You can petition the DOORS TRACKS POLL with ballots! Ray Manzarek memorial ilm artist poll no.36a (voting closes 4am Sunday 26 May, LA time)

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/9183/raymanzarek8.jpg

We're flashpolling The Doors' catalogue in tribute to their wonderful keyboard player Ray Manzarek, who died earlier this week.

• email up to twenty Doors tracks, in order, to ismaelklata at gmail dot com. These score from 40 down to 12, in the usual manner.
• Don't specify live versions, medleys, etc - everything will be counted together.

THE DOORS

1. Break On Through (To the Other Side) - 2:29
2. Soul Kitchen - 3:35
3. The Crystal Ship - 2:34
4. Twentieth Century Fox - 2:33
5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) - 3:20
6. Light My Fire - 7:06
7. Back Door Man - 3:34
8. I Looked at You - 2:22
9. End of the Night - 2:52
10. Take It as It Comes - 2:23
11. The End - 11:41

STRANGE DAYS

1. Strange Days – 3:11
2. You're Lost Little Girl – 3:03
3. Love Me Two Times – 3:18
4. Unhappy Girl – 2:02
5. Horse Latitudes – 1:37
6. Moonlight Drive – 3:05
7. People Are Strange – 2:13
8. My Eyes Have Seen You – 2:32
9. I Can't See Your Face in My Mind – 3:26
10. When the Music's Over – 10:58

WAITING FOR THE SUN

1. Hello, I Love You – 2:14
2. Love Street – 2:53
3. Not to Touch the Earth – 3:56
4. Summer's Almost Gone – 3:22
5. Wintertime Love – 1:54
6. The Unknown Soldier – 3:23
7. Spanish Caravan – 3:03
8. My Wild Love – 3:01
9. We Could Be So Good Together – 2:26
10. Yes, the River Knows – 2:36
11. Five to One – 4:26
plus
Albinoni's Adagio in G minor – 4:32
Celebration of the Lizard (An Experiment/Work in Progress) – 17:09

THE SOFT PARADE

1. Tell All the People – 3:21
2. Touch Me – 3:12
3. Shaman's Blues – 4:49
4. Do It – 3:08
5. Easy Ride – 2:43
6. Wild Child – 2:36
7. Runnin' Blue – 2:27
8. Wishful Sinful – 2:58
9. The Soft Parade – 8:36
plus
Who Scared You – 3:58
Whiskey, Mystics and Men - 2:28
Push Push – 6:05

MORRISON HOTEL

1. Roadhouse Blues – 4:03
2. Waiting for the Sun – 3:58
3. You Make Me Real – 2:53
4. Peace Frog – 2:51
5. Blue Sunday – 2:13
6. Ship of Fools – 3:08
7. Land Ho! – 4:10
8. The Spy – 4:17
9. Queen of the Highway – 2:47
10. Indian Summer – 2:36
11. Maggie M'Gill – 4:23
plus
Talking Blues – 0:59
Carol – 0:56
Money Beats Soul – 1:04

LA WOMAN

1. The Changeling – 4:21
2. Love Her Madly – 3:20
3. Been Down So Long – 4:41
4. Cars Hiss by My Window – 4:12
5. L.A. Woman – 7:49
6. L'America – 4:37
7. Hyacinth House – 3:11
8. Crawling King Snake – 5:00
9. The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat) – 4:16
10. Riders on the Storm – 7:09
plus
Orange County Suite – 5:45
(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further – 3:41

OTHER VOICES

1. In the Eye of the Sun – 4:48
2. Variety Is the Spice of Life – 2:50
3. Ships w/Sails – 7:38
4. Tightrope Ride – 4:15
5. Down on the Farm – 4:15
6. I'm Horny, I'm Stoned – 3:55
7. Wandering Musician – 6:25
8. Hang on to Your Life – 5:36

FULL CIRCLE

1. Get Up and Dance – 2:26
2. 4 Billion Souls – 3:18
3. Verdilac – 5:40
4. Hardwood Floor – 3:38
5. Good Rockin – 4:22
6. The Mosquito – 5:16
7. The Piano Bird – 5:50
8. It Slipped My Mind – 3:11
9. The Peking King and the New York Queen – 6:25
plus
Tree Trunk - 2:59

AN AMERICAN PRAYER

various track listings, including:
1. Awake – 0:36
2. Ghost Song (edit) – 2:50
3. Dawn's Highway – 1:21
4. Newborn Awakening – 2:26
5. To Come of Age – 1:01
6. Black Polished Chrome – 1:07
7. Latino Chrome – 2:14
8. Angels and Sailors – 2:46
9. Stoned Immaculate – 1:33
10. The Movie – 1:35
11. Curses, Invocations – 1:57
12. American Night – 0:28
13. The World on Fire – 1:06
14. Lament – 2:18
15. The Hitchhiker – 2:15
16. An American Prayer – 3:04
17. Hour for Magic – 1:17
18. Freedom Exists – 0:20
19. A Feast of Friends – 2:10 (also known as The Severed Garden)
20. Babylon Fading – 1:40
21. Bird of Prey - 1:03

VARIOUS LIVE TRACKS

Who Do You Love?
Love Hides
Close To You
Dead Cats, Dead Rats
Gloria
Build Me A Woman
Little Red Rooster

probably a load of others, they toured a lot

also:

She Smells So Nice (extra track on LA woman deluxe)

Awesome poll title.

Early teenage favourite--Weird Scenes was one of the first albums I bought on my own--but by the end of high school, that had faded. (Others, like the Airplane and Cream, stayed.) I don't know if there are still 10 songs I like, but there are five for sure.

oh i like the idea of flashpolling a lot.

My intention had been for voting for a dozen, not twenty, but I lost my nerve when I saw their discography was considerably bigger than I'd thought. In theory someone might want to vote for a post-Jim track. Shorter ballots are definitely welcome, if you can't get to twenty.

Count me in on this, if I get the time!

I'll countdown on Sunday and/or Monday, before the New Order one starts.

I've always had mixed feelings about these guys, but they sure have their moments. The intro to "Touch Me" culminating in "CMON CMON CMON CMON" is one of my favorite bits of music.

voted; I did a little relistening for my ballot & that was...enough.

do kids in the UK go through Doors phases, or is that a US only thing?

i'll probably vote in this one even though i barely recognise most of the songs on Waiting for the Sun and The Soft Parade.

(xp) Don't know about these days, but they've always had a healthy enough following in the UK

They were definitely considered a cool band to like among my friends at school (this was the mid '90s), they seemed to be one of the first classic rock bands people picked up on. I'm guessing the timing of the film had a lot to do with it (xpost to Euler).

Velvets, Doors, Iggy. Bit of a triumvirate there when I was a lad.

ime in the States a Doors phase does not coincide or lead to a Velvets or Iggy phase. it might coincide with a Floyd or Zep phase.

not positive that even amongst "cool kids" that there's anything like an Iggy phase in the States. like when I saw Trainspotting when it came out, I thought, how strange for Iggy Pop to be a "thing". my friends had Stooges records but they weren't pedestal. and that was *after* the Nike ad.

That's arty West of Scotland background I'm talking about, obv. the Doors are much more popular than the Velvets or Iggy amongst The Great Uncool

Suspect that Jimbo's leather trousers were more important in Glasgow than Ray Manzarek's keyboard solos

i'd been happy avoiding the post-Morrison albums for the rest of my life, but now that i know there's a song on one called "I'm Horny, I'm Stoned" i at least wanna hear that one

Only person at my school that was really into the Doors was this one girl who was a die-hard Bunnymen fan.

People are strange.

Side two of L.A. Woman is one of my favorite album sides of all time. The rest I've never been that into.

A++ thread title btw

I think at least 50% of the kids in my 7th grade high school class were into The Doors. I grew up in a small cow-town - parents who lived in the town their whole life were likely not to have any idea who they were because local radio wouldn't have played them much. a lot of the Doors listening was becuase of the hippy-arty parents of the cooler kids, who had grown up in the city or elsewhere overseas, and bequeathed their cool music to their kids. *sigh* I used to envy those kids.

why? because I asked my parents about the Doors and had to sit through about 20 minutes of lol Dadjokes "back doors? front doors? screen doors? stable doors? swinign doors? Diana Dors?"

<3

Having just listened to "Strange Days", "My Eyes Have Seen You" is definitely in contention for my Top 20.

voted; I did a little relistening for my ballot & that was...enough.

why would you vote if you don't even like the band?

ime in the States a Doors phase does not coincide or lead to a Velvets or Iggy phase.

hmm, did for me.

I don't think I realized exactly how faithful a cover "Alabama Song" was until just now

I voted for "My Eyes Have You Seen You"!

I like the band, but in a sorta nostalgic way, & that nostalgia has a lot of mixed feelings too. I thus want to participate, but without trying to enact the nostalgia.

Voted.

I see we already did an album poll ... I imagine the results would be much the same today.

Why is Morrison Hotel so damn low on that album poll!?

How do you feel about The Doors as a live act? The first Doors album I had was a live double, and it was spectacular.

ime in the States a Doors phase does not coincide or lead to a Velvets or Iggy phase.

hmm, did for me.

― wk, Wednesday, May 22, 2013 12:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oliver Stone putting two VU songs in the Doors movie and soundtrack always seemed like one of the bigger mainstream points of exposure for VU but i kinda wonder if it made them many fans at all

Haha, looking at the tracking listings above I had almost forgotten about "Land Ho!" from Morrison Hotel. I had a friend throughout middle school, high school and college, Matt Rich, who introduced me to The Doors in 7th grade. He LOVED that fucking song. (Sadly, Matt died back in 1995. I've mentioned him on ILX before; he's the one who got struck by lightning and instantly killed.)

A couple of hours ago I called my old friend in Amsterdam who introduced me to The Doors. Wishful Sinful was his manna iirc. I'm determined to get a ballot from him - I think something about this being a memorial poll makes that feel really important right now.

That sounds more mystic than it really is. He's not an old hippie who never came down or anything, he's just gone to Amsterdam for the weekend.

he's just gone to Amsterdam for the weekend.

That sounds like a euphemism for an old hippie who never came down

"Wishful, Sinful" will def. be on my ballot if I can get to it by Sunday.

It was on mine!

Morrison Hotel is the best. It sounds like the only album they did that feels made by a band instead of Jim Morrison feat. The Doors (although by its title you wouldnt have guessed it)

When The Music's Over, Isle of Wight Festival, 1970

I always thought this show was supposed to have been a fiasco, but this sounds pretty fine to me. Maybe it was Hendrix?

The Doors, man

I will get a ballot in for this one.

Last workday for voting, unless it's a holiday where you are. Get 'em in anyway.

I think the most underrated Doors song is Yes The River Knows, it's one of the most beautiful songs I can think of. When he sings "I'm going but I need a little time" back with that beautiful piano it just kills me. The guitar playing is something else too.

Well I voted for it, I'm a sucker for Jimbo as crooner.

Me too. I wonder if I'll be the only person to vote for "Touch Me?"

while working on my ballot, I made a Spotify playlist of favorite deep cuts: http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2013/05/deep-album-cuts-vol-7-doors.html

Me too. I wonder if I'll be the only person to vote for "Touch Me?"

No way. It's in my Top 5.

Going to fire off a ballot for this, but I like very little after the first two albums

Good man. Are you sure you don't mean 'before the last two albums'?

"Strange Days" really the only Doors album you need.

^ that's my favourite

Why have I suddenly started getting adverts at the top of the ilx page? I'm still logged on (obviously, otherwise I couldn't post).

ballot sent

oops - forgot The End. Never mind.

That makes I think fifteen ballots. Great turnout so far and still a day and a half to go.

only 15? would have thought more by now, still v. psyched for the results!

Good point. Get on it, you sloths.

i'd be shocked if they're weren't at least 30!

Me too. I wonder if I'll be the only person to vote for "Touch Me?"

― Huston we got chicken lol (Phil D.)

Yeah this is going to be very high in my list.

I always thought LA Woman was my favourite Doors album but half of it is amazing and the rest is kind of weak. Strange Days might be my favourite overall.

Is anyone else voting for Love Street? I'm not a big fan of that album that is one of my favourites, love how camp he sounds on it.

I can't take Love Street.

i love Love Street

I voted for Love Street.

One of the crazy things about the Doors is their catalog's weird mix of AM-friendly pop, Nuggets-style psychedelic garage rock, cabaret tunes, crooner ballads, overblown orchestral pop, radicalized hard rock, standard-issue blues covers, original blues, and protracted psychotic freakouts. I can't think of any country or soul Doors songs, but they seem to have tried their hands at every other style that was getting radio airplay.

I think Soul Kitchen qualifies as a soul song! There must be other covers besides X, right?

"Runnin' Blue" is half country - its choruses have mandolin, fiddle, and hicked-up vocals by Robbie Krieger.

I remember the other friend I had who was mad into The Doors (not the old hippie who never came down) once telling me that what he'd always wanted was a wise, cool friend who would quote him Jim lyrics when he was troubled.

That stuck with me for a while and I guess I've always had some kind of vague aspiration that I'd be able to do this, at least once. But do you know, it's never come up?

Just sent my ballot. I would like to urge you all to consider Maggie M'Gill from Morrison Hotel. It's obscure but great.

Great track, even if it is only "Five to One" with different lyrics. Just failed to make my Top 20 tho.

I remember the other friend I had who was mad into The Doors (not the old hippie who never came down) once telling me that what he'd always wanted was a wise, cool friend who would quote him Jim lyrics when he was troubled.

That stuck with me for a while and I guess I've always had some kind of vague aspiration that I'd be able to do this, at least once. But do you know, it's never come up?

― Ismael Klata, Saturday, May 25, 2013 3:44 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hey man, don't worry about it. The future's uncertain and the end is always near

All that ever comes to my mind is stuff like 'lingers long on love street' or 'if all else fails, we can whip the horses' eyes', and tbh there's nothing can be done with that.

My go to Jimbo-ism's are "mute nostril agony" and "lament for my cock // sore and crucified"...they work in any situation!

Fond of "Remember when we were in Africa?", but not easy to slip into a conversation unbidden. Also "The monk bought lunch".

Ha, I *have* used the Africa one! Unprompted, to a mate I went to Tunisia with years ago. I highly doubt he's even heard of The Doors though, so no mileage thereafter.

It was actually my opening gambit after he emailed me out-of-the-blue, years after we'd fallen out of contact.

I have fond memories of playing "Light My Fire" in high-scool & college rock bands, when I was on keyboards so that and "Touch Me" were amongst my fave songs in our setlist, allowing me to rock out on early 1980s sysths and Fender Rhodes pianos. But LMF has some of the wurst excuses for ryhmes with "fire" ever, so i can't vote it too high.

i'm voiting Soft Parade tracks highly - I love overproduction

synths

Inspired cover:

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/hes-hot-hes-sexy-hes-dead-rolling-stones-1981-jim-morrison-cover-story-20110701/1000x306/main.jpg

I'm working on my ballot right now. Vacillating on "Not to Touch the Earth": on one hand it's the Lizard King song, so it's canon but otoh it's the fucking Lizard King song...

Now "My Wild Love" is probably guaranteed a spot on the lower half of my ballot. I was just about to write off Waiting for the Sun as Da Capo's dimwitted younger brother when that song came out of friggin nowhere!!

I voted for "Spanish Caravan" cos the first time I heard it Ray's tripped out keyboard solo in the middle blew my brains out and I had to listen to the song 4-5 times in a row immediately afterwards.

Twelve hours left. Right now we're stuck on nineteen ballots - obviously dam AND VEGEMITEGRRL are going to come through and nudge us over twenty, but there are plenty of heads and non-heads who should be voting here. Open up, let The Doors into your lives.

20's pretty good for a short flashpoll like this one. But yeah, more = better!

Why not wait for the New Order roll out and collect ballots for another few days?

Sorry if this was discussed already

Alabama Song is one of the greatest songs ever! Bawdy, sad and beautiful, my no.1. I would be interested to hear other interpretations of this song, only ever heard The Doors version.

same here. one of Manzarek's finest moments, for sure.

Alabama Song is one of the greatest songs ever! Bawdy, sad and beautiful, my no.1. I would be interested to hear other interpretations of this song, only ever heard The Doors version.

― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Saturday, May 25, 2013 8:44 PM (5 minutes ago)

They do a good version of it in the Hollywood Bowl concert which I am watching for the first time---Morrison is great here. Unknown Soldier is just over the top, the audience completely flips out. Jagger hated him, correct? (in answer to your question about alabama song, try the bowie. i'd imagine the original lotte lenya version (if she sang it) is probably great

I was digging for more of an old time version, but like you say probably unrecorded.

Lotte Lenya's version

Pretty wild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWRBl4SNEcQ

Yeah Lenya's version is great. But i like how The Doors really turn it into a pop song, smoothing out the rougher edges. There is some strange metering and atonal chords in the original version and while one could argue they dumb it down, I think it's still my favorite. It really captures the tragedy and comedy of the whole thing.

Sent!

I've had nothing in the last couple of hours - do you want to check you've got the right address?

I've sent an acknowledgement to every ballot I've received btw

My bad. Somehow put "yahoo" instead of "gmail". Ballot now forwarded to correct locale.

Got it. That makes 25, and still four hours left.

Voted

Voting is now closed. We finished up with 28 ballots - y'all really came through on this one, thanks.

NB I'm not processing them until a little later on, so if anyone's still working or fancies submitting on impulse, it'll likely still be counted.

I haven't decided how to countdown yet - obviously it'll depend on numbers. I was thinking countdown 30 or so - half later today and half tomorrow - but I reserve the right to change my mind.

Okay, everything is complete. I'll get a results thread up a little later.

Twenty-Five to One: THE DOORS RESULTS THREAD