Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison
by James Riordan, Jerry Prochnicky
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Book Summary Information
Author: James Riordan, Jerry ProchnickyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-10-30
ISBN: 0688119158
Number of pages: 544
Publisher: It Books
Book Reviews of Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison
Book Review: The Definitive Morrison Biography!
Summary: 5 Stars
Break On Through is the definitive biography of Jim Morrison, so far. It doesn't possess the shortcomings of the other Morrison biographies, such as the near idolatry and hero worship of No One Here Gets Out Alive which did serve its purpose in resurrecting The Doors for a new generation (of which I'm one), or the more derivative renditions of Morrison's life in more recent biographies. Break On Through has the focus of objectivity in looking at Morrison and his work in The Doors, and the original source material they generated bring forth new anecdotes and fresh insights into Morrison.
As in most biography we do go in knowing the outline of the subject's life. In Morrison's case that's the son of a career Navy man who has a mystical encounter in the desert at a young age and believes the soul of an Indian leapt into his soul. The young Morrison grows up to be a rather bookish kid who gets the attention of his peers as much as for his classroom antics as his good grades. He disobeys his father's wishes and registers at UCLA film school where he proceeds to write essays on the history of film and make a couple of films nobody seems to interested in except Ray Manzarek. Morrison quits school two weeks before graduation, retreats to a rooftop in Venice Beach, ingests a whole lot of LSD and manages to write some of the most seminal and original lyrics by seeing "a rock concert" in his head and taking notes. Later that same summer, Morrison seeks out Manzarek who Morrison knew was in a rock band and where Manzarek lived. Morrison sings him a couple of songs and the two decide to start a band, call it The Doors and make "a million dollars." They work their way up the club scene on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and Morrison proceeds to become one of the most original and provocative singers in Rock `n' Roll history, becoming even a rock star's idea of a rock star.
The difference in Break On Through from other biographies is that the authors James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky examine the influences in Morrison's thinking such as Antonin Artaud's Theatre and it's Double, Nietzsche especially The Birth of Tragedy which reads like a veritable blueprint of The Doors, and the film noir influences on both Morrison and Manzarek and how this all relates to the music of The Doors.
Everyone who is into The Doors or is getting into The Doors is trying to understand why Morrison did the things he did, and how he came to write the things he did. That may be a little beyond biography, but Break On Through is the place to start.
Summary of Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison
Thirty-five years after his death in Paris at age twenty-seven, Jim Morrison's iconic legend remains as powerful as ever, swathed in the mists of mystery. There have been numerous biographies about the self-proclaimed "Lizard King's" life and career. But none have examined his roots and childhood, the intellectual foundations of his music, his wild days with the Doors, and his enigmatic early death as completely and insightfully as Break On Through.
More than simply a fascinating look at a rock legend whose cult following never stops growing, here is the definitive Morrison biography: his angry relationship with his father; the early tragedies and terrible events responsible for the darkness of his artistic vision; his private life and legal trials, including his infamous Miami obscenity bust; and the truth about his final hours. Based on extensive research and featuring dozens of rarely published photographs, this is the authoritative portrait of the poet, the grim visionary, the haunted man, and his haunting music.
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