Customer Reviews

American Prayer

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I'll admit, I don't really listen to my other Doors CD's that much anymore...but "An American Prayer" is an exception. Jim Morrison will be recognized as one of the most important (and certainly the most imitated) frontmen in the history of rock/pop music, and deservedly so...but as most knowledgeable music afficianados (Rob O'Connor need not apply) will tell you, Morrison was a great deal more. As compelling (and disturbing) as his lyrics were, it was with the medium of poetry that Morrison truly felt his place to be; his desire was to use popular music as a means of presenting his writing to a greater audience. Having three of the most talented and versatile musicians of the 1960's in his band certainly didn't hurt, and this as much as Morrison's own talents as a lyricist and indominitable charisma as a frontman helped to achieve this end. The reading that he gives on this CD (recorded on Morrison's birthday in 1970, I believe) is first rate. And though it must be allowed that Morrison probably never intended for musical accompanyment to be added to his words (this was done by the surviving Doors members years after his death), it was likely Schiller probably felt the same way at the time he wrote his "Ode to Joy"...and Beethoven's use of Schiller's piece in his 9th Symphony finale certainly can't be seen as a dilution of that work by any stretch of the imagination. Nor is the subsequent Doors instrumentation (as well as the addition of previously released music) to be seen as a lessening of the experience of "An American Prayer". This is an extremely well-conceived production; the music compliments Morrison's reading perfectly. Morrison himself reads in a soothing, engaging, and intimate manner (similar to Charles Bukowski's "Run With The Hunted" expanded CD session), and, if indeed he was "Stoned Immaculate" at the time of the recording, the clarity of his voice lays more to inspiration rather than inebriation. This CD finds all participants in finest form, and the result is an extremely natural progression of sound. This recording may be considered "spoken word" due to its vocal delivery (and as such is unsurpassed by Bukowski, Henry Rollins, William Burroughs, or anyone else to whom I've compared it), but as with the work released by the Doors as a band, the music here is not to be underestimated. This recording was well ahead of its time, and in my opinion represents the Doors as Morrison had intended them to become through an evolution he was unfortunately unable to see through; I believe he would have approved of this work, and I can't recommend it enough, either to fans of poetry, music, and of life itself.

Jim Morrison to many was just seen as a crazy frontman for one of the most popular bands of the Classic Rock era. To many, however, he was even more than that - he was the container of a vast amount of literary knowledge, who had the ability to completely meld peoples' minds with his words. His poetry contained depressing, frightening, haunting, and perfectly-crafted descriptions, containing some of the most professional work I've ever read, from poets and other songwriters alike.

It is sometimes incoherent, sure, but the words are just so beautiful in how they work together to create an image that doesn't necessarily come to life through the meanings of words, but by the emotions that those words portray. It takes a real gift to make lyrics like this, but Jim Morrison is able to do it without having much more than a blues vocal and a well-constructed face.

One of my favorite selections from this LP is the inclusion of Morrison's experience as a child, when he witnessed a bloody car crash containing the deaths of many Native Americans in Connecticut. This is a true story (which I am sure cannot be said about all of the poems he recites on this LP) which really gripped me to continue through the rest of the LP.

Listening to it now, I can easily say this is one of my favorite Doors albums, even if you really can't call it a real Doors record. Since this contains mostly poem reciting and with mostly background music (but some of his old songs are redone, including a live performance or two - most memorably, a fantastic version of Roadhouse Blues) I guess you can't call it much of a "musical record" but the concept of this album itself is VERY strong. It really is a unique listen.

Another thing I'd like to point out is the audio quality of the disc (this is speaking about the Vinyl, but I'm sure the CDs are okay too if that's your thing). I found that, especially for a Doors record, the sound quality of this LP is FANTASTIC. It's really audiophile quality. Jim Morrison's voice is beautifully reproduced and is staged very well, and the instrumental mastering is at a crispness and refine level that few other recordings touch upon. And it's even better to know that this LP is mass-produced, so that many non-audiophiles are also experiencing this fantastic sound quality. It is rare to see high-quality recordings in high stock like this LP. Even if you dispise Jim Morrison or The Doors (people do, but I don't see how one could justify it!) at least make this record a part of your collection due to the rareness of the quality of the recording.

Again, this album isn't for everybody. But if you've ever realized and thought to yourself how unique and beautiful Jim Morrison's work really is, it would be doing yourself a huge favor to pick this album up. If you get it on vinyl, it's an even bigger gain!

Enjoy the music.

-Andrew

Crimson and clover? Why don't you compare Wayne Newton to Primus? Anyways, this review isn't a bash; it's my feelings about the album. First of all "American Prayer" isn't an album that you just pick one or two songs off of to listen to, it's a story, similar to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," "The Wall," or Neilson's "The Point." And similar to those in that it is best enjoyed relaxing on your couch, following the inebriant of your choice. It also is great for long road trips at night, but I prefer to have my eyes closed when listening to it. Jim's poetry is raw and vibrant and conjures up images of the movies The Doors and Natural Born Killers. The background music adds to the poetry like the sense of smell does to taste. As a second generation door's fan, my view of this album may be slightly nostalgic, but listening to it, for me, is like a vivid dream that captures something reminiscent of Manson's views of the 60's. It's filled with intenseness of peaking on window pane (LSD, for the sheltered) and the spacey philosophical ranting that accompany its come-down. This album is art and contains all the passion and skewed visions of the artist. I would compare this album to something like sushi; at first it may sound repulsive to some, but if given a chance you may start to crave it. If this doesn't sound like your spicy tuna roll, then maybe you can go back to mind-numbing, sticky-sweet pop music and other mass media produced nausients, and leave interpretation of art to someone else. Okay, it is kind of a bash.

Like others I also give this fours stars instead of five. And I do so as a penalty to the remaining doors, Bruce Botnick (engineer), and most of all world class sycophant - Danny Sugarman. This is Morrison's last recorded piece of significance (there also was a drunk session in Paris with a couple of street musicians.) Sugarman has turned a fortunate position as groupie / sycophant in the doors L.A office answering fan mail into a career of self-promotion, mining a dead man's hard work, and worse ... If you've ever met Sugarman you'll get the idea. Morrison did not write this stuff as a doors project. And, as the late doors producer Paul Rothchild stated, it was never meant to be an opportunity for Sugarman's group to increase their product line. Saddest of all, the original recordings of Morrison have been torn into a million pieces and reassembled in whatever order best fit the noises the rest of the band could make years after Morrison's death. I understand it must be hard for the Robbie, John and Ray not to reach back and have another moment with the lost friend, but this is really over the line of good taste. And that is unusual for these three guys - particularly Robbie and John. If you are a doors fan then you'll surely enjoy this work - just don't play it on the 405 on your way to work. Like much of the doors work, this requires some work from the listener. Their music isn't a soundtack for plodding from work to purchase. Instead, go to the desert, listen, and wait for the sun but be careful about picking up hitchhikers. Finally, could we have a break from the jealousy of wannabe artists (Rob O'Connor) who are stuck in jobs they hate like journalism, copy writing for web sites, or as music critics who can't seem to separate Morrison's work from the life he lived? They seem to know little or nothing about Morrison other than what they've read in their competitor's publications. And their qualifications for making meaning from the Art of others is a mystery never explained or demonstrated. It's bad enough for them that Morrison had an I.Q. of 160 plus, was classically attractive in the extreme, had a Master's from UCLA, often knew more about Literature than his university professors, had a distinctive voice perfectly suited to his work, and worst of all, had all the girls looking for him (Jim) that the wannabe artists (like Amazon's Rob O'Connor) wished were looking for them (show us the green Rob!) It must really crush these guys that Morrison could stumble in to a house drunk, sit on the toilet, listen to Robbie, John and Ray on a rough Jam of L.A. Woman and then, on the spot with no notes or notebooks, simply start creating and singing the lyrics onto the recording tape. Then have another bottle and do it again from scratch with Riders on the Storm. That Morrison's first cut at the lyrics was exactly what was published / used must make these wannabes want to reach for their own bottle. Time generally separates the great works from the lesser stuff. It seems generally agreed that the doors impact on bands since is very significant. And despite the media's infatuation with promoting the Beatles and the Stones, the truth seems to be that each successive generation is voting for the doors.

This is a fantastic collection of poetry, stories, and songs. This CD takes the listener into the mind of Jim Morrison. The listener will definitely be pleased to hear Jim's poetry and his short stories because they are the essence behind the genius of Jim Morrison.

The opening poem, Awake (Ghost Song); which leads into a story about a tragic accident on a highway, that takes us to the lyrics of "Peace Frong / Blue Sunday" is an artistic arrangement that gives us an idea of how and where Morrison got his ideas and inspirations.

Jim's recital of "An American Prayer" sent goose bumps up my arm. The CD also features bonus tracks that were not included on the vinyl version. "Bird of Prey" givers us a chance to listen to Jim's wonderful singing voice acappella.

There is a "negative side" to this CD. It is full of vulgarities. So, if the listener is sensitive; he / she might get offended. And, indeed, I can see where this vulgarity can get silly -- such as Jim's "Ode to my C**k."

Other than that, this is a first rate CD that every Door's fan should purchase. The original music for this CD -- composed and performed by the Doors -- is a definite plus, although Jim wanted to make a poetry LP without music. In the case of this CD, the Door's music does help.

This is a great CD to own. I promise that you will listen to it more than once. It is that good.

If you listen closely to the Doors double album "Absolutely Live" right before they launch into "Whiskey Bar", you hear Morrison say "All right...what do you guys want to hear next?" All the teenyboppers scream out "Light My Fire!". I swear you can hear Morrison sigh into the microphone, regretting the day that Robby Krieger penned their first radio hit. The man wanted to be a poet, not necessarily a leather-panted frontman. What I'm getting at is this is what Morrison wanted the people to hear. His poetry is wonderful, thought provoking, conversational, a little sophomoric at times, and the backing of the Doors on such passages as "Newborn Awakening" and "Ghost Song" makes this a must-have album for Doors fans. This album really lets the remaining Doors shine. All of their playing is so different on the six Doors album, compared to "American Prayer" and their creative freedom really comes through here. The album also contains a smokin' live version of Roadhouse Blues, as well as snippets from other Doors albums (very cool double reading of "Texas Radio and the Big Beat" on "Stoned Immaculate" and "Riders on the Storm" on "The Hitchhiker"!) If you want more post-Jim music, the Doors "Full Circle" is interesting (though likely way out of print). Regardless, do yourself a favor: buy this and Morrison's book of poetry "Lords and the New Creatures" and you'll really experience what Morrison was trying to accomplish before he broke on through to the other side!

Rob O'Connor, whoever you are, you're a jerk! So, according to YOU, the music of the Doors is "at least as good as Tommy James and the Shondells?" Flashes in the pan like Tommy James are NOT EVEN in the same league as The Doors, and music history attests to this. The Doors' influence on every generation since far outweighs almost forgettable acts like Tommy James--the only notable thing he ever did was "Crimson and Clover", and that's not even as innovative as the Doors at their worst. Why do you post your reviews at the beginning of the artist's catalogue, as if they are fact, as if they speak for the majority------Screw you man!! Remove this man's posts from this catalogue!

Don't buy / listen to American Prayer expecting a continuation of the Doors earlier collaborations. Musically, the remaining members of the Doors follow a logical progression of their craft, but their efforts only serve as a backdrop for Jim Morrison's poetry. The music is secondary, as it should be, but serves to cultivate a softer seduction for those who would be unable to give themselves over completely to Morrison's lyrical constructions alone. I've read several reviews here that denigrate Morrison's poetical efforts. Quite simply, the writers of such reviews cannot wrap their minds around the subject matter. Morrison's work is not for the intellectually deficient or those who cannot deconstruct its symbolism. There are common themes throughout this album, as well as several tracks from previous albums. It certainly transcends pop music and would hold the same value without accompaniment. It is Thanatos against Eros, it is tragedy, it is copulation. It is Anarchical, not nihilistic. Ultimately, it is realization; of flesh, of God, of the consumerism and material centered culture of the modern world, which holds us all in an eternal check - money beats soul - and ultimately destroys free will and spirituality. The longing for a better way, an existence that is much more pure was evident in Morrison's art. He asked often for us to join him. Few understood or listened. And, ultimately a few grains are no match for the unforgiving grindstone. For a better understanding of the psychology of Morrison's art I suggest reading "The Birth of Tragedy" - Nietszche, "Symbols of Transformation" - Carl Jung, and "Life Against Death" - Norman O. Brown.

First of all, I haven't listened to this album in a long time, but in a weird way, I kind of have. Confused? See, I found a great bootleg online that has the whole poetry session used for this assemblage, and it also includes Jim's last ever recording session (Paris, 1971 with a bunch of not-too-great French hippie session guys) and "Orange County Suite" before the remaining Doors put all their overdubs on it, about 30 years after the fact. For the curious, its called "The Paris Tapes." As for the Doors version of this album, its alright. The Doors described it pretty well when they called it "A movie for your ears." The music is carried off well, but I'm not into the whole thing anymore because of the way Jim's words are chopped up. That great Doors live performance on here of "Roadhouse Blues" is now also avaliable on the excellent "Doors Live In Concert" collection.

Jim Morrison is probably one of the best poets in english literature, if not one of the most influential. His style is like none we have seen before, and many have tried to repeat it since.

In An American Prayer, we have another view of his great talent. This posthumous album is not one to put to set a mood. Once you start playing this album, it takes most of your energy, and you're almost hypnotized, you have to listen to every word he says, every beat John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek added to this poetry showcase.

I must say they have done a great job adding the music to Jim's texts.