We recently put "Five Questions" to author Gillian Gaar about her new book "The Doors: An Illustrated History." The book is out now on Voyageur Press. Gaar is also the author of "She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock and Roll," "Return Of The King: Elvis Presley's Great Comeback," and "100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die."
Why another book about The Doors?
Well, it’s an “Illustrated History,” so the pictures/memorabilia are a big component of the book. I also think it’s nice have different authors critique the albums. And I tried to make a Doors bio, not just “Jim Morrison” bio. I felt it was important to cover what happened after Jim’s death, how the mythology around him grew, helping to sustain interest in the band; I had fun with that final chapter.
It is a beautifully designed book. Where you involved at all in that and, if not, when did you first see it and what were your thoughts?
I was thankfully not involved in the design or acquiring any of the artwork; it’s a big job! I’d seen an advance as a PDF, so I knew it would look good, but didn’t know how cool the cover would look with its “shimmer” and the die-cut aspect of it. It’s a really nice looking book.
The managers of The Doors estate do an amazing job of keeping the band both relevant and in the public’s eye. Do you think The Doors resonate with today’s youth culture or are they simply “dad rock?”
They resonate today in part because of Jim’s death; that adds a mystique. There was an air of controversy about them, which always helps. The original lineup wasn’t together that long (one year less than Nirvana), so that means there’s a limited body of work, and there many “lesser” albums a band that’s still around would inevitably release. They also still have a very unique sound and style; there really aren’t many that so successfully combined rock and poetry (Patti Smith is one that comes to mind).
Have you read Ray Manzarek’s “Light my Fire” or “Riders On The Storm” by John Densmore and, if so, what did you think?
Oh yes, I made sure to read them both! Ray really enjoys describing things like the taste of food and the flavor of drinks. It was great to get an inside view of what happened in the Doors. But you did come away feeling like it would’ve been frustrating to be in a band with Jim Morrison. I also like the oral history the band members participated in, edited by Ben Fong-Torres.
#thedoors #jimmorrison #raymanzarek #johndensmore #gilliangaar #voyageurpress #pattaissmith #nirvana #benfongtorres
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