Customer Reviews

Jim Morrison: An Hour for Magic

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This book originally came out in 1982, which is when I got my copy of it. It is a very good memoir of Jim Morrison and, tangentially, The Doors by Frank Lisciandro. Lisciandro was one of The Doors' photographers and a close personal friend of Morrison. It is a personal, anecdotal memoir, portraying Morrison as a personal friend, rather than as the Lizard King. I especially like the account of the poetry recording session (that would later become the "American Prayer" poetry album). There is also a very good account of the incident where Paul Rothchild walked out from the production of the "L.A. Woman" album, leaving the Doors to produce that album by themselves with Bruce Botnick. In any event, I highly recommend it.

An Hour For Magic, originally published a mere 11 years after the subject's death, presents not only a delightfully disorganized account of Jim Morrison's life, but also a charmingly realistic view of the often turbulent times in which he lived. Unfortunately, the book's narration does, at times, follow the beaten path of countless others by escalating Jim's person into that of a demi-god through mystical embellishment ("On stage...Jim [became] a shaman, a wizard, a sorcerer, a magician, a medicine man, a witch doctor, an enchanter and a Dionysian reveler.") Still, if one manages to see through the haze of mystics applied to the rockstar's life, there lies a rewarding read in store - one filled with exquisite personal recollections by Jim's friend Frank Lisciandro of anecdotes and conversations surely deemed inconsequential by the more impersonal biographers.

Great photos! Rare pictures that I have never seen and I have been a collector of all things Jim Morrison for many years. The book is more of a photograph collection than anything else. This is alright, though. There are some of Jim's poems and lyrics interspersed throughout and some stories of "adventures" told by friends. These stories are very interesting and different from other things I have read about Jim. An intimate look at different aspects of his life. Recommended for the serious fan and for the person who just wishes to learn more about Morrison.

This photojournal was a delight. The photos are handsome and pleasing to look at. I especially enjoyed reading the stories and escapades of JM and his buddies; they captured my imagination and transported me into the exciting world of the DOORS. I like this book; it is well done.

An Hour for Magic by Frank Lisciandro is a beautiful tribute to Jim Morrison. Lisciandro who was a film school friend of both Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek and after The Doors took off, and they decided to make a film of The Doors in concert and later became Feast of Friends, they hired Lisciandro and Morrison friend Babe Hill to follow the band and document them in concert. Lisciandro was a dedicated documentarian and An Hour for Magic is stuffed with pictures of Morrison and The Doors. Not only do you see The Doors onstage and up close, but you see them off stage, traveling to the next show, hanging out with friends, in the recording studio, or Morrison in a suit and tie for a court date.

The difference from this book and any other of it's type is that a lot of Jim Morrison's poetry is included, and not just some that Morrison might have recited in concert, but ones, that when this book was originally published were unknown to fans and I think there are some poems included that might be rare or lesser known unless you're the hardcore Morrison/Doors fan.

And of course there are the remembrances of friends. From the first person memories of Lisciandro, to a humorous interview with Babe Hill in which they talk about a limo ride with Morrison to a concert and the driver gets lost and everybody is freaking out except Morrison who takes it all in stride. There is a standout piece in A Hell of a Way to Peddle Poems by author Robert Gover who provides an essay detailing his friendship with Morrison, and a trip to Las Vegas that ends with him and Morrison getting arrested but no matter what happens Morrison keeps provoking the police.

A great book for a fan to have.

I love this book! The photographs are spectacular as are the comments that accompany each photo.