Tribute to Jim Morrison

[Otto]

>
> As a poet, Jim Morrison to me seems to be immensely overrated. A shallow,
> second-hand imitation of Rimbaud fueled by the early Modernist notion of
> "transgression". The music of the Doors suffered from his
pretentiousness - as
> did Patti Smith's tribute to Rimbaud and Morrison, "Horses" (whereas, as
should
> be plain to everybody, her simple rock'n'roll-song "Free Money", to be
found on
> the same first album, is one of the best recordings ever).
>
> Oh well, I like some Doors songs, too. But has anybody ever noticed that
"The
> End" sounds better when played with 45 RPM?
>
> Thomas
>

Firstly, who's able to play 45's anymore? (I still got a fully working 25
years-old Swiss made Dual record player)!

Isn't this more a question of personal taste?
Isn't Rimbaud overrated too according to high-modernist standards?
His "Illuminations" did not make that deep impression on me as they should.

  Aussitot que l'idee du Deluge se fut rassise, un lièvre
  s'arreta dans les sainfoins et les clochettes mouvantes, et
  dit sa prière à l'arc-en-ciel à travers la toile de l'araignée.
  (Aprè le déluge)

In the seventies every "group" had to develop some kind of genuine style and
you could tell every Doors-record from every, let's say "Santana"-or "Jethro
Tull"- or "Blodd, Sweat & Tears"-record just from listening.

Morrison's poetry may be relatively poor compared to the modernist pets he
was trying to imitate, but his impact was much bigger.

I still appreciate the "An American Prayer" album, the idea of fusing spoken
poetry and rock songs on one record.

Otto

PS