands are often thought of as having vast differences I find their musical tone, mysterious lyrics, and presentation very similar.