Morrison Hotel
The Melody Maker writer at the Isle of White Festival in 1970 opened a review of the Doors by describing them as ‘essentially a tedious band.’ When I first read that, I thought it might be a tad harsh; on relistening to Morrison Hotel, released 9 February 1970, I’m ready to concede the point.
Look, I promise I’m not approaching this stuff with a closed mind or with the intent of being contrarian. I’d like nothing more than to listen only to great music and put it here saying isn’t this good! you should have a listen. But the fact is that Morrison Hotel isn’t especially good.
It opens with Roadhouse Blues, which is no more than a slab of routine whiteboy boogie, overlaid with a silly lyric. Waiting For the Sun is two years past its sell-by date, and fatally reminiscent of the parodies created for This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. There are clear signs of musical intelligence from time to time, for example during a short break in Ship of Fools, but not enough of them, and they’re not sustained. Jim Morrison’s lyrical posturing and mannerisms don’t help.
In case you put me down as an uncritical Doors hater, all I can say is that I’ve owned and liked LA Woman since the seventies and still give it a spin from time to time. Morrison Hotel isn’t in the same league; it isn’t awful, just unremarkable. It was reasonably well reviewed in its day, with reviewers chuntering on about the band rediscovering their ‘hard rock’ edge. Given that the likes of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and the Groundhogs were emerging at the same time, that seems, to be charitable, a laughable description.
The whole thing is on Spotify.
In the meantime, here are the Folksmen. It’s a parody, but close your eyes and pretend it’s Jim Morrison singing. Weren’t you listening? Or are you just blind?
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