Light My Fire by Ray Manzarek
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.94 You Save: $8.06 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.49 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Light My Fire
Book Review: Thanks Ray
Summary: 4 Stars
Ray is a good writer. he has a style that speaks to you..he's passionate and opinionated. Most things that us fans know about the Doors have already been said, but Ray Manzarek brings new, personal memories to life in his book. It is a good read, and for Doors fans, we'll never get tired of hearing the story of how these guys got together and became one of the greatest bands in history. The book deals with Ray's life from childhood, and to his credit, he really shares everything with his readers. He comes across as very intelligent and likeable, while reading this book you might feel a certain affection for Ray, as if he is some ' far out ' uncle you never had. Mr. Manzarek has an angry side, too. Just read his thoughts on Oliver Stone whenever the subject of the Doors movie comes up. I wish the book had been a little longer, though. The author seems to to be in a hurry to get past the actual musical career of the Doors. The making of each album and what went down between albums is given a quick run-through. Instead, Ray chooses to concentrate on his upbringing ( I found it to be interesting and candid ),and his younger days in So Cal with his girlfriend and Jim. I felt an emptiness after I finished this book, and I wished it had kept going. I felt an emptiness for a time and place I'll never know, and I missed Jim, the man that Ray so lovingly brings to life. Jim Morrison died when I was six months old, but with Ray's book, I was transported to a magical time in the '60's. I can hear the intro to ' Break on Through ' right now...Book Review: Very insighful look into the Doors minds & souls
Summary: 4 Stars
After Reading Riders On The Storm and No One Gets Out Of Here Alive, and now Light My Fire, I found all 3 books very different and liked them all in different ways because they pretty much all take your mind down different paths. I thought Rays book was very good except for I have to agree with alot of other people as to the parts where he seems to have alot of animosity toward John Densmore and Oliver Stone..I thought Oliver Stones movie of the Doors was a very interesting and awesome movie, but I guess for Ray, alot of it was untrue and therefore does not look at what a awesome performance Val Kilmer and the other actors really did! But otherwise I thought he did a great job with the book! Revealing alot of what really happened from start to finish, gave alot great insights on each Members personality and spirituality and without everything being just being about Jim. He does not really get into Pam all that much and pratically leaves Patrica's name out of it almost competely..All & all the book is very interesting, but mostly insightful, just when you thought you knew everything. It's still a hard book to put down once you get started, not to mention great photos too..Book Review: Priceless insight from a principal member of the band.
Summary: 4 Stars
Ray provides priceless insight into how his musical influences combined with Morrison's poetry to create the music of the Doors. I was particularly interested in how significant the jazz influences were on their music, and Ray confirms this as no one else can. I've had the experience of playing with musicians who are Door's fans that love rock and blues, but are close-minded regarding jazz. Ray's testimony should convince them that they've been playing, listening to, and enjoying music richly informed by jazz approaches for years whether they've realized it or not. I first heard Monk through Manzarek's clever musical quotes in Door's songs, giving me that sense of deja vu when I first listened to Monk himself. Thanks for all the great music, Ray, and thanks for the good reading. The struggle to expand human consciousness must go on!Book Review: Tripping down the 60's with the Doors
Summary: 4 Stars
A fascinating walk down the drinks, drugs and flower-strewn path of 60's rock n roll. Manzarek has written an autobiography that captures not only the birth of The Doors, but the language, philosophy and anti-Establishment mentality of the times. He spares no one but his wife yet manages to rehabilitate Jim Morrison's bad-boy persona into one of a genius post-beat poet who falls into the dual crevasse's of alcoholism and psychological despair (though that was always evident in Morrison's writings). Particularly moving is his epilogue where he writes about Jim Morrison in such a personal, intimate way, that one gets a visceral feel for the qualities and humanity that have Manzarek still grieving the loss of his friend 30 years later.Book Review: Shaman Showman
Summary: 4 Stars
Another book written by one of the band members (John Densmore succeeded Ray a few years prior). Manzarek writes with descriptive detail, where I got sucked into the whole psychedelic whirlwind without ingesting the magic effects of LSD (those days are gone for me). I do agree with Manzarek's opinion about Oliver Stone. Stone's movie about the Doors was an absolute piece of crap; a sometimes erroneous fairy tale. I laughed at the Doors encounter with the bloated ego of Andy Warhol, who Manzarek pokes fun of with wit and sarcasm . All in all, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to any Doors fan.